Rough&Tumble California Policy and Politics

Updating . .

LAPD killing of unarmed homeless man in Venice was unjustified, Police Commission says -- A video contradicts a Los Angeles police officer's claim that he fatally shot an unarmed homeless man in Venice last year because the man was grabbing his partner's gun holster, according to police records made public Tuesday. Kate Mather in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

California soda tax bill pulled without a vote -- Elections come and go, legislative leaders rise and fall, but one constant remains in Sacramento: Soda taxes can’t get traction. Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/16

UC Berkeley to eliminate 500 staff jobs -- Chancellor Nick Dirks sent a memo to employees on Monday informing them of the job reductions and said they will amount to “a modest reduction of 6 percent of our staff worforce.” Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/12/16

After Cosby's accusers testify, Legislature weighs eliminating statute of limitations for sex crimes -- After wrenching testimony that included accounts from three alleged victims of comedian Bill Cosby, a Senate committee on Tuesday gave its first approval to a bill that would allow sex crimes to be prosecuted no matter how long ago they occurred. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ Don Thompson Associated Press -- 4/12/16

Pro-Trump 'Build the wall' messages at UC San Diego Latino center spark outrage -- Messages supporting Donald Trump and attacking Mexican immigrants were written in front of a Latino community center at UC San Diego, sparking outrage on campus. Debbi Baker in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

California representative reimburses campaign for payments to oral surgeon and kids' school -- Rep. Duncan D. Hunter (R-Alpine) says he has written personal checks totaling almost $12,000 to reimburse his campaign treasury for personal and mistaken expenditures in 2015 and the first quarter of this year. Morgan Cook in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

City of San Francisco says it's illegal to live in a box -- In a city where the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment is currently $3,590, Peter Berkowitz's tale of paying only $400 a month in rent and squeezing into some 32-square-feet of space became the stuff of legend. Amy Graff in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/12/16

California Republicans give Congress lower marks than Obama -- When the three remaining Republican presidential hopefuls converge on California in the coming weeks, they will have to win over an electorate whose anger at Washington, D.C., burns across the partisan divide, a new Field Poll finds. Matthew Artz in the San Jose Mercury$ -- 4/12/16

'This is a threat. This is not a report.' Critics call blackout warnings a scare tactic to keep Aliso Canyon open -- If energy agencies and utilities ever want to scare consumers, they need say little more than "blackouts." Ivan Penn in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

BART Critic Says Agency Needs to Do More to Win Bond Support -- An East Bay lawmaker who has been a leading critic of BART and its unions says a tentative contract is a good start toward restoring public confidence in the agency — but he wants to see more before he drops his opposition to a BART bond measure expected to appear on the November ballot. Dan Brekke KQED -- 4/12/16

Focus: California's energy and water are in short supply -- California needs energy and water equally, and residents are being asked to cut back on both. The state is leading the nation in setting goals for increasing production of renewable-energy sources but has relied on natural gas for the bulk of its energy production. Kurt Snibbe in the Orange County Register -- 4/12/16

Legislative panel backs financial guarantee for LA Olympics -- A California legislative panel has advanced a bill committing the state to cover up to $250 million in cost overruns as part of Los Angeles' bid for the 2024 Olympics. Jonathan J. Cooper Associated Press -- 4/12/16

Why rents in SoCal will keep rising in the coming years -- USC researchers are forecasting that the average rent on an apartment in much of Southern California will rise by at least $100 over the next two years. Andrea Gardner KPCC -- 4/12/16

Former L.A. charter school leader fined for conflict of interest -- A former local charter school operator has agreed to pay a $16,000 fine for misconduct that includes using public education funds to lease her own buildings. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

Charity co-founded by Assemblyman Jim Frazier opposes his bill -- A bill authored by Assemblyman Jim Frazier, D-Oakley, to require nonprofits to provide links from marketing materials to the Attorney General’s website is opposed by more than 200 charities, including an organization he co-founded. Taryn Luna in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/16

Sacramento Sheriff Scott Jones amends disclosures in House race -- Jones’ original financial disclosure was missing rental income from a property he owns in Antelope, as well as mention of a defined benefit pension the sheriff stands to receive for his nearly three decades in county government. It also omitted two unpaid board positions. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/16

JetBlue plans to expand premium Mint service after losing a bid to buy Virgin America -- Despite losing a bid to buy California-based Virgin America, JetBlue Airways is not giving up in the battle for high-paying fliers from the Golden State. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

In San Diego, Ted Cruz Cracks Jokes, Excites Crowd, Mocks Protesters -- With City Attorney Jan Goldsmith and KFMB radio host Mike Slater helping warm up a patient crowd, Ted Cruz brought his GOP presidential campaign Monday night to San Diego. Ken Stone Times of San Diego -- 4/12/16

Paul Ryan to rule out GOP nomination 'once and for all' -- House Speaker Paul D. Ryan really, absolutely does not want to be the Republican Party's presidential nominee -- and will be making a statement Tuesday to try to prove it. Lisa Mascaro in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

California Policy & Politics This Morning

Coastal commissioner to pay $3,000 ethics fine for SeaWorld vote -- Gregory Cox, a member of the California Coastal Commission, has agreed to pay a $3,000 fine for voting on a high-profile SeaWorld permit at a time his wife owned stock in the San Diego-based attraction, according to records released Monday. Dan Weikel in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

Federal government to probe state spending on delta tunnels -- The Interior Department’s inspector general has opened an investigation into possible funding irregularities involving the proposed delta tunnels, a $15 billion plan to dig giant twin pipes to siphon water directly from the Sacramento River and send it underground to farms and cities in the southern part of the state. Carolyn Lochhead in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/12/16

Southern California water agency signs $175 million deal to buy Delta islands -- Already viewed with suspicion and hostility in the north state water community, the powerful Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is broadening its reach by purchasing $175 million worth of real estate in the very hub of California’s water delivery network: the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Dale Kasler and Ryan Sabalow in the Sacramento Bee$ Scott Smith Associated Press -- 4/12/16

Field Poll: Merrick Garland should get confirmation hearings -- A new poll finds that 64 percent believe federal appeals court Judge Merrick Garland, Obama’s selection to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia, should receive Senate confirmation hearings rather than hovering in election-year limbo. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/16

Jerry Brown: ‘I can clean up’ sentencing problems he created -- Gov. Jerry Brown, condemning the tough sentencing law he signed as governor nearly four decades ago, declared Monday “the problems that I create; I can clean up.” Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ Don Thompson Associated Press -- 4/12/16

Brown signs California law boosting paid family-leave benefits -- Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed a bill expanding California’s pioneering family-leave law to help more low-income workers and provide better benefits. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle Alison Noon Associated Press -- 4/12/16

Gov. Jerry Brown won't pick between Clinton and Sanders, pokes at 'lame' ideas from Ted Cruz -- As someone who's run for the presidency three times, Gov. Jerry Brown is no doubt watching the 2016 race with unique interest. John Myers in the Los Angeles Times$ Melody Gutierrez in the San Francisco Chronicle Jeremy B. White in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/16

How Signature-Gathering Draws Big Bucks In Election Season -- They call to you from street corners or in front of the supermarket: Signature-gatherers, asking you to put your name down to help a measure qualify for the November ballot. At a small folding table in the aisle of a mall, Roscoe Downey spreads out 11 different ballot initiatives. Ben Bradford Capital Public Radio -- 4/12/16

$28-billion L.A. County budget proposal aims to address homelessness, improve jails -- Los Angeles County officials on Monday released a proposed $28.5-billion budget for the next fiscal year -- a plan that would boost overall spending by about 1% but does not spell out how shortfalls in the coroner’s office and some other key programs will be solved. Abby Sewell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

Sketches released of pair wanted in British tourist slaying in San Francisco -- San Francisco police investigators Monday released sketches of a man and woman wanted in the “brutal murder” of a 48-year-old British tourist, who was stabbed in the head during a street mugging and died after a weeks-long battle for his life. Kimberly Veklerov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/12/16

Porter Ranch: Residents say SoCal Gas is behind on relocation payments -- Some resident who fled their homes in the wake of the four-month natural gas leak near Porter Ranch say Southern California Gas Company has delayed paying all reimbursements for food, mileage and housing the residents say they were promised. Sharon McNary KPCC -- 4/12/16

Strengthening the Embarcadero an expensive proposition -- The next time you stroll the Embarcadero, consider this: The cost of strengthening it to ride out a major earthquake could top $2 billion. John King, Lizzie Johnson and Emily Green in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/12/16

How much should the public know about police officer misconduct? -- On Tuesday morning, one of the most sweeping policing bills in the Capitol will get its first test. Liam Dillon in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

More black arrests over unpaid fines, fees found in San Francisco -- While African Americans make up less than 6 percent of San Francisco’s population, they account for nearly half of all people arrested for not paying traffic-related fines or fees, according to a new report written by a consortium of legal groups including the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. Joaquin Palomino in the San Francisco Chronicle Sukey Lewis KQED -- 4/12/16

A disproportionate share of blacks and Latinos lose their driver's licenses because of unpaid tickets, study finds -- African Americans and Latinos in California are more likely than others to lose their driver's licenses because of unpaid tickets and then to be arrested for driving with suspended licenses, according to a report released Monday. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

Whistleblower targets OSHA office in San Francisco -- For nearly five years, Darrell Whitman was a federal investigator who probed whistleblowers’ complaints about being fired or otherwise punished for exposing alleged corporate misconduct. Stuart Silverstein Capitol Weekly -- 4/12/16

Longtime San Francisco environmental leader Blumenfeld leaving EPA -- It can take a while to settle into a new job in a federal bureaucracy, but Jared Blumenfeld managed to get his feet wet within months of taking over as regional administrator for the Environmental Protection Agency. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/12/16

Capitol Weekly Podcast -- Political Data Inc's Paul Mitchell joins John Howard and Tim Foster to chat about new numbers from the Secretary of State and the effects of purging the voter rolls. He also digs into a hot topic - how the party delegate system works, with a look at the historical evolution of the primary process. All that, AND his connection to the Zodiac Killer - only at Capitol Weekly! Link Here -- 4/12/16

Economy, Employers, Jobs, Unions, Pensions

California’s Seemingly Endless Capacity for Innovation -- The Golden State comes in for frequent criticism over everything from high taxes to crowded freeways, yet the breadth of innovation from its universities and companies continues to set the world standard. Chris Jennewein Times of San Diego -- 4/12/16

Chinese investors love California, but they're putting money elsewhere in the U.S. too -- Chinese investments in U.S. businesses hit a record $15 billion last year, with California remaining a top destination, but the money increasingly is being spread throughout the nation as investors expand their spending into hospitality, auto parts and other industries. Jim Puzzanghera and James Rufus Koren in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

In California, Marijuana Is Smelling More Like Big Business -- After decades of thriving in legally hazy backyards and basements, California’s most notorious crop, marijuana, is emerging from the underground into a decidedly capitalist era. Ian Lovett in the New York Times$ -- 4/12/16

Sacramento prosecutors help force Goldman Sachs to pay $5 billion -- The numbers alone are staggering: $13 billion paid out by JPMorgan Chase to atone for its role in the economic meltdown of 2008, and more than $5 billion to be doled out by Goldman Sachs. Sam Stanton and Denny Walsh in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/16

CCPOA contract puts cash in prison guards’ wallets beyond raises -- While the new contract proposal for the 29,000 members of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association contains modest salary bumps, other provisions put more money in their pockets now and later by changing everything from fitness pay rules to making some paid leave count toward the threshold for overtime. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/16

Bart, unions reach tentative 4-year contract extension -- The Bay Area Rapid Transit and three of its major unions have reached a four-year contract extension that includes raises and avoids strikes like those that frustrated commuters in 2013. Associated Press -- 4/12/16

Drought

Sierra Nevada Snow Won’t End California’s Thirst -- Despite the better news this year, there are plenty of worrying signs about the Sierra snowpack, which provides about 30 percent of the water Californians use after it melts and flows into rivers and reservoirs, according to the state Department of Water Resources. Henry Fountain in the New York Times$ -- 4/12/16

Education

Kingsburg High to allow teachers to carry guns on campus -- The school board on Monday unanimously approved a new policy that allows up to five district employees – designated by the superintendent – to carry a concealed firearm on school grounds. Mackenzie Mays in the Fresno Bee -- 4/12/16

Bill adds school threats to penal code -- A proposal aimed at deterring criminal threats that cause mass disruption at school or event sites moved forward last week with unanimous support from a key legislative panel. Kimberly Beltran Cabinet Report -- 4/12/16

LA Unified's internal investigator becomes flashpoint in charter school debate -- Charter school advocates and Los Angeles Unified School District leaders are again toe-to-toe, this time over a bill in the state legislature that would limit the school board's ability to use the district's internal investigator to oversee charter schools. Kyle Stokes KPCC -- 4/12/16

Charter school awarded $7.1 million in case against LAUSD -- The Los Angeles Unified School District must pay $7.1 million to a San Fernando Valley charter school for failing to provide the school with rent-free classroom space, a violation of state law. Zahira Torres in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

2 UC Berkeley grad students file harassment complaint with state -- Two UC Berkeley graduate student instructors — frustrated that an assistant professor who violated the university’s sexual harassment policy continued teaching — filed a complaint Monday with a state agency claiming the man created a hostile work environment for them and that campus officials did little to stop it. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 4/12/16

Private changing areas quell transgender debate -- Students returning to Rancho Bernardo High School next week after spring break will find several new individual stalls in changing areas, as Poway Unified School District addresses concerns sparked by a transgender student who uses the boys’ locker room. Deborah Sullivan Brennan in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/12/16

Gifted, but still learning English, many bright students get overlooked -- Of the 3 million students identified as gifted in the U.S., English Language Learners are by far the most underrepresented. And nobody knows that better than 17-year-old Alejandra Galindo. Claudio Sanchez KPCC -- 4/12/16

Teacher career pathways growing, but not fast enough to tackle state’s teacher shortage -- Santa Ana high school senior Maria Vasquez’s favorite part of the week is when she sits down with a class of 1st-graders to help them review vocabulary, understand sentence structure and learn pronunciation. Fermin Leal EdSource -- 4/12/16

Health

State Junks $179 Million Medi-Cal IT System, Will Start from Scratch -- Combine years of delay, ever-changing rules and requirements, state and federal red tape, and a once mighty company now in deep financial trouble, and what do you get? In California’s case, the junking of a $179 million computer modernization project to process claims for Medi-Cal, the state’s health-payment program for low-income residents. Russ Mitchell KQED -- 4/12/16

What's California's prescription for rising drug costs? -- In a small room at a neighborhood clinic in Sacramento, a handful of hepatitis C patients wait to see their physician, hoping they’ll be found sick enough to be approved for a cure. Pauline Bartolone Calmatter.org -- 4/12/16

Would a California ballot measure cut drug costs? Nobody knows -- When Californians go to the polls this November, they’ll likely weigh-in on a contentious health care topic amplified by presidential campaigns: prescription drug prices. Pauline Bartolone Calmatters.org -- 4/12/16

A Day In The Life Of A Mental Health Emergency Responder -- Cops don't just enforce the law. They must also find ways to peacefully resolve mental health emergencies. Reporter Bob Moffitt rides along with Sacramento police officer Michelle Lazark. She's part of a team that is trained to respond to the non-stop need for mental health services in the county. Bob Moffitt Capital Public Radio -- 4/12/16

Also . . .

Who's complying with new surveillance rules? -- Interested in how California police agencies are using certain surveillance technologies? A new state law is making it easier to find out. Jeff McDonald in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/12/16

No charges for 'dog whisperer' Cesar Millan after animal cruelty investigation -- Los Angeles County animal control officials wrapped up their probe into allegations of animal cruelty involving “dog whisperer” Cesar Millan after a pot-bellied pig was attacked by a French bulldog mix during an episode of his TV show, authorities said Monday. Sarah Parvini in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

Beltway

Ted Cruz: ‘California is going to decide the Republican nomination’ -- Ted Cruz, launching his presidential campaign into a state whose late-arriving primary could prove decisive for the first time in decades, on Monday claimed momentum from recent victories in Wisconsin and Colorado and yoked himself to the legacy of Ronald Reagan, the former president and California governor idolized by conservatives. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee$ Joshua Stewart in the San Diego Union-Tribune$ -- 4/12/16

These 50 California Republicans are endorsing Ted Cruz -- On a day he campaigned across Southern California, a sight few predicted just a few months ago, Republican Ted Cruz blasted out a list of 50 GOP elected officials now supporting his candidacy. Christopher Cadelago in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 4/12/16

Trump, Cruz prepare mass-money arms race in California -- Ted Cruz lands in California on Monday for two rallies in a state where voters won’t head to the polls for nearly 60 days, but the West Coast swing is anything but a diversion. It’s preparation for the campaign’s endgame. Shane Goldmacher Politico -- 4/12/16

A Look At Ted Cruz’ Record With The Truth As He Visits California -- As of Friday, PolitiFact, the national and independent fact-checking website, has examined 102 statements made by Cruz. It rated 67 percent of his claims either Mostly False, False or Pants On Fire. The last designation is reserved for only the most wild falsehoods. Chris Nichols Politifact CA -- 4/12/16

Donald Trump’s sloppy voter outreach extends even to his own children -- Ivanka and Eric Trump aren't registered to vote for him in New York's primary. Philip Bump in the Washington Post$ -- 4/12/16

'What happened in World War II is happening again': Immigrant detention centers through the eyes of a therapist -- The metal fence was what she noticed first, miles of tall barrier topped by barbed wire strung across the south Texas pastures — just like the internment camp nearby where she had been held as an infant. Molly Hennessy-Fiske and Cindy Carcamo in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 4/12/16

Trump University Staff Detail How School Changed Course -- Ivy League instructors say initial focus on high-quality online teaching gave way to ‘how to get rich’ seminars. Melissa Korn in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 4/12/16