Updating . . .

Senate GOP leader submits resolution to suspend state Sen. Yee -- Senate Republican leader Robert Huff of Diamond Bar said Thursday he has introduced a resolution calling for the immediate suspension of Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) a day after Yee was arrested by the FBI on public corruption charges. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/27/14

PG&E expects federal criminal charges over San Bruno explosion -- PG&E says it expects that federal prosecutors will charge it with criminal violations resulting from a fatal natural gas explosion in San Bruno in 2010, the electric and gas utility company said in a regulatory filing on Thursday. George Avalos in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/27/14

Leland Yee withdraws from secretary of state race -- His attorney, Paul DeMeester, made the announcement about the withdrawal during a brief Thursday press conference in front of the federal building. DeMeester declined to answer questions whether Yee would also resign from the State Senate. Howard Mintz, Josh Richman and Jessica Calefati in the San Jose Mercury$ Laurel Rosenhall in the Sacramento Bee$ Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Will Kane and Vivian Ho in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/27/14

Yee accused of introducing undercover FBI agent to other lawmakers -- An FBI affidavit released Wednesday alleged that state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) accepted $21,000 in payments from an undercover FBI agent posing as someone in the marijuana business to arrange meetings with two unidentified state lawmakers in 2013. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/14

California lawmakers grim, angry after arrest of state Sen. Leland Yee -- A group of schoolchildren chattered excitedly Thursday during a field trip to the state Capitol as state Sen. Ed Hernandez stood nearby in the rotunda, looking grim and sipping coffee from a paper cup. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/14

Senator's indictment feeds gun control debate -- Gun-control groups are trying to stem the damage as one of the Legislature's most outspoken supporters faces federal gun-trafficking allegations. Don Thompson Associated Press -- 3/27/14

Leland Yee denounced by gun lobby as a 'hypocrite' and 'scumbag' -- As details of state Sen. Leland Yee’s alleged crimes trickled out, advocates associated with gun-rights groups jumped on the possible ironies. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/14

Riggs: The Capitol cloud grows -- The corruption charges leveled Wednesday against Sen. Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, represent a third strike against Senate Democrats, further tainting the Capitol in an election year and handing Republicans an unexpected opportunity. Kevin Riggs Riggs Report -- 3/27/14

Californians' support slips for Jerry Brown, rises for water bond -- Perhaps because of all the doom-and-gloom drought predictions, Californians today are more likely than they were a year ago to vote for an $11.1 billion bond for state water projects, the Public Policy Institute of California's latest poll finds. Josh Richman in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/27/14

Support for high-speed rail increases slightly -- In a development that may give the California High-Speed Rail Authority a boost, a new poll suggests that growing numbers of Californians approve of the bullet train project. Allen Young Sacramento Business Journal -- 3/27/14

Secret ‘Doc Fix’ Deal Angers Rank and File -- The House on Thursday passed a bill that likely did not have the votes to pass. It was clear that a bill to avert a pay hike for doctors was short on support, so Republican leaders struck a closed-door agreement with Democrats to pass the bill by voice vote while members were not yet in the chamber, according to members and aides from both parties. Daniel Newhauser and Matt Fuller Roll Call -- 3/27/14

Judge Boots Google Lawyer Off Ballot -- A Sacramento judge on Wednesday disqualified Google attorney Vinesh Singh Rathore as a candidate for the hotly contested 17th Congressional District, saying the late-filing Republican had failed to submit enough valid nominating signatures. Cheryl Miller The Recorder -- 3/27/14

PPIC Poll: On Taxes Business has a Fighting Chance, the Wealthy Not so Much -- Lots of numbers in the new Public Policy Institute poll but let’s concentrate on matters of importance to business. Thirty-two percent of those polled identified jobs and the economy as California’s biggest problem. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 3/27/14

Break-ins and Coverups at Occidental? L.A. Times Jason Felch Firing Raises More Questions -- On March 14, 2014, the Los Angeles Times made a virtually unprecedented retraction. Jessica Ogilvie LA Weekly -- 3/27/14

More than 6 million Americans enrolled under the ACA, White House says -- More than six million Americans have now signed up for private insurance under the Affordable Care Act, according to the White House, with just four days to go until the end of its first open enrollment period. Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post$ -- 3/27/14

 

California Policy & Politics This Morning

Darrell Steinberg to Leland Yee: Resign or be suspended -- Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg said he was shocked and sickened by the allegations brought against a member of his caucus Wednesday, saying Sen. Leland Yee has until Friday to resign from office or face certain suspension. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/14

California state Sen. Yee arrested in corruption case -- State Sen. Leland Yee, an outspoken advocate of gun control and open government, was arrested Wednesday on charges that he conspired to traffic in firearms and traded favors in Sacramento for bribes - campaign cash paid by men who turned out to be undercover FBI agents. Marisa Lagos, Henry K. Lee and Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle Howard Mintz, Josh Richman and Jessica Calefati in the San Jose Mercury$ Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ Paul Elias and Sudhin Thanawala Associated Press -- 3/27/14

California state Sen. Yee had role in case against Ed Jew -- Seven years after tattling to the feds about onetime protege Ed Jew extorting bubble tea shopkeepers, state Sen. Leland Yee finds himself in the middle of his own corruption case. Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/27/14

Leland Yee corruption case filled with wild allegations -- The public corruption case against state Sen. Leland Yee reads like a bad crime novel with off-the-books firearms deals made in parking lots and confessions whispered in a booth at a karaoke bar. The item is in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/14

Sen. Yee's gun control persona clashes with picture in FBI affidavit -- An FBI affidavit alleging that state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) offered to set up an arms deal paints a starkly different picture of Yee than his public persona as a supporter of gun control and advocate against gun violence. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/14

Second Amendment groups jump on anti-gun Democrat Yee — “hypocrite” charged with gun trafficking -- Gun rights groups are jumping on the federal corruption charges leveled at California Democratic State Senator Leland Yee of San Francisco, saying he represents a hypocritical gun safety advocate who appears to be have been involved in trafficking in firearms. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/27/14

Yee's arrest upends contest for California Secretary of State -- This morning's arrest of state Sen. Leland Yee roils the race for Secretary of State, although the San Francisco Democrat's standing in the six-person field seemed to be slipping in recent weeks. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/26/14

Leland Yee arrest: 'Shrimp Boy' bust belies San Francisco gangster's reform claims -- Partly overshadowed by the shocking indictment of State Sen. Leland Yee on federal corruption charges is the related arrest of Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, a giant figure in the San Francisco Chinatown scene who until Wednesday had been doggedly reforming his gangster persona, snapping up accolades for his work steering at-risk youth away from the criminal lifestyle he claims he shed in prison. Robert Salonga in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/26/14

Leland Yee had few close ties as he aimed for higher office -- In the only time they have all shared the same stage, state Sen. Leland Yee and his rivals for secretary of state this month attended a Los Angeles forum in which they were asked to invent a hypothetical film about their candidacy. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/27/14

Sen. Leland Yee's arrest likely ends steady, sometimes paradoxical political rise -- He was the first Asian-American speaker pro tempore of the California Assembly and a source of pride to many in the Bay Area's thriving Chinese community. After rising to the highest ranks of the state Senate, he had a good shot at becoming California's next secretary of state. Aaron Kinney in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 3/27/14

Arrested lawmaker known for transparency bills -- Before his arrest Wednesday on federal corruption charges, Sen. Leland Yee was best known for his attempts to strengthen California's open records, government transparency and whistleblower protection laws. Juliet Williams Associated Press -- 3/27/14

California state Senator Yee's arrest adds to Democrats' scandals -- The federal corruption and bribery charges leveled against state Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco mark the third embarrassing scandal this year for Senate Democrats and their party, which controls both houses of the state Legislature and every statewide office in California. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/27/14

Scandals plague Democrats in California capital -- So far in 2014, each month has brought news of another arrest or conviction of a Democratic California state senator. The separate investigations culminated Wednesday in the arrest of Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco on federal corruption charges that roiled the capital, leading one of Yee's opponents in the race for secretary of state to call the Legislature a "corrupt institution." Juliet Williams Associated Press -- 3/27/14

Poll: Tim Donnelly leads all Republicans in race for governor -- Tim Donnelly leads the field of Republicans bidding to unseat Gov. Jerry Brown early in this year's gubernatorial race, according to a new poll. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/27/14

Tim Donnelly says past larceny case was college 'prank' -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly, who has denied having any criminal record before carrying a gun into an airport in 2012, on Wednesday blamed a larceny case in Michigan in 1985 on a drunken "prank." David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/27/14

Skelton: Like his ideas or not, Kashkari is at least offering a plan -- Neel Kashkari has little chance of unseating Gov. Jerry Brown, but the Republican candidate is giving voters something to think about. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/14

Sen. Rand Paul endorses Igor Birman in three-way GOP House challenge -- U.S. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) on Wednesday endorsed attorney Igor Birman, one of three Republican challengers hoping to take on the freshman Democratic congressman representing a Sacramento-area district. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/26/14

Khanna recruited candidates to split GOP vote, lawsuit claims -- Democratic congressional candidate Ro Khanna recruited two last-minute Republican candidates to split the GOP vote and restore his position as the top challenger to Silicon Valley U.S. Rep. Mike Honda, an East Bay Republican official claims in a lawsuit. Josh Richman in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 3/26/14

House candidate Matt Miller combines policy plan, money plea -- Matt Miller, a Democrat and one of 21 candidates vying to replace Rep. Henry Waxman (D-Beverly Hills), has killed two birds with one campaign stone: He offers his solutions to spiraling healthcare costs and asks for contributions to help him get across his ideas. Jean Merl in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/14

Independent groups will raise money for Shriver in LA supervisor race -- Supporters of Bobby Shriver have set up two independent fundraising committees to help him in his contest for a seat on the powerful Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Frank Stoltze KPCC -- 3/27/14

Poll: Water bond gaining, drought concerns grow -- Voters are far more likely to approve a water bond on the November ballot if lawmakers shrink its size, according to a new survey that also found nine out of every 10 Californians say they have taken steps to conserve as the drought drags on. Michael Gardner UT San Diego$ Max Pringle Capital Public Radio -- 3/27/14

Greenhut: Police scandals show need for openness -- When Americans are asked about the defining feature of their government, they tend to point to its democratic institutions, but the act of electing our leaders does not necessarily ensure a free and open society. Steven Greenhut UT San Diego$ -- 3/27/14

Protecting the power grid: A bigger role for government? -- As utilities scramble to secure the nation’s power grid against terrorist attack, some in Congress are skeptical that electric companies are up to the job. Evan Halper in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/26/14

San Francisco marijuana dispensaries could move closer to schools -- Medical marijuana dispensaries would be allowed to move closer to San Francisco schools, child care facilities, parks and recreational areas under a recommendation the City Planning Commission will consider Thursday. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 3/27/14

Bill in Congress seeks to ban Internet gambling -- Lawmakers from both parties introduced legislation in the House and Senate on Wednesday aimed at banning online gambling, setting the stage for an uncertain battle in Congress. Alan Fram Associated Press -- 3/27/14

Anaheim councilwoman is asked to resign after shooting comments -- An Anaheim councilwoman is under growing pressure to resign following her online remarks that a fatal police shooting of a 21-year-old man had “saved us a trial.” Adolfo Flores in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/14

Abuse findings continue at developmental centers, despite state scrutiny -- She is known in public records as Client 98, a disabled woman living at the Lanterman Developmental Center, a state-run board-and-care facility in Los Angeles County that houses roughly 100 men and women with disorders such as cerebral palsy and severe autism. Rachael Bale Center for Investigative Reporting -- 3/27/14

CalBuzz: PPIC: Californians Reject GOP Views and Wannabes -- The latest poll from the Public Policy Institute of California has some rather bad news for GOP Chairman Jim Brulte and his party: Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 3/27/14

Economy, Employers and Jobs

Aerojet Rocketdyne to lay off about 150 workers in Canoga Park -- The layoffs are part of a plan to cut 254 jobs because of overlaps resulting from the merger of Rocketdyne and Aerojet owner GenCorp. W.J. Hennigan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/14

California minimum wage hike clears first Senate hurdle -- Legislation that would sharply increase California's minimum wage and index it to inflation cleared its first legislative hurdle Wednesday. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 3/26/14

Santa Monica moves to close all or part of city's airport -- The Santa Monica City Council this week launched an effort to close all or part of the city's airport after July 2015 — a move that could result in years of additional court battles with the federal government. Dan Weikel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/14

Education

Leaders of California’s 3 higher education institutions talk collaboration at Cal State trustees meeting -- The top leaders of the state’s three public higher education institutions on Wednesday delivered a joint presentation on collaboration efforts to the California State University Board of Trustees. Josh Dulaney in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 3/27/14

Cal State students protest for rollback of 'success fees' -- Dozens of students rallied at a meeting of the California State University governing board Wednesday, chanting and hoisting signs that urged the chancellor and trustees to rollback “success fees” that are raising costs on many campuses. Carla Rivera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/14

Uniform standards urged for reclassifying English learners -- School districts have discretion in determining when English learners can be reclassified as proficient in English, meaning they no longer need help in gaining fluency. But the different criteria that districts use and wide disparities in reclassification rates among districts have prompted Sen. Alex Padilla, D-San Fernando Valley, to call for consistency. John Fensterwald EdSource -- 3/27/14

CA lawmakers, AG attack truancy epidemic -- In a major effort to crack down on K-12 truancy, key parts of a package of bills – brought forward by Attorney General Kamala Harris – won passage Wednesday from an Assembly education panel. Kimberly Beltran Cabinet Report -- 3/27/14

Drought 

Drought battle focuses on homeowner rules, meters -- With California in the grips of a prolonged dry spell, state lawmakers are looking to grant members of homeowner associations the freedom to plant drought-resistant landscaping without the fear of fines. Michael Gardner UT San Diego$ -- 3/27/14

Growers of thirsty pot are under fire in drought-struck California -- In drought-hit California, marijuana growers are feeling the heat, accused of using too much water for their thirsty plants and of polluting streams and rivers with their pesticides and fertilizers. Rob Hotakainen McClatchy DC -- 3/27/14

Health

California struggling to enroll African Americans in Obamacare -- Ahead of Monday's Obamacare enrollment deadline, fewer than 3% of Covered California enrollees have identified themselves as African American, but 17% of the demographic in the state are uninsured. Soumya Karlamangla and Chad Terhune in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/14

Exceptions in place for Covered California’s March 31 deadline -- Covered California will not extend the Monday deadline for open enrollment through its health plan exchange, though extra time will be given to those who initiated an application in time but were unable to complete the process, officials said Wednesday. Susan Abram in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 3/27/14

Interest in Obamacare surges ahead of enrollment deadline -- The primary Obamacare website stays stable amid heavy traffic, as the Obama administration indicates those who begin signing up by Monday will get a limited amount of additional time to finish. Noam N. Levey and Michael A. Memoli in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 3/27/14

San Diego Research Suggests Autism Develops During Pregnancy -- By pinpointing irregularly developed patches in young autistic brains, UC San Diego researchers have discovered new evidence suggesting autism begins in the womb. David Wagner KPBS -- 3/27/14

Immigration 

Paul Ryan: Immigration a question of 'when' -- Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) pressed the economic case for overhauling the nation’s immigration system on Wednesday, saying that reform is inevitable and necessary to boost growth in the United States. Seung Min Kim Politico -- 3/27/14

Also . . .

Family of Fort Bragg Dodgers fan decries dropped charges -- The family of Jonathan Denver, the Fort Bragg man stabbed to death last year after a Giants-Dodgers baseball game in San Francisco, expressed dismay and outrage this week about the San Francisco District Attorney’s decision not to prosecute the man suspected of killing him. Jamie Hansen in the Santa Rosa Press -- 3/27/14

No, legalizing medical marijuana doesn’t lead to crime, according to actual crime stats -- Actual historic crime data, however, suggest there's no evidence that legalizing the drug for medicinal purposes leads to an increase in crime. In fact, states that have legalized it appear to have seen some reductions in the rates of homicide and assault. Emily Badger in the Washington Post$ -- 3/27/14

Potus 44 

Obama endorses House Dem immigration push -- President Barack Obama formally endorsed a long-shot legislative gambit from House Democrats aimed at forcing a vote on comprehensive immigration reform as he blamed House Republicans for stalling an overhaul. Seung Min Kim Politico -- 3/27/14

Poll: Obama’s disapproval rating hits a new high -- The AP-GfK poll shows 59 percent of Americans now disapprove of Obama -- a point higher than the previous high set in December. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 3/27/14

Obama gives Iraq war a more generous spin -- President Obama, whose presidential campaign in 2008 took off in large part because of his criticism of the Iraq war, on Wednesday used that war as a contrast to what Russia is doing in Ukraine. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post$ -- 3/27/14

Beltway

Rand Paul builds 50-state network, courts mainstream support for presidential bid -- Sen. Rand Paul has become the first Republican to assemble a network in all 50 states as a precursor to a 2016 presidential run, the latest sign that he is looking to build a more mainstream coalition than the largely ad hoc one that backed his father’s unsuccessful campaigns. Robert Costa in the Washington Post$ -- 3/27/14

Democrats Are Ready to Take the Minimum-Wage Fight on the Road -- Predictions that Republicans will succeed in their quest to unseat vulnerable Democrats and take control of the Senate look mighty fine. But to that, Democrats say: Come at me, bro. Elahe Izadi National Journal -- 3/27/14

Reid’s toughest test -- Sen. Harry Reid is facing what could be the biggest challenge of his political career: preserving the Democrats’ tenuous majority. Alexander Bolton The Hill -- 3/27/14