The Roundup

Senators want to add extra $1.2 billion to California school funding formula next year

EdSource's JOHN FENSTERWALD: "The chairman of the state Senate’s budget subcommittee on education and three other Democratic senators are proposing to add $1.2 billion to what Gov. Jerry Brown is budgeting for the Local Control Funding Formula. It’s the first stake in the ground in what could be protracted negotiations over ongoing education spending in the governor’s final state budget."

"The funding formula, which covers more than 80 percent of state K-12 funding, provides base funding for general expenses for all districts and additional dollars to districts based on their enrollment of low-income children, English learners, foster and homeless youth."

"Under the formula, $1 billion of the additional money would go to expand base funding, with the rest — $200 million — designated as supplemental money for high-needs students. Budget Subcommittee Chair Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge, would make room for it by cutting from the $1.8 billion Brown proposes providing to districts for one-time, discretionary spending. In either case, districts could choose how to spend the money, so the disagreement is not over flexibility; it’s over confidence in future revenue."

READ MORE related to Education: Chico State students oppose fee hike, ask for other solutions -- Chico ER, DANI ANGUIANO; Forecast for California school climates remains cloudy without good data, advocates say -- EdSource's DAVID WASHBURN

Assembly probe finds Raul Bocanegra sexually harassed 3 workers

The Chronicle: MELODY GUTIERREZ: "Former Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra made unwanted sexual advances toward three female employees, according to findings of a sexual harassment probe, including one incident in which he “more likely than not” put a female staffer’s bracelet in his front pants pocket and asked her to retrieve it."

"Investigative records released to The Chronicle by the Assembly on Thursday showed that between 2009 and 2011, while Bocanegra was chief of staff to then-assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, a Democrat from the San Fernando Valley, he also routinely asked a female worker on dates and commented that she was “good-looking.” She said she was afraid she would be fired if she complained."

"In a third incident, he was accused of stroking the hair of a female employee and touching her shoulders."

READ MORE related to Sexual Misconduct: Lawmakers asked Capitol aide to retrieve her bracelet from his pocket, review finds -- Sacramento Bee, ALEXEI KOSEFF

California Republicans see chance to take Democratic seats in Congress

The Chronicle's JOHN WILDERMUTH: "While Democrats see California as a target-rich environment in their bid to take control of Congress, Republicans hope to make that tougher with their own list of seats they intend to flip from Democratic blue to GOP red."

"Incumbents in suburban Sacramento, Riverside County, Santa Barbara and San Diego are the focus of attention from Republican leaders convinced that a typically low-turnout midterm election will give them a shot at an election day surprise in November."

"The fundamentals look good for Republicans,” said Jack Pandol, a spokesman for the Republican National Congressional Committee. “Democrats are sleeping on their efforts at this point."

Tesla touts its emissions-free cars; its factory got fined for polluting

The Chronicle 's DAVID R. BAKER: "Tesla, the automaker determined to shift the world to environmentally friendly cars, has agreed to pay a fine of $139,500 over excess air pollution from its Fremont factory."

'The company, based in Palo Alto, also will install a solar array on the roof of a Boys and Girls Club in San Jose, as part of the settlement with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District."

'According to the district, several pieces of malfunctioning equipment at the plant emitted elevated levels of smog-forming nitrogen oxides from 2013 through 2016. The problem has since been corrected, and Tesla is now in compliance with the district’s air pollution limits."

READ MORE related to Energy & Environment: 'Biggest storm' of winter misses mark in Bay Area, hits target in Sierra -- The Chronicle's SOPHIE HAIGNEY; Biggest storm of the season moves into California, bringing warnings of blizzards and mudslides -- LA Times' MELISSA ETEHAD/JOSEPH SERNA/HAILEY BRANSON-POTTS; EPA chief's clean-water rollback shaped by secrecy, luxury travel and handpicked audiences -- LA Times' EVAN HALPER; Feral cattle terrorize hikers and devour native plants in a California national monument -- LA Times' LOUIS SAHAGUN; A former NASA astronaut says it wouldn't be so bad to transfer the space station to private management -- LA Times' DEBORAH NETBURN; Friday morning may offer brief travel window in storm-whipped Norcal -- Sacramento Bee's DALE KASLER/TONY BIZJAK/BENJEY EGEL; Trump EPA moves to roll back more rules on fuels pollution -- AP's MICHAEL BIESECKER/MATTHEW BROWN; Moderate to heavy rain falling on SoCal, snow in mountains -- SCNG' CITY NEWS SERVICE

WH slams Oakland Mayor Libby Shaaf's warning about ICE action

The Chronicle's KIMBERLY VEKLEROV: "The Justice Department is reviewing Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf’s “outrageous” warning to the community ahead of a large-scale operation by federal immigration authorities, the White House said Thursday."

"I think it’s outrageous that a mayor would circumvent federal authorities and certainly put them in danger by making a move such as that. And that’s currently under review by the Department of Justice, and I don’t have anything else to add,” press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in her afternoon briefing at the White House."

"Schaaf said she issued the alert Saturday night after receiving confidential tips that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, was planning arrestsacross the Bay Area. Her spokesman, Justin Berton, said Thursday that she was not aware of the review mentioned by Huckabee Sanders."

READ MORE related to Immigration: GOP California gubernatorial candidate John Cox speaks out against sanctuary state policy -- The Chronicle's JOHN WILDERMUTH; Longtime Napa resident arrested in ICE sweep; family in shock -- The Chronicle's JENNA LYONS/HAMED ALEAZIZ; Congress' immigration push sputters as guns grab attention -- AP's ALAN FRAM

Gunshot survivor Gabby Giffords encourages student activists in SF visit

The Chronicle's ANNIE MA: "In a college essay, Gabe Zimmerman, who later found himself drawn to public service as an aide for Rep. Gabby Giffords, wrote about his passion to create systemic change. Seven years after he was killed by a gunman, the voices of students who survived yet another mass shooting might finally bring about the progress he envisioned."

"In remarks at a San Francisco scholarship fundraiser named for Zimmerman, Giffords, along with her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly and University of California leaders, connected Zimmerman’s drive for public service with the power of the student leadership emerging after last month’s mass shooting in Parkland, Fla."

“Be bold, be courageous,” Giffords said. “The nation is counting on you.”

READ MORE related to Gun Violence Pandemic: Trump's gun stance a struggle for Congress, NRA -- AP's: LISA MASCARO/MATTHEW DALY; Mark Keppel High student detained as result of potentially threatening comments in Alhambra -- SGV Tribune's CHRISTOPHER YEE

Trump doesn't want you knowing the benefits of regulations far outweigh the costs

LA Times's DAVID LAZARUS: "President Trump recently patted himself on the back for the "most far-reaching regulatory reform" in U.S. history, which wasn't true but that wasn't the point. The point was that Trump has made eliminating government regulations one of his top priorities."

OP-ED: LA has a long history of failure on homelessness. It needs leaders who will take responsibility

LA Times's  EDITORIAL BOARD: "Two years after Los Angeles city leaders said they were about to declare (although they never actually did) a state of emergency over a deepening homelessness crisis;"