 |
 |
|
|
||
 |
 |
||||
California's chief justice loses round over Judicial Council power -- The state’s top judge lost a political battle Monday when the state Assembly voted to shift key budget decisions from the state Judicial Council that she heads to local trial courts, some of which have complained about the panel’s handling of money. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Jim Sanders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 1/30/12 Assembly passes bill creating roadblock to new charter schools -- The Assembly passed union-backed legislation today that would allow charter school petitions to be rejected if they negatively affect a school district's finances. Jim Sanders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 1/30/12 Legislation to amend three-strikes law gets KOd by Assembly -- The Assembly rejected legislation today that would have placed before voters a measure to alter California's "three strikes" criminal sentencing law. Jim Sanders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 1/30/12 Quan says she'll call national Occupy leaders -- Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said today that she is going to call national leaders of the Occupy Wall Street movement and implore them to disown Oakland's protest movement. Will Kane, Henry K. Lee in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/30/12 Assembly kills bill proposing four-tier sex registration system -- Legislation to create a tiered sex-offender registration system designed to focus attention on violent criminals was killed today by the Assembly. Jim Sanders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 1/30/12 Kamala Harris announces settlement in Brazilian Blowout case -- The maker of a popular hair-smoothing treatment has agreed to warn stylists and salon-goers that its products cause exposure to a cancer-causing chemical as part of a legal settlement announced by California Attorney General Kamala Harris today. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 1/30/12 For Now, Orange County Can Keep the Locks on Williams' Door -- An Orange County Superior Court judge Monday refused to grant Orange County Public Administrator John Williams the temporary restraining order he was seeking to force county officials to let him back into his office. TRACY WOOD VoiceofOC.org -- 1/30/12 Vote nears on bill to force tighter disclosure rules on political ads -- In the biggest-spending political campaign Ventura County has known — the $11 million contest for state Senate four years ago between Republican Tony Strickland and Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson — independent groups spent more than $1 million. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star -- 1/30/12 Hertzberg opts out of state Senate race -- Former Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg announced Monday that he would not run for the state Senate, averting a showdown with fellow Democrat Fran Pavley. Anthony York LA Times PolitiCal Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 1/30/12 Teachers' union head says no dues surcharge for ballot battles -- The head of the California Teachers Association said he anticipates his union will put "considerable" money into Gov. Jerry Brown's tax measure, but funds may be tighter than usual as the group faces different ballot battles. Kevin Yamamura SacBee Capitol Alert -- 1/30/12 Some Occupy sympathizers criticize Oakland vandalism -- After Occupy protests in Oakland culminated with some activists vandalizing City Hall and burning American flags, some sympathetic to the movement from across the nation took to Twitter on Monday to voice criticism of the weekend’s events. Victoria Kim in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/30/12 Occupy Oakland diverted police from calls, officials say -- Oakland officials said the massive Occupy Oakland demonstration on Saturday diverted police resources from calls elsewhere in the city, stymieing the Police Department's crime-fighting efforts. Lee Romney and Shelby Grad in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/30/12 Occupy Oakland: Outrage grows after flag burned, City Hall vandalized -- Officials in Oakland expressed outrage that protesters vandalized City Hall during an Occupy Oakland demonstration on Saturday. "We're tired of one faction using Oakland as their playground," Mayor Jean Quan said. Lee Romney in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/30/12 Fox: Court Decision Changes Dynamic of State Senate Races -- Many of the news stories that reported on the California Supreme Court’s decision to keep the proposed state senate districts as drawn by the Citizens Redistricting Commission in place for 2012 — even though a pending referendum against them likely will qualify for the ballot — focused on the Democrats ability to secure two-thirds of the senate so that they can pass tax increases. This decision and the tax issue will surely alter the rhetoric of state senate campaigns. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 1/30/12 Kehoe reflects on career, final year -- Sen. Christine Kehoe’s final year in the Legislature does not promise to be any easier than her first. Michael Gardner UT Sandiego -- 1/30/12 CMR: McIntosh "I bleed counties" -- Paul McIntosh, executive director of the California State Association of Counties, likens his love of counties to Tommy Lasorda's love for the Dodgers. Pamela Martineau Capitol Morning Report -- 1/30/12 Republicans retain clout in Sacramento -- Republican lawmakers are frequently on the losing end of a number of lopsided bill votes, majority Democrats are prepared to roll them on the budget again, and their numbers could shrink even further after the 2012 elections. Michael Gardner UT Sandiego -- 1/30/12 Cosmo editor launches new media institute -- Stanford engineers and Columbia journalists announced today a first-of-its-kind partnership between the two schools that supporters say could create the future of journalism. Will Kane in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/30/12
Showdown over California courts coming to a head -- With a crucial vote looming Monday, a conflict that has shaken California's judiciary reaches a critical stage when the Assembly considers legislation that would strip control of most of the court system's purse strings from a central bureaucracy and turn it over to the Legislature and local trial judges. Howard Mintz in the Oakland Tribune -- 1/30/12 California Teachers Association backs Gov. Jerry Brown's tax plan -- The California Teachers Association officially agreed Sunday to back Gov. Jerry Brown's multibillion-dollar tax plan, which should provide the governor hefty financial support for his fall campaign. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/30/12 Jerry Brown says cap-and-trade fees will fund high-speed rail -- Gov. Jerry Brown said in an interview airing in Los Angeles today that California's high-speed rail project will cost far less than the state's current estimate of nearly $100 billion and that environmental fees paid by carbon producers will be a source of funding. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/30/12 High-stakes labor battle coming to California -- The state's powerful labor groups have anxiously witnessed union rights and benefits being gutted in Wisconsin, Ohio and Indiana. Now, unions in California are girding for an all-out war over a ballot initiative that would curb their ability to raise political cash. Steven Harmon in the San Jose Mercury -- 1/30/12 Gov. Brown's plan on shelter law stirs backlash -- Californians love their pets, so it's no surprise that Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to roll back major portions of a state law aimed at protecting stray and abandoned animals from death has sparked outrage. Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/30/12 Walters: California politicans use power to fix the ballot game -- When a political party achieves dominance of any government, one expects that it would use its hegemony to enact its public policy agenda. That's the way democracy is supposed to work. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/30/12 Schrag: On Redistricting: The Court Gets It Half Right -- The California Supreme Court last Friday decisively rebuffed the Republican attack on the new state Senate maps drawn by California’s new independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. But the way it was done could invite as many future problems as it solved. Peter Schrag Cal Progress Report -- 1/30/12 Pension earnings dip amid gloomy forecasts -- The nation’s two largest public pension funds last week reported slim annual investment earnings, CalPERS 1.1 percent and CalSTRS 2.3 percent, as experts continue to say hitting their long-term earnings target, 7.75 percent, will be difficult. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 1/30/12 Water systems need fixes, badly; customers don't want to fund them -- From mountain hamlets to Sacramento City Hall, governments are asking taxpayers to dig deeper into their pockets to improve sewer and water systems. And people are pushing back. Ryan Lillis and Matt Weiser in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/30/12 Baca works his way into position -- For at least the fourth consecutive year, U.S. Rep. Joe Baca outmaneuvered a host of his Democratic colleagues and worked himself into a coveted center aisle seat at last week’s State of the Union address. Ben Goad and Jim Miller in the Riverside Press -- 1/30/12 Prospect of gay SD mayor greeted with shrug -- The chatter thus far in the mayor’s race — focused on pensions, civic projects and budget woes — is drowning out the fact that the winner could make San Diego one of a few major U.S. cities with an openly gay mayor. Craig Gustafson UT Sandiego -- 1/30/12 California Republican voters still waiting for presidential inspiration -- Jon Fleischman, the conservative blogger, was brooding the other day on Facebook, underwhelmed by the presidential candidates he has left to choose from. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/30/12 Skelton: By any name, it's lobbying -- Gingrich bristled at Romney's L-word tag, but it's all semantics. George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/30/12 CalBuzz: Calbuzz Decodes the Prez Candidates’ Messages -- With his State of the Union address last week, President Obama began to spell out the central themes of the re-election campaign he will be running against (most likely) Mitt Romney or (less likely) Newt Gingrich. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 1/30/12
Occupy, Oakland blame each other for violence -- Oakland officials and Occupy protesters confronted the fallout from their increasingly toxic conflict on Sunday, a day after the tensions reignited in chaotic, often violent demonstrations that resulted in at least 400 arrests. Once again, each side blamed the other for sparking the violence. Demian Bulwa, Justin Berton in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/30/12 Occupy Oakland arrests reach 400; City Hall vandalized -- Saturday's daylong protest was the most contentious since authorities dismantled the Occupy Oakland encampment late last year. Lee Romney in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/30/12 After lull, Occupy protest resurfaces in Oakland -- For weeks the protests had waned, with only a smattering of people taking to Oakland's streets for occasional weekend marches that bore little resemblance to the headline-grabbing Occupy demonstrations of last fall. TERRY COLLINS AP -- 1/30/12
Toll lanes are under consideration for Inland Empire freeways -- As an option to deal with increasing congestion and construction costs, toll lanes may be added to San Bernardino County freeways but not before 2017, transportation planners say. Andrew Edwards in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 1/30/12
Building BART cars overseas adds insult to cost -- The sky-high price for what amounts to a 70-foot-long railway car is sending some folks into sticker shock - especially because the cars are coming from outside the country. Phillip Matier, Andrew Ross in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/30/12 Strong year for California's job market -- Here's some good news: California added jobs at a faster pace than all but six other states last year. Phillip Reese in the Sacramento Bee -- 1/30/12 Job safety program works when enforced, study finds -- California may get a bad rap from businesses for its supposedly burdensome workplace regulations, but a new study shows that one 20-year-old provision to keep workers safe is doing its job – when it's followed up by inspections and fines. Daniel J. Goldstein California Watch -- 1/30/12 Homes to fill ailing Lake Forest auto mall -- Two developers plan to change a dying auto center into a vibrant village and walking-friendly community close to retail, open space and jobs. ERIKA I. RITCHIE in the Orange County Register -- 1/30/12
Should we switch to weighted student funding and do it now? -- In next year’s budget, Gov. Jerry Brown proposes to rearrange school funding based on a weighted student formula – a concept that State Board of Education President Michael Kirst fleshed out in a 2008 brief. Discussion at TopEd -- 1/30/12 Local educators decry push to relax high school science requirement -- Educators across California are lashing out at an item in Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed 2012-2013 budget that would eliminate a second year of science as a minimum requirement to graduate from high school. KERRY BENEFIELD in the Santa Rosa Press -- 1/30/12 UC Berkeley students cling to mystical murals -- A magical charm protects a small area of the UC Berkeley campus, it is said. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/30/12 UC using more private developers for student housing -- The University of California has been slowly expanding the use of private developers to build student housing over the last decade, authorizing seven such deals since 2000 at UC Irvine, UC Davis and UC Riverside. Erica Perez California Watch -- 1/30/12 When college applicants plagiarize, Turnitin can spot them -- UCLA's Anderson School of Management and Stanford University are among more than 100 colleges using Turnitin's database to detect plagiarism in application essays. Larry Gordon in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/30/12
California drugmaker's HIV prevention pill draws concern -- Foster City drugmaker Gilead recently updated its application with the federal Food and Drug Administration for approval to market its HIV treatment medication Truvada as a HIV prevention pill. Bernice Yeung California Watch -- 1/30/12 Court could block use of methyl iodide -- A ruling is expected in the coming weeks in a first-of-its kind-legal battle over methyl iodide, one of the most controversial pesticides in use in California. Robin Urevich HealthyCal.org -- 1/30/12 Medical lab does first-rate research in second-rate facilities -- L.A.'s venerable Biomedical Research Institute, a cutting-edge hub of medical invention housed in a World War II military barracks near Torrance, is raising funds to again create something new: a modern campus. Anna Gorman in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/30/12
Valley farmers may have cure for poisoned cropland -- The cactus can grow in the west-side's salty soils, drink briny water and live just fine in very dry times. But the real attraction: As it grows, the cactus slowly absorbs and cleans up a chemical villain in the soil -- selenium. Mark Grossi in the Fresno Bee -- 1/30/12 California fuels rule sparks controversy -- Just as it pioneered curbs on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and light trucks a decade ago, California is championing standards that could transform the fuel that goes into their tanks. Juliet Eilperin in the Washington Post -- 1/30/12
In a Gang-Ridden City, New Efforts to Fight Crime While Cutting Costs -- People in California generally know two things about this agricultural city nestled among lettuce fields east of Monterey’s beaches and hotels: John Steinbeck was born here, and it has a big problem with gangs. ERICA GOODE in the New York Times -- 1/30/12
Obama’s targeted Latino appeal -- President Barack Obama’s got a version of his “We can’t wait” drive customized for the Latino audience. Never heard of it? Unless you’re a Latino voter, that’s no surprise. JOSH GERSTEIN Politico -- 1/30/12
Gingrich's link to Reagan comes under scrutiny -- No Republican has claimed the mantle of the late president, former California governor and GOP icon Ronald Reagan with more unabashed relish than former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 1/30/12 Gingrich wants panel to look at in vitro clinics -- Republican presidential contender Newt Gingrich on Sunday called for a commission to study the ethical issues relating to in vitro fertilization clinics, where infertile women receive treatment to get pregnant and large numbers of embryos are created. Davied Espo AP -- 1/30/12 New anti-Obama themes: 'European socialism' and 'Saul Alinsky' -- With the economy mending, Republicans find more ways to attack the president by casting him as a left-wing radical. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times -- 1/30/12 |
.gif)
Follow on Twitter
