16Apr

April 16, 2017

Political Stories – Top stories John Myers: There’s not a single California congressional district with Republicans in the majority – When it comes to California’s 53 congressional districts, first impressions are deceiving. Republicans have held tightly to their seats in the House of Representatives, but the latest data beg the question of whether the party’s grip […]

15Apr

April 15, 2017

Political Stories – Top stories Which California Republicans represent pro-Clinton districts? — Bates and 16 other legislative Republicans represent districts where Democrat Hillary Clinton outpolled Republican Donald Trump for president, according to California’s recently released supplement to the statement of vote for last fall’s election. Besides Bates, Republican state senators in pro-Clinton districts include Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita; […]

14Apr

April 14, 2017

Political Stories Top stories  Rift opens between the Brown administration and legislators over new marijuana laws in California – A proposal by the Brown administration to revise marijuana laws in California is drawing backlash from lawmakers and police chiefs who say it would repeal rules approved by the Legislature two years ago and benefit the pot industry […]

13Apr

April 13, 2017

Political Stories – Top stories A ‘sanctuary state’ bill is raising heated debate among California lawmakers.  Here’s how it would work — The proposal, known as the “sanctuary state” bill, was sparked by the Trump administration’s broadened deportation orders. It would expand so-called sanctuary city policies, prohibiting state and local law enforcement agencies, including school police and security departments, […]

12Apr

April 12, 2017

Political Stories Top stories  Lawmakers’ side ‘arrangements’ didn’t start with California gas-tax bill — Last week’s approval of major road-funding legislation wasn’t the first time that other “arrangements,” in the words of Gov. Jerry Brown, helped seal the deal. Side pacts between governors, legislative leaders and select lawmakers, sometimes unspoken, played key roles in annual budget […]

11Apr

April 11, 2017

Political Stories Top stories  State lawmakers have spent a lot of time on professional sports stadiums – and they have little to show for it — With the Raiders deciding to leave Oakland for a $1.9-billion football stadium in Las Vegas, the carousel of moves and threats to move by California’s professional sports teams appears […]

10Apr

April 10, 2017

Political Stories Top stories  George Skelton: Why are California legislators getting decent approval ratings? They’re getting things done — The California Legislature has achieved something I never expected to see again in my lifetime. Its public job approval rating has soared above 50%. That’s astronomical compared with the lawmakers’ wretched ratings of a few years ago. […]

07Apr

April 7, 2017

Political Stories Top stories   Gas-tax increase to pay for road repairs clears Legislature — The state Legislature on Thursday passed a sweeping $52 billion transportation plan that will raise California gas taxes after leaders struck deals with wavering lawmakers to fund road projects in their districts. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article; San Francisco […]

06Apr

April 6, 2017

Political Stories Top stories   Your gas costs – and pothole repair – depend on Jerry Brown’s political skills — As a young governor, Jerry Brown pilloried Proposition 13 as a “fraud” and a “rip off,” and aligned himself against what became the landmark 1978 measure by Howard Jarvis and Paul Gann to cut property […]