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; […]

Political Stories Top stories Dan Walters: California’s cap-and-trade emissions auctions could face bleak future — With the situation in flux and the next auction scheduled in two months, the Legislature passed a 2016-17 budget without making any appropriations from auction proceeds, even money the state had banked from previous auctions. This is just the beginning […]

Political Stories Top stories  Dan Walters: Taxicabs collide in Capitol with Uber and Lyft over legislation – Hueso’s obvious antipathy to the ride-sharing services notwithstanding, the bills dealing with Uber and Lyft represent one of many instances in which the Legislature and the state’s regulatory agencies are facing difficulty in dealing with fast-growing new technologies […]

Political Stories Top stories  Obama gets personal in Yosemite in speech, long hike — President Barack Obama mixed business with pleasure here Saturday, touting the importance of national parks and then seeing one up close for himself as he took in the sights at what is arguably the crown jewel of the national park system. […]

Political Stories Top stories What got done in California’s new state budget and what didn’t — Every year in California’s state Capitol, some budget issues get resolved and others get pushed further down the road. And it’s a mixed bag in the new deal passed by lawmakers on Wednesday. More work on budget-related bills is expected next week. Although the […]

Political Stories Top stories California’s new motor voter law could add 2 million registered voters in first year, study says — A new study from the Public Policy Institute of California estimates that, if executed successfully, the state’s new motor voter law could add more than 2 million new voters to the rolls in its first year […]

Political Stories Top stories CD 21: Huerta makes the runoff in closely watched race – Emilio Huerta will face Congressman David Valadao in the 21st Congressional District general election race, according to a Californian analysis of results that flipped the contest Wednesday evening. Bakersfield Californian article Valley’s GOP congressional delegation falls in line behind Trump […]