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Bill Lockyer endorses tax measure, stays mum on scandal -- State Treasurer Bill Lockyer said this afternoon that he will vote for Gov. Jerry Brown's November ballot initiative to raise taxes, despite concerns about the measure's burden on California's highest-income earners. David Siders SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/21/12 Budget deal moves 880,000 low-income children to Medi-Cal -- The new budget deal between Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic lawmakers involves a controversial shift of 880,000 Healthy Families children to lower-cost Medi-Cal, additional child care cuts and more stringent work requirements for welfare parents. Kevin Yamamura SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/21/12 Chronicle story cited by Alito in Supreme Court decision on union dues -- A Chronicle news story about then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s battle against public employees’ unions was cited Thursday in Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.’s strongly worded opinion regarding the case of Knox v. SEUI – in which the court ruled the unions can’t force dissenting members to pay extra dues for political campaigns. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics -- 6/21/12 California budget agreement hits welfare, college students -- The budget accord reached by Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers Thursday would make substantial changes to some government programs. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/12 Gov. Jerry Brown, Democrats announce budget agreement -- Ten days before the start of the next fiscal year, Gov. Jerry Brown and Democratic leaders announced a budget "conceptual agreement" this morning after bridging their biggest difference over cuts to welfare-to-work. Kevin Yamamura SacBee Capitol Alert Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times$ Julie Small KPCC LA -- 6/21/12 Census Bureau says California school spending 35th in US -- Just as two rival tax measures, both purporting to help struggling schools, qualified for the state's November ballot, the Census Bureau today released its annual report on school finance, revealing that California ranks 35th in per-pupil spending, more than $1,200 per year under the national average. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/21/12 Fox: Three Tax Initiatives Qualify -- Will they be Placed Back to Back to Back on the Ballot? -- Governor Jerry Brown’s income tax/sales tax increase measure, civil rights attorney Molly Munger’s income tax increases for schools, and hedge fund manager Tom Steyer’s tax increase aimed at multistate corporations all qualified for November’s election the same day. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds -- 6/21/12 U.S. Supreme Court rules against SEIU Local 1000 in fee case -- The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that SEIU Local 1000 didn't appropriately notify members and fair-share payers when it temporarily raised fees in 2005 and 2006. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/21/12 Slashing 'double dippers' is a double win for Jerry Brown -- The Brown administration has put out the word: Departments, get ready to whack your working retirees. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/21/12 John Bryson resigns as commerce secretary, citing recent seizure -- John Bryson has resigned as commerce secretary, telling President Obama in a letter that the seizure he suffered recently “could be a distraction” to the president’s focus on rebuilding the U.S. economy. Ed O’Keefe in the Washington Post -- 6/21/12 Romney Rips Obama's Immigration Approach -- In a high-profile address to Latinos Thursday, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney said President Barack Obama had "failed to address immigration reform" after promising to do so during the 2008 campaign and vowed that, if elected, he would enact comprehensive measures that would enable families to remain together and improve economically. MATTHEW JAFFE ABC -- 6/21/12 Obama up by 13? Explaining the Bloomberg poll -- It could simply be outlier, but a review of the Bloomberg poll, which was conducted by Des Moines-based Selzer and Co., shows the poll could skew Democratic for two reasons: Aaron Blake in the Washington Post -- 6/21/12 Senate: No taxpayer cash for conventions -- A bipartisan push to eliminate millions of federal dollars earmarked to each party’s conventions was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate on Thursday, handing a win to critics who say taxpayer money shouldn’t be spent on orchestrated presidential nominating coronations at a time of severe budget constraints. MANU RAJU Politico -- 6/21/12 For granddaughter of Tom Lantos, a third life begins anew -- No one wants to have her lungs cut out of her chest, but for a budding opera singer, the surgery provokes an added layer of dread. Aaron Kinney in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/21/12 California environmentalists seek protection for unfished species -- Who cares about fish that no one seems to care about? Everybody, it seems. Jason Hoppin Santa Cruz Sentinel -- 6/21/12
Jerry Brown abandons bid to protect high-speed rail from environmental law -- The Brown administration is abandoning legislation it proposed to insulate California's high-speed rail project from environmental lawsuits, the administration told environmentalists on Wednesday. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee LANCE WILLIAMS California Watch Mike Rosenberg in the San Jose Mercury Ralph Vartabedian and Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/12 Lawmakers move to allow sports betting in California -- Betting that either Congress or the U.S. Supreme Court will remove the federal obstacle that bars the activity nearly everywhere except in Nevada, the Legislature is moving toward positioning California to allow betting on sports events. Timm Herdt in the Ventura Star -- 6/21/12 Jerry Brown and Democrats close to deal on welfare budget -- Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative Democrats are nearing a deal on welfare-to-work cuts that would reduce how long families can receive full aid and child care, but provide exemptions such as one for people in areas with high unemployment. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/21/12 IHSS: Funding cut could prove triple-whammy -- One of the programs with much to lose in this year’s budget fight is In-Home Supportive Services, which already has undergone major cutbacks as the strapped state grapples for funds. Amy Wong Capitol Weekly -- 6/21/12 A week after partisan budget passes, governor remains reluctant to sign -- It’s been nearly a week since California lawmakers passed a $92 billion budget, and there’s still no word on whether Governor Brown will sign it. A handful of sticking points have left Democrats and the governor about a half a billion dollars apart. Julie Small KPCC LA -- 6/21/12 Jerry Brown's proposal and two other tax measures qualify for November ballot -- As Democratic state leaders continue budget negotiations, Gov. Jerry Brown's tax hike on sales and upper-income earners officially qualified Wednesday for the November ballot, as did two other tax measures. Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee John Myers News10 -- 6/21/12 As lawmakers pursue fracking bills, report looks at water effects -- A new report on hydraulic fracturing has taken stock of the controversial procedure's effect on water supplies in Colorado, echoing concerns of California lawmakers as they seek to regulate "fracking" here. Michael J. Mishak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/12 Skelton: Where is Democrats' urgency on pension reform? -- California voters won't approve a tax increase to avoid deep education cuts unless the state has enacted serious benefit reform. So why does it look like legislators will delay the issue until after summer recess? George Skelton in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/12 Cleanup of CalPERS pay-to-play scandal lingers on -- Middlemen who help investment funds get money from CalPERS received $1.85 million in fees during the past two years, a sharp drop from the $58 million collected by a former CalPERS board member in a pay-to-play scandal. Ed Mendel Calpensions.com -- 6/21/12 The big snooze: Facebook and the state budget -- To hear some media outlets tell it, the stock price of Facebook is going to make or break California’s budget. Greg Lucas Capitol Weekly -- 6/21/12 Facebook investors moving back into 'Like' territory -- Facebook shares have risen to $32, from a low of $26, as investors react to the 'underlying value of the user base,' an analyst says. Ryan Faughnder in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/12 Retooled plan for Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta water diversions fails to impress area residents -- A plan for two massive tunnels diverting water from the Delta has been scaled back 40 percent in size. Matt Weiser in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/21/12 Rally at Sacramento federal courthouse questions fairness of marijuana raids -- As medical marijuana demonstrators waved signs – "Free my medicine!" and "Troops out of Sacramento!" – a co-founder of a Sacramento dispensary raided by U.S. authorities last week protested the action Wednesday in a rally outside the federal courthouse. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/21/12 Claudia Garate-House now a U.S. citizen, voter -- It took almost two decades, but Chilean immigrant Claudia Garate-House - whose story of abuse as a young domestic worker made her a symbol of the fledgling movement of undocumented immigrants rights - walked into her future Wednesday with her head held high. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/21/12 Lawmaker may sponsor repeal of California ban on foie gras -- Only 10 more days to order foie gras at a California restaurant. Any restaurant that serves the fatty duck or goose liver after June 30 will be fined up to $1,000. Chris Macias in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/21/12 Assemblyman Hernandez set for jury trial on drunk driving charges -- Assemblyman Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina) agreed Wednesday to stand trial before a jury Aug. 7 on two misdemeanor counts of drunken driving stemming from his arrest March 27 in Concord. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/12
Low interest rates spur Bay Area mortgage refinancing -- Record low interest rates and rising home values have sparked a surge of refinancing across the Bay Area. Pete Carey in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/21/12
Legislature reallocates $50 million Brown wanted for charter schools -- In an eleventh-hour policy shift, Democratic leaders redirected about $50 million that would have supported new charter schools next year to other public education needs as part of the budget bill pending before Gov. Jerry Brown. Kimberly Beltran SI&A Cabinet Report -- 6/21/12 Fensterwald: Another report urges changing API -- A report this week from a Washington think tank bolsters Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg’s call for significantly revising the state’s primary accountability measure, the Academic Performance Index. Now, if Gov. Jerry Brown would only read it… John Fensterwald educatedguess -- 6/21/12
Study: Lack of health insurance causes thousands of Californians to die prematurely -- As the nation awaits the historic Supreme Court ruling on the Obama administration’s health care law, a new report released Wednesday says California leads the nation in the number of premature deaths caused primarily by lack of health insurance. Stephanie O'Neill KPCC LA -- 6/21/12 Imminent court ruling could undercut California's health plans -- It was just three months ago that the Brown administration, following arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court over the fate of the federal health care overhaul, promised to press forward with provisions of the law even if the court struck part or all of it down. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/21/12 Not Just Insurance Is at Stake -- Leigh Anne O'Connor, a lactation consultant in New York, is anxiously awaiting the Supreme Court's decision on President Barack Obama's health overhaul. JANET ADAMY in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 6/21/12 Dogs help guard against respiratory virus, study finds -- Dog owners and parents, take a deep breath. Get your children to take a deep breath. Susanne Rust California Watch -- 6/21/12 Increase in childhood cancer a puzzle -- The rate of new cases of children’s cancer is on the rise in California and the reasons for the increase are difficult to determine. Elise Craig HealthyCal.org -- 6/21/12 Consumer groups criticize San Francisco health department's lobbying budget -- San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee spared the city's Public Health Department from cuts in his latest budget proposal, which benefited not just health care consumers, but also a lobbying group that consumer advocates say works against them. MATT SMITH Bay Citizen -- 6/21/12
Searing questions on massive solar experiment in Mojave Desert -- As one of the world's largest sun-powered plants takes shape, observers debate the risk to birds, planes and drivers. Julie Cart in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/12 Project tracks tiny germ that's killing mighty oaks -- The most comprehensive map ever put together detailing the spread of the pathogen known as sudden oak death shows the tree-killing microbe moving down from the forested hills into residential areas all over the Bay Area. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/21/12 Saving California State Parks: The End Of Public Funding? -- On July 1, 15 California state parks are slated to be closed permanently to the public — the first such closures in the state's history. They're the victim of budget cuts in a state with a $16 billion shortfall. MELISSA BLOCK NPR -- 6/21/12 Can Cutting Carbon Fuel Growth? -- Do environmental regulations boost innovation and job creation, or do they just make the state a more expensive place in which to live and do business? Thibault Worth KQED Climate Watch -- 6/21/12 Toll Bros. plans huge housing development in south Orange County -- Toll Bros. and partner Shea Homes plan to construct more than 2,000 homes and apartments on the 389-acre Baker Ranch development site in Lake Forest. Alejandro Lazo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/12
Immigrants contribute $230 billion yearly to the U.S. economy, says USC study -- Immigrants in Los Angeles County contribute $230 billion each year to the economy, according to a report released Wednesday. The county's 3.4 million immigrants -- 55 percent of whom are undocumented -- were also more likely to be self-employed than native born workers, the report said. Dana Bartholomew in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 6/21/12 Study: Immigrants are planting roots in California -- Immigrants are settling down, buying homes and lifting themselves out of poverty, a study by the California Immigration Policy Center released Wednesday said. Lewis Griswold in the Fresno Bee -- 6/21/12
Larry Ellison to Buy Island in Hawaii -- Larry Ellison, the billionaire chief executive of Oracle Corp., was identified Wednesday as the buyer of the bulk of the Hawaiian island of Lanai. DON CLARK and BEN WORTHEN in the Wall Street Journal$ Marisa Lagos, Casey Newton in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/21/12 LAPD raids Woodland Hills dispensaries, seize pot and cash; 3 arrested -- Days before the Los Angeles City Council is slated to consider banning medical marijuana dispensaries, police raided two clinics in Woodland Hills, arresting three people and seizing more than $40,000 in cash. Eric Hartley in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 6/21/12 Saunders: Prosecutorial pile-on for Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi -- The acquittal and dismissal in the John Edwards campaign-finance fraud case and the acquittal of Roger Clemens on perjury charges after high-profile federal trials should give San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi hope. Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/21/12
Executive privilege poses tricky situation for Obama -- President Obama’s decision Wednesday to assert executive privilege to shield his attorney general and the Justice Department from congressional investigators reignited a long-running Washington debate over the limits of White House power in which Obama has argued both sides. David Nakamura in the Washington Post -- 6/21/12 Legal morass ahead for Holder contempt move -- President Barack Obama’s first-ever use of executive privilege to block a congressional investigation is a reminder of the uncertain dividing line between congressional and executive branch authority — and the even murkier legal process for deciding who wins the upper hand in such fights. JOSH GERSTEIN Politico -- 6/21/12
Food stamp funds may be reduced -- With 1 in 7 Americans now receiving food stamps, Republicans in Congress are leading efforts to cut back the social safety net program that has swelled to one of the largest in the federal government — and they are getting some support from Democrats. Lisa Mascaro in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 6/21/12 Mitt Romney’s sons talk pranks, croquet with Conan O’Brien -- Mitt Romney may or may not know how to moonwalk. His hair isn’t made of chiseled African mahogany. Felicia Sonmez in the Washington Post -- 6/21/12 Latino vote looms larger in this and future elections -- As Mitt Romney prepares to travel to Orlando on Thursday to address a large gathering of Hispanic political activists, the Republican Party is still struggling to respond to President Obama’s announcement last week that he would halt deportations of young illegal immigrants — a decision that could help the president with Latino voters in this fall’s election. Aaron Blake in the Washington Post -- 6/21/12 Billionaire Koch brothers plan secret convention here (San Diego) -- The political web world is abuzz with the so-called “secret” summit to be convened by oil industry billionaires Charles and David Koch in San Diego Saturday. Diane Bell UT San Diego -- 6/21/12 Romney winning the mega-donor war -- Mitt Romney surged past President Barack Obama in May fundraising on the shoulders of big donors — an advantage the Republican nominee seems likely to sustain through November. KENNETH P. VOGEL and ABBY PHILLIP Politico -- 6/21/12 |
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