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Democratic lawmakers urge legislative leaders to lay off CEQA -- In the middle of an end-of-session bid to overhaul the California Environmental Quality Act, 33 Democratic lawmakers urged legislative leaders in a letter released today to oppose any significant re-writing of the law. David Siders SacBee Capitol Alert Michael J. Mishak and Patrick McGreevy LA Times PolitiCal$ -- 8/21/12 Republican Platform Calls for Guest-Worker Program -- Republicans are attempting to balance their party's disparate opinions on immigration by taking a tough stance on illegal immigrants in the United States while at the same time calling for a new temporary foreign worker program. Fawn Johnson National Journal -- 8/21/12 From the ad man who brought us 'demon sheep,' a few regrets -- Nothing seemed off-limits to Fred Davis – until he was accused of race-baiting in a proposed anti-Obama campaign. Mark Z. Barabak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/21/12 Hound hunting bill amended but fight rages on -- A bill that would have banned the use of dogs in hunting bears and bobcats has been amended to provide some exemptions. Laurel Rosenhall SacBee Capitol Alert -- 8/21/12 Congressional leaders stumping in California races -- House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) and Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland are in California this week lending their fundraising muscle to their party’s congressional candidates, underscoring the Golden State’s importance to the battle for control of Congress. Richard Simon SacBee Capitol Alert -- 8/21/12 online rental payments -- The state Senate voted Tuesday to prohibit landlords from requiring rental payments to be made online amid concerns it can create a hardship for low-income and elderly tenants who do not have easy Internet access. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/21/12 Paul McIntosh, top county lobbyist, steps down -- Paul McIntosh, executive director of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC) for the past five years, announced his resignation Tuesday to "determine my best course in the twilight years to come." Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 8/21/12 Villaraigosa wants name taken off Proposition 32 ad -- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made a cameo appearance in an online ad for Proposition 32, and he’s not happy about it. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/21/12 California film tax credit -- The California Senate on Tuesday approved a two-year extension of tax credits for the film and television industry, providing $100 million annually through July 2017. Patrick McGreevy LA Times PolitiCal$ -- 8/21/12 John Mockler consulted for Molly Munger, now on Jerry Brown's side -- Education consultant John Mockler, the chief architect of Proposition 98, California's school finance law, finished working this morning on a list of talking points for Gov. Jerry Brown's November ballot initiative to raise taxes. David Siders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 8/21/12 California lawmakers call for Navy ship to be named after Harvey Milk -- State lawmakers have no power to name U.S. Navy ships, but that didn't discourage the state Senate on Monday from a long, passionate debate over a proposal to name a vessel after slain gay rights leader Harvey Milk. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/21/12 Fox: Is CEQA Reform Possible? -- Will California’s business environment finally get a shot in the arm by updating the 42-year-old California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)? The business community is hopeful and indications are that powerful legislative leaders want to see this through. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 8/21/12 Eric Swalwell attacks Pete Stark on “Rich Kid Loophole” in Social Security -- Eric Swalwell, the Dublin city councilman challenging 20-term Rep. Pete Stark in the Democrat-on-Democrat contest for the East Bay’s 15th Congressional district, is challenging Stark’s collection of Social Security benefits for his minor children, as first reported here on Friday. Carolyn Lochhead Chronicle Politics -- 8/21/12
Todd Akin reaffirms decision to stay in the Senate race -- Fighting back against enormous pressure by leading Republicans and others to drop out of the U.S. Senate race in Missouri, Rep. Todd Akin used a radio interview Tuesday to turn his embattled campaign into a cause for “the regular people” against “the big party people.” Nia-Malika Henderson and Paul Kane in the Washington Post -- 8/21/12 Obama criticizes Ryan on his budget’s impact on education -- President Barack Obama drew a sharp line with Republican Mitt Romney on education Tuesday, telling Ohio voters that “putting a college education within reach for working families doesn’t seem to be a priority” for his opponent. Associated Press -- 8/21/12 San Onofre layoffs raise questions about nuclear plant's future -- More than six months after a leaking steam generator tube prompted a complete shutdown of the San Onofre nuclear power plant, Southern California Edison officials announced plans to lay off nearly one-third of its workforce, leading many to wonder if the troubled plant would ever fully reopen. Abby Sewell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/21/12 West Hollywood latest city to ban plastic bags -- The West Hollywood City Council adopted an ordinance Monday night banning single-use plastic bags at store checkout lines. Hailey Branson-Potts in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/21/12
Some state senators voted to ban gifts, then accepted them -- Sometimes, free stuff is just too hard to give up. Even after state senators overwhelmingly approved a ban on certain gifts to state lawmakers, some of the same legislators kept accepting them. Will Evans California Watch -- 8/21/12 Accumulated state worker leave prompted California's park scandal -- What started as a quiet scheme to draw down excessive leave hours built up by state parks managers quickly spread, first to hardship cases and then to the rank and file, according to recently released state investigative documents. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/21/12 Congressional swim in Sea of Galilee draws criticism -- New revelations about a 2011 congressional trip to Israel have prompted one Midwestern politician's apology and reminded San Joaquin Valley lawmakers that travel can be costly. Michael Doyle in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/21/12 Federal investigators still focused on failing pipe in Chevron refinery fire -- U.S. Chemical Safety Board officials said Monday that criticisms would not deter them from communicating with the press, nor had they strained relationships with other agencies in the joint investigation into Chevron's Aug. 6 refinery fire that sent more than 11,000 residents to area hospitals. Robert Rogers in the Contra Costa Times -- 8/21/12 Peninsula leader wants PG&E to foot bill for $5 billion project -- Assemblyman Jerry Hill said Monday that PG&E's customers should not have to pick up the nearly $5 billion tab for proposed work to fix the company's "gross mismanagement" of its "failed" gas pipeline system. Joshua Melvin in the San Jose Mercury -- 8/21/12
Edison to lay off 730 workers at San Onofre -- Southern California Edison announced plans to cut nearly one-third of its workforce at the troubled San Onofre nuclear plant, raising new questions about whether the plant will ever return to full operations. Abby Sewell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/21/12 Apple's market value hits $623.5 billion -- Apple's surging share price makes it nominally the most valuable company of all time, surpassing rival tech firm Microsoft's $616.3-billion valuation in the late 1990s. Andrea Chang and Salvador Rodriguez in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/21/12 California tops in charitable giving; wealthy often play Scrooge -- Who are the most generous givers in the country? It’s not the clusters of rich folk in the Bel-Airs and the Hamptons of the U.S., according to a sweeping report on charitable donations this week. Tiffany Hsu in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/21/12 Bill extends overtime pay protections to California farmworkers -- The measure, requested by the UFW and approved by the state Senate, would give farm laborers the same overtime pay benefits enjoyed by workers in other industries. It now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown. Patrick McGreevy and Michael J. Mishak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/21/12 Airlines testing demand with latest fare hike -- The latest fare hike, initiated last week by Southwest Airlines, signals the airline industry's efforts to test how much air passengers are willing to pay to fly, according to an industry expert. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/21/12
Taxpayer group takes on county, water district -- Setting the stage for a showdown over two half-billion dollar tax measures, a taxpayer group filed a lawsuit Monday against Santa Clara County and renewed a threat to sue the Santa Clara Valley Water District to keep a pair of local measures off the November ballot. Tracy Seipel and Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury -- 8/21/12
New carbon emissions rule could cost UC, CSU millions -- Large campuses in the University of California and California State University systems are bracing for the implementation of new state rules that will force them to cut carbon emissions or pay as much as $28 million a year to offset their greenhouse gases. BRIAN JOSEPH in the Orange County Register -- 8/21/12 AB 5 falls short of meeting NCLB waiver requirements -- Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes said that the passage of AB 5, the teacher evaluation bill that he authored, could “potentially serve as a key piece” of the state’s application for a waiver from the No Child Left Behind law – and free up hundreds of millions of federal dollars to fund districts’ evaluations and other education needs. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 8/21/12 CA charter movement celebrates 20 year anniversary -- Don Shalvey, now a deputy director of the Gates Foundation, had only been superintendent of the San Carlos School District a few months before helping establish the state’s first charter school and with it, a movement that would change forever the landscape of public education. Tom Chorneau SI&A Cabinet Report -- 8/21/12 Cost of living can affect student achievement, study says -- Poor children living in higher-cost areas like the urban centers of California are more likely to struggle academically than their counterparts in lower-cost areas, according to research published today. Bernice Yeung California Watch -- 8/21/12
Sutter Neuroscience Institute launching trial of cord blood stem cells in autistic children -- The Sutter Neuroscience Institute in Sacramento plans to launch groundbreaking research today to discover whether infusing umbilical cord stem cells into the bloodstreams of autistic children will help them overcome debilitating characteristics of the condition. Cynthia H. Craft in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/21/12 Syphilis outbreak jolts San Fernando Valley porn industry -- A coalition that represents the largely San Fernando Valley-based adult film industry has asked production companies nationwide to halt work until reports of a cluster of five syphilis cases have been substantiated. Susan Abram in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 8/21/12 The disabled may be hurt most by Paul Ryan's Medicare plan -- Medicare plan by Paul Ryan, the GOP vice presidential candidate, would result in a greater share of costs shifting to the elderly and the disabled, critics say. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 8/21/12
Walters: Overhauling CEQA now a hot topic -- For years – even decades – business groups have complained that the California Environmental Quality Act's complex provisions were being misused to block worthwhile projects, often for reasons that had nothing to do with the environment. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/21/12 Business, labor groups propose environmental act changes -- A coalition of business and labor groups is proposing changes to California's landmark environmental law, saying it is time to modernize a 40-year-old measure that is often used to block even so-called green development. Michael J. Mishak and Patrick McGreevy LA Times PolitiCal$ -- 8/21/12
DMV working on issue of driver's licenses for illegal immigrants -- The California Department of Motor Vehicles is getting closer to a decision on providing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants who qualify for federal work permits under a new initiative of the Obama administration. Patrick McGreevy LA Times PolitiCal$ -- 8/21/12
Occupy L.A. cost: $4.3 million and rising -- The estimated cost of $4.3 million for last year's Occupy L.A. protests could end up even higher because the demonstrations have moved from City Hall to Pershing Square, city officials said Monday. Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 8/21/12
African Americans in San Francisco arrested at high rates, analysis finds -- Although African Americans constitute 6 percent of San Francisco’s population, they are about seven times more likely to be arrested than whites, who represent 41.8 percent of the city’s population, according to an analysis of recently released statistics from the California Department of Justice. SHOSHANA WALTER Bay Citizen -- 8/21/12 Oakland police radio culprit: cell towers -- Specifically, officials said, cell phone towers operated by AT&T Wireless have been interfering with the city's public safety communications frequency and causing radio failures among police and firefighters on city streets. Matthai Kuruvila in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/21/12 Doping bans spur athletes to concoct creative alibis -- Confronted with a positive steroid test, Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera employed a fake website and a phony cover story to deflect the consequences, the New York Daily News has reported. Major League Baseball found him out, and Cabrera was suspended for 50 games. Lance Williams California Watch -- 8/21/12 Pulitzer campaign for Edward Kennedy -- Eighteen journalists - including two Pulitzer Prize winners - have started a campaign to award a posthumous Pulitzer to a reporter who broke one of the biggest stories in World War II and was fired as a result. Carl Nolte in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/21/12 Tom Friery, 69, oversaw Sacramento's finances for nearly 30 years -- Tom Friery, the man who oversaw the city of Sacramento's investment and financing operations for nearly three decades, died Sunday night of a massive heart attack at age 69. Cathy Locke in the Sacramento Bee -- 8/21/12
Todd Akin's rape remark angers GOP women -- Jillian Manus Salzman, a powerhouse donor to Mitt Romney's presidential campaign and a proud pro-choice Republican, said she screamed when she heard Rep. Todd Akin of Missouri, a GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate, say that victims of "legitimate" rape rarely get pregnant. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/21/12 President Obama: ‘Rape is rape’ -- President Obama on Monday called Rep. Todd Akin’s remarks about rape “offensive” and sought to tie the Republican Senate candidate to the GOP presidential ticket. Jonathan Easley and Amie Parnes The Hill -- 8/21/12 Saunders: Todd Akin: When dumb talk is inevitable -- There are two sides within the anti-abortion movement. Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 8/21/12 NBC: Ryan asks Akin to consider bowing out -- NBC is reporting that Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan telephoned Missouri Rep. Todd Akin to ask him to consider leaving race after his controversial comment on “legitimate rape.” The Romney campaign was not confirming or denying that Ryan and Akin had spoken. Vincent Bzdek in the Washington Post -- 8/21/12 Conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly defends Akin -- Republican party leaders may be working to push Rep. Todd Akin out of the Missouri Senate race, but leading social conservatives continue to rally to his side. Rosalind S. Helderman in the Washington Post -- 8/21/12 Obama defends campaign, says he had nothing to do with controversial anti-Romney ad -- President Barack Obama defended the tone of his campaign Monday, distancing himself from one controversial attack on rival Mitt Romney by an ally but standing by his own ads and political accusations. Steven Thomma McClatchy DC -- 8/21/12 Obama Campaign This Time Around: Brutal... And Purposely So -- President Obama's reelection effort isn't the toughest, or most aggressive, in American history. It only looks and feels that way compared with the gauzy memories most have of the lilt, sunshine, and post-partisan pixie dust of 2008. Major Garrett National Journal -- 8/21/12 Obama Has Significantly Less Money on Hand Than Romney -- President Obama has significantly less money on hand than Mitt Romney as he heads into the presidential race’s home stretch, according to documents filed on Monday with the Federal Election Commission. It’s the latest evidence that the president will have to overcome a possibly enormous financial disadvantage to win reelection. Alex Roarty National Journal -- 8/21/12 A Full Fact-Check of Niall Ferguson's Very Bad Argument Against Obama -- Celebrity historian Niall Ferguson doesn't like President Obama, and doesn't think you should either. Matthew O'Brien The Atlantic -- 8/21/12 Did Romney Pick Ryan for His Symbolic Value? -- Mitt Romney is trying to appropriate his running mate's wonky, fresh-faced image without having to own Ryan's policies. David Graham The Atlantic -- 8/21/12 The Promise-Keeper -- Paul Ryan’s successfully vague campaign to promise “current seniors” the moon. David Weigel Slate -- 8/21/12 Ryan’s Raiders -- Paul Ryan has an army. It’s also known as the House Republican freshmen, 87 strong and dedicated to the proposition that conservative reform is not only possible but achievable, so long as Mitt Romney is elected president. FRED BARNES Weekly Standard -- 8/21/12 Confessions of a Romney Wife -- Yes, my husband works for Mitt’s campaign. But I still have my own opinions. Campbell Brown Slate -- 8/21/12 |
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