Political Stories Top stories  California lawmakers send sweeping gun package to Gov. Brown – California’s Democrat-controlled Legislature on Thursday approved far-reaching bills to bolster the state’s strong gun restrictions, sending Gov. Jerry Brown a package of measures revived after the deadly attack last year in San Bernardino. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article; San Jose Mercury News article; KQED report  National […]

Political Stories Top stories  Ballot measure threatens bullet train, Delta tunnels – Two of Gov. Jerry Brown’s favorite projects — building a high-speed rail system and a pair of massive tunnels under the Delta — face a serious threat if California voters pass a measure heading for the November ballot. The “No Blank Checks Initiative,” bankrolled with […]

Political Stories Top stories  California marijuana legalization measure on November ballot — Californians’ November ballot will include an initiative to legalize the recreational use of marijuana, with the coming campaign likely to reverberate nationwide given the state’s size and implications for similar efforts elsewhere. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article  Police transparency reaches a stalemate […]

Political Stories Top stories  Jerry Brown signs $167 billion budget, makes no cuts – Gov. Jerry Brown signed the budget bill Monday for the coming fiscal year, fully embracing a package his office played a major role in shaping and making no blue-pencil reductions to individual spending items in the plan. Sacramento Bee article; LA […]

Political Stories Top stories  At least 10 hurt at chaotic, bloody neo-Nazi rally at Capitol — A rally by a small group of neo-Nazi demonstrators at the state Capitol on Sunday erupted into a violent clash with protesters that left at least 10 people injured – five of them stabbed – and closed down streets […]

Political Stories Top stories  CD 21: Valadao working to stave off what may be his toughest challenge yet: Huerta – This year could bring the toughest political fight Congressman David Valadao has ever seen. With Donald Trump at the top of the Republican ticket and turnout numbers the highest in years, Democracts might have a […]

Political Stories Top stories  California budget’s to-do list includes helping the homeless and protecting orcas — Lawmakers may have sent a new budget to Gov. Jerry Brown last week, but their work isn’t done. They continue to hash out details on a variety of related measures that are being wrapped into the $171-billion spending plan. LA Times article  Low-priority immigrants […]

Political Stories Top stories  Supreme Court decision on immigration will have far-reaching implications – A deadlocked Supreme Court decision that blocks President Barack Obama from granting amnesty to the parents of legal U.S. residents who are in the country illegally will deprive many of those people of the right to sign up for health insurance […]

Political Stories Top stories  Valadao dumps Trump — Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, is distancing himself from presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump. His campaign, which has kept mum on Trump for weeks, issued a written statement Wednesday on where he stands on the presidential race. Valadao didn’t mention Trump by name. But he stated he’s […]

Political Stories Top stories Newsom warns marijuana legalization in California is no sure thing – Leading cannabis activists, including Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, warned Tuesday that if California voters don’t support legalizing marijuana for adult recreational use in November it could set momentum on the issue back at least a decade. San Francisco Chronicle article; […]