Updating . .
Vanishing breed: SoCal’s statewide contenders -- Where are the Southern Californians? We are at the beginning of the run-up to the 2016 political season; candidates and potential candidates for statewide office are beginning to make their presence known. But where are the candidates from the land of palm trees and Valley Girls? Chuck McFadden Capitol Weekly -- 5/28/15
Brown makes case for tunnels project to business, civic leaders -- Calling it a “challenge we have to respond to,” Gov. Jerry Brown told hundreds of business owners and others Thursday that the state needs to push forward with his administration’s plans for two water diversion tunnels to protect its economy. Jim Miller in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/28/15
Scaled-back immigrant healthcare bill clears key fiscal panel -- A sweeping measure to offer state-subsidized healthcare coverage to people in the country illegally was significantly pared back Thursday in an effort to rein in costs as it cleared a key legislative hurdle. Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/28/15
Bills on sick days, Uber drug tests, independent police prosecutor die in Assembly -- In a ritual thinning of of the bill herd, the Assembly Appropriations on Committee on Thursday halted measures seeking to increase police officer accountability, launch a new University of California campus and bring more workers into California’s mandatory paid sick leave program. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/28/15
California vaccine bill referred to single Assembly committee -- A bill requiring California school children to be fully vaccinated will face an easier path through the Assembly than the one it took through the Senate, needing to clear only one committee in the lower house. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/28/15
California appropriations committees vote on hundreds of bills -- On Thursday afternoon, appropriations committees from both houses of the Legislature will gather to debate and weigh the costs to implement more than 500 pieces of legislation — roughly half the number of bills that will land on Gov. Jerry Brown's desk later this summer. Proposals deemed too expensive by either of the powerful committees will die a quick death. Jessica Calefati in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 5/28/15
State Senate OKs bill to curb ‘doctor shopping’ -- Voters soundly rejected Proposition 46 – which would’ve raised California’s 40-year-old cap on certain medical malpractice damage awards – in November, but a lesser-known part of that measure moved forward Thursday in the Legislature. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 5/28/15
Hopes rise for a strong El Niño to ease California drought -- Across Southern California, this month has been decidedly cooler and wetter. San Diego had its wettest May in 94 years, and Los Angeles saw nearly four times its average rainfall. This month, the San Diego Padres were forced to call a rain delay — only the fifth time that has happened in Petco Park's 11-year history. Even the Mojave Desert is running as much as 5 degrees cooler than normal. Rong-Gong Lin II and Rosanna Xai in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/15
Yvonne Walker wins SEIU Local 1000 presidential reelection -- SEIU Local 1000 President Yvonne Walker and the slate of statewide union officers who ran with her handily won reelection this month, according to an unofficial count of ballots posted on the union’s website, although the number union members who voted was down 50 percent from the last election. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/28/15
California Assembly OKs bill barring HOA bans on fake grass -- California homeowner associations couldn't stop members from installing fake grass on lawns under a bill moving through the Legislature. AB349 advanced out of the Assembly Thursday on 69 to 2 vote. It would prohibit bans on artificial turf and synthetic grass. Associated Press -- 5/28/15
Senate swears in Steve Glazer after contentious special election -- After surviving a nasty intraparty special election last week, Sen. Steve Glazer was sworn in Thursday morning, giving the Senate a full house for the first time since December 2013. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/28/15
Quinn: Will The Supreme Court Remake California Politics? -- Like a bolt out of the blue the US Supreme Court has suddenly thrust front and center the most important question in a democracy: who should exercise political power. Tony Quinn Fox & Hounds -- 5/28/15
Fox: Crippling the Initiative Process by Jacking Up Filing Fees -- No one should be fooled — the Assembly bill passed to raise the filing fee for an initiative proposal to $8000 is an attempt to squash the initiative process. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 5/28/15
Charges filed against man beaten by deputies in horse pursuit -- Francis Pusok had led police on a three-hour pursuit April 9 in Lucerne Valley on a motorcycle and a horse. After he was thrown off the horse, a KNBC helicopter filmed as deputies kicked and punched Pusok even as he appeared to have surrendered. Veronica Rocha in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/15
Pipe to be removed for testing as long oil spill cleanup takes shape -- The owners of a pipeline that burst and spilled up to 101,000 gallons of crude along the Santa Barbara County coast expect to remove the ruptured section Thursday. Javier Panzar in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/15
Public Defenders Teach Oakland Youth How to Safely Interact With Police -- When two public defenders in their high-powered courtroom outfits enter an 11th-grade history class at Oakland Tech, there’s tension in the air. Students whisper, “Are they cops?” And they relax when they realize, no, they’re lawyers. Sara Hossaini KQED -- 5/28/15
California could soon legalize motorcycle lane-splitting -- Motorcycle lane-splitting — the rush-hour time saver for bikers that enrages many drivers — may be poised for formal legalization. Charles Fleming in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/15
Two Faults Could Make One Big Earthquake -- Ask Bay Area seismologists their most worrisome earthquake scenario, and many will say it’s not a repeat of the great San Francisco quake of 1906. They don’t think that’s likely. Instead, it’s a possibility considered unthinkable not long ago. That would be a rupture that tears the full length of the Hayward fault, between Pinole and Fremont, then jumps past the end to the next fault. Andrew Alden KQED -- 5/28/15
California Policy & Politics This Morning
Caltrans downplays latest Bay Bridge rod failure -- Another steel rod anchoring the foundation of the new Bay Bridge eastern span tower failed a critical strength test, Caltrans officials acknowledged Wednesday, and two sources close to the bridge project told The Chronicle it made a popping noise, suggesting a crack. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/28/15
Bay Bridge bolt tests confirm strength, Caltrans says -- Testing of the long bolts that anchor the Bay Bridge main tower to its foundation showed that nearly every one of the more than 400 tested were sound and can withstand a major earthquake, Caltrans said Wednesday. Andrew McGall in the Contra Costa Times$ -- 5/28/15
Californians say they’re better off, but still down on state’s economy -- Although far more California voters say they are better off financially than they were a year ago, most remain pessimistic about the state’s broader economy, according to a new Field Poll. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/28/15
Myers: California Budget Fight: Predictions More Than Programs -- In the post-recession era of California budgets, there’s wide consensus that the state needs to “live within its means,” a jab at the spending that paved the way for almost a decade of deficits. But it’s also a talking point that seems almost obsolete, given how the spending saga is now overshadowed by who gets to define the “means.” John Myers KQED -- 5/28/15
Morain: Defining what’s acceptable for Democrats -- The California Democratic Party and its main benefactor, organized labor, are making clear what it means to be a Democrat, and who might not be welcome. Dan Morain in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/28/15
Kamala Harris disagrees with statewide police body-camera regulations -- Joining fellow law enforcement officials Wednesday, California Attorney General Kamala Harris said she doesn’t believe there should be statewide standards regulating the use of body-worn cameras by police officers. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ Melanie Mason in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/15
Garden Grove faces voting-rights lawsuit -- arden Grove is the “poster child” for California Voting Rights Act violations and will likely be sued unless it creates election districts to choose City Council members, officials for a prominent Latino-rights group says. Chris Haire in the Orange County Register$ -- 5/28/15
FPPC investigating complaints against Patty Lopez -- California’s campaign finance watchdog is investigating two complaints against Assemblywoman Patty Lopez, D-San Fernando, whose upset victory shocked the political world. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/27/15
Once aided by courts, can Latino politicians survive Supreme Court act? -- The U.S. Supreme Court’s unexpected decision to take up a Texas voting case poses perhaps the most acute threat in a generation to Latino political strength in California. But how much of the threat actually materializes is decidedly less known. Cathleen Decker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/15
California Budget Proposal Raises Questions Of Vaccine Bill Retaliation -- Assembly Republicans want to know if Legislative Democrats are using their state budget proposals to punish a medical group that opposes California's controversial vaccine bill. Ben Adler Capital Public Radio Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 5/27/15
Alameda County settles suit with blind voters -- Blind voters in Alameda County may soon have an easier time voting in privacy after settling a lawsuit requiring better testing and upkeep of audio equipment that allows them to cast push-button secret ballots. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/28/15
Greenhut: Report: Officials masked big pension hike -- Pension debts are sky-high, but little interest at the Capitol. Steven Greenhut in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/28/15
Taxes, Fees, Rates
State regulators to consider changing electricity rate structure -- Residents in Southern California's hotter regions would get some relief from the overly high electric rates they've been paying under a proposed decision that's being considered by state regulators, but an alternative proposal would keep rates high. Kevin Smith in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/15
Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions
Janitors at Ross to share $1 million settlement -- More than 2,400 janitors at Ross Dress for Less stores in California will share $1 million in the settlement of a lawsuit that accused the retailer and its contractor of cheating them out of minimum wages and overtime. Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/28/15
L.A. labor leaders seek minimum wage exemption for firms with union workers -- Labor leaders, who were among the strongest supporters of the citywide minimum wage increase approved last week by the Los Angeles City Council, are advocating last-minute changes to the law that could create an exemption for companies with unionized workforces. Peter Jamison, David Zahniser, Emily Alpert Reyes in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/15
Uber will set up its headquarters in San Francisco’s Mission Bay -- Uber will start construction in the fall on its new Mission Bay campus, a corporate headquarters development that will eventually be able to accommodate more than 3,000 workers. J.K. Dineen in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/27/15
San Diego City, county prepping for stadium talks -- San Diego’s stadium negotiating team, which spent four hours Wednesday afternoon preparing for talks with the Chargers scheduled to begin on Tuesday, said it faces unusual circumstances but is still well-equipped to succeed. David Garrick in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 5/28/15
Bay Area hospitals seeing birth rates inching back up after recession -- Many Bay Area hospitals are reporting that its number of births finally have been inching back up to pre-recession levels in the past year or two years. Joyce Tsai in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/28/15
Stanford researchers beat heat problem with light-beam chip technology -- For a half-century, Silicon Valley engineers have doubled the efficiency of computer chips every two years, a trend so reliable it's become known as Moore's Law. Nicholas Weiler in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 5/28/15
Drought
San Jose Water Company to allow extra drought allocations for larger families -- Silicon Valley's largest water company is changing how it will roll out some of the state's strictest water conservation rules to address complaints that the new per-household allocations unfairly penalize large families. Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury$
Education
Jesse Jackson exhorts Oakland teens to pursue tech jobs -- The Rev. Jesse Jackson has shifted his civil rights sights to Silicon Valley in recent months, where the high-tech workforce doesn’t look like the Rainbow Coalition he once envisioned for society. Or anything like Oakland. Jill Tucker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/28/15
Schools require emergency allergy medicine, but doctors balk -- When a Murietta Valley Unified School District elementary student bit into a cupcake made with peanut butter in April, she quickly struggled to breathe. Jane Meredith Adams EdSource -- 5/28/15
Immigration / Border
Bishop Vann walks an immigration tightrope -- As leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, Bishop Kevin Vann plays several roles: spiritual guide, fundraiser, enthusiastic salesman of the church and its ideals. Vann, 64, has a less visible role as well – he’s one of the nation’s leading advocates for immigration reform. Roxana Kopetman in the Orange County Register$ -- 5/28/15
Fewer immigrants are entering the U.S. illegally, and that’s changed the border security debate -- Monica Camacho-Perez came to the United States from Mexico as a child, crossing into Arizona with her mother in the same spot where her father made the trip before them. Jerry Markon in the Washington Post$ -- 5/28/15
Environment
Clean car trade-in program launches with Capitol truck demolition -- Mendoza, a father of six from Stockton, is the first participant in a new California Air Resources Board program that aims to put clean cars in the hands of families in the poorest, most polluted parts of the state. Alexei Koseff in the Sacramento Bee$ Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ Katie Orr Capital Public Radio -- 5/27/15
Feds order pipeline company to clean up Santa Barbara coastline -- Federal authorities on Wednesday issued a cleanup order to the company whose underground pipeline last week spilled thousands of gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean and marred several miles of Santa Barbara County coastline. Brandi Grissom in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/15
More oil-covered mammals brought to SeaWorld San Diego from spill -- The number of oil-covered mammals bought to SeaWorld San Diego from the spill at Refugio State Beach continues to rise, officials said Wednesday. Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/15
El Niño's latest trick: Another calmer hurricane season expected -- When it comes to disasters, El Niño giveth and El Niño taketh away. Matt Pearce in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/28/15
Also . . .
San Diego State Study: Millennials Might Be Least-Religious Generation -- SDSU psychology professor Jean Twenge and her team found that 75 percent of high school seniors say religion is not important to them. She suggested that the decline in religious activity is linked to a rising individualism in American culture. KPBS -- 5/28/15
FCC moves to crack down on unwanted robocalls -- The head of the Federal Communications Commission on Wednesday proposed a series of rulings that would clarify rights for consumers under a 1991 law designed to protect their privacy and give phone companies the green light to offer call-blocking technologies. Jim Puzzanghera in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 5/27/15
Beltway
Saunders: Iran: Pirate of the Persian Gulf -- “We have police. They arrest girls or women for having bad hijab or not being covered enough. But it’s not that we live with the police in our head, you know?” Those famous last words were pronounced by Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian, 39, in 2014 as the dual Iranian-American citizen who was raised in San Rafael and his wife, Yeganeh Salehi, an Iranian journalist, talked up Iran on CNN’s “Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown.” Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/28/15
With GOP field growing, Jeb Bush sharpens critique of would-be opponents -- With the field of Republican presidential contenders expanding quickly, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush sought to cast himself as a seasoned leader while faulting other candidates for shifting course to fit public opinion. Ed O'Keefe in the Washington Post$ -- 5/28/15