December 4, 2020

04Dec

Maddy Associates Virtual Speaker Series Tuesday, Dec. 8 - “Valley Legislative Update”

Maddy Institute Event

Join a discussion with 8 of the Valley’s State and Federal elected leaders to hear what their goals are for 2021. Each will have a few minutes to give an update on what is going on in their area, special projects, etc., after which guests will have the opportunity to ask questions (time permitting).

 

Helping California’s Hard-Hit Central Valley

Washington Post

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $52 million grant from the federal government aimed at slowing the coronavirus’s rampage through California’s Central Valley, where residents of predominantly Latino communities have consistently been required to keep showing up to work in fields or meatpacking plants and warehouses.

 

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

Merced County ICU bed capacity strained. Foster Farms back on outbreaks list

Merced Sun-Star

Merced County intensive care unit availability is on the brink of full capacity, according to the most recent state and county data. With the number of COVID-19 cases severe enough to require hospitalization rising, so too are fatalities.

 

New COVID stay-at-home order looms. What will it mean for Stanislaus County?

Modesto Bee

As the San Joaquin Valley steams toward another shutdown due to the COVID-19 surge in Stanislaus County and the region, business and community members are bracing themselves for what comes next.

See also:

 

First Sikh American is sworn in to serve on Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors

Modesto Bee

Mani Grewal officially became a member of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors during a swearing-in ceremony Wednesday. Grewal will serve the remaining term of the District 4 seat that was vacated when former state Sen. Tom Berryhill passed away Aug. 29.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

Newsom announces new stay-at-home order impacting Fresno, most California counties

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced broad new regional stay-at-home orders that could take effect within days to help combat an ongoing increase in coronavirus cases across California.

See also:

 

Congressman Costa loses bid to lead House Agriculture Committee

Fresno Bee

California Rep. Jim Costa lost the vote for chair of the House Agriculture Committeeto Georgia Rep. David Scott. Costa, D-Fresno, threw his hat in the ring to run for the position after the current chair, Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minnesota, was ousted in his 2020 election, meaning he will not serve in the next Congress. Costa was then second in seniority to Scott.

See also:

 

Fresno’s planned animal shelter just got $2.3 million more expensive. Here’s why

Fresno Bee

The $15 million animal shelter Fresno is looking to build just got more expensive Thursday despite reluctance from members of the City Council to spend more.

 

Council discusses priorities for 2021 Legislative session

Porterville Recorder

At Tuesday night's meeting of the Porterville City Council, the dais discussed which interests would be of priority for the city for the upcoming 2021 state legislative session.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

Of state's most populous counties, Kern has highest percentage of positive COVID tests

Bakersfield Californian

Of California’s most populous counties, Kern has reported the highest percentage of coronavirus tests with positive results. In the latest release of COVID-19 statistics, the California Department of Public Health revealed Kern County had experienced a 13.4 percent positivity rate from Nov. 19 to Nov. 25.

See also:

 

A thorny land conservation dispute takes root in the wilds of Tejon Ranch

Los Angeles Times

Environmental groups have filed suit against the Tejon Ranch Co., accusing it of breaching an agreement by withholding funds needed to oversee the conservation of protected lands at California’s largest single piece of private property.

 

State:

 

Gavin Newsom announces new stay-at-home order tied to ICU capacity in California

Fresno Bee

Regions of California where hospitals are in danger of overload will be subject to a new stay-at-home order, with some parts of the state projected to reach that point later this week, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.

See also:

 

California state offices will close in response to governor’s stay-at-home order

Sacramento Bee

California is closing state government offices in response to the stay-at-home order Gov. Gavin Newsom issued Thursday, according to an email sent to state departments.

 

California unemployment fraud could ‘grow exponentially’ without more state action, DAs say

Fresno Bee

Prosecutors across California blasted the Employment Development Department again Thursday, saying the department still hasn’t stopped a massive pandemic assistance fraud scheme that it has known about for months.

See also:

 

California owes $34 million on a voter outreach contract it can’t pay for

Sacramento Bee

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla’s office has received more than $34 million worth of invoices from a consulting firm for a voter outreach campaign that the State Controller’s Office said it doesn’t have the budget authority to pay for.

 

With 1 of Their Own In The Statehouse, Native Americans In California Win New Rights

Capital Public Radio

James Ramos, the first member of a California Native American tribe to serve in the state legislature, authored a trio of new laws bolstering the rights of Native Americans in the state.

 

Republicans took back four House seats in deep-blue California. How did they do it?

Sacramento Bee

Republicans have clinched four of the seven competitive House races in California, proving wrong the dismal projections of their chances in 2020 and setting up the party for possible further success in 2022.

 

How election officials fought fiction with fact

CalMatters

A survey by CalMatters of 54 of California’s 58 registrars of voters found that misinformation in all forms was rampant during the recent election. Registrars in both urban and rural counties said they often spent hours each day trying to get the correct information out to anxious voters.

 

With Barrett: Supreme Court, California’s Church COVID Limits In Legal Jeopardy

Capital Public Radio

As Gov. Gavin Newsom prepares fresh restrictions on mingling to combat climbing coronavirus cases, he has another hurdle to overcome: the increasingly conservative United States Supreme Court.

See also:

 

As Newsom mulls over a U.S. Senate pick, Latino lawmakers and activists say it’s their time

Los Angeles Times

Though home to more Latinos than any state in the union, a haven for Central American immigrants and infused with a rich history as a former Mexican territory, California has never sent a Latino to the U.S. Senate in its 170 years of statehood.

See also:

 

Federal:

 

Trump largely silent as health officials sound COVID-19 alarm

The Hill

Trump administration health officials are issuing increasingly dire warnings about the coronavirus and its rapid spread across the country, drawing a sharp contrast to the president’s reluctance to acknowledge the severity of the crisis head-on.

 

Stimulus update: Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnell discuss COVID-19 relief as pressure builds

abc30

Capitol Hill's top leaders spoke about COVID-19 relief and other unfinished business Thursday, adding to tentative optimism that a medium-sized aid package might break free after months of Washington toxicity and deadlock.

See also:

 

Biden says he will join former presidents and publicly get coronavirus vaccine

The Hill

President-elect Joe Biden on Thursday said that he would join three former presidents in getting a coronavirus vaccine publicly to prove that it’s safe.

See also:

 

Fauci says America may still need masks after Biden's first 100 days

The Hill

Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said the nation still may need to wear masks after President-elect Joe Biden’s first 100 days in office.

See also:

 

Lawmakers Push to Preserve Pandemic Voting Access

PEW

Bolstered by a presidential election with the highest voter turnout in more than a century, state election officials and lawmakers—mostly Democrats, but also some Republicans—are working to codify many of the pandemic-specific changes that broadened ballot access over the past year.

 

Biden Faces Pressure From His Party Over Cabinet Picks

Wall Street Journal

President-elect Joe Biden is under pressure from several groups within the Democratic Party as he weighs more cabinet picks, with Black and Latino lawmakers discussing coordinating efforts to try to sway his selections for top jobs.

 

Trump allies file emergency petition at Supreme Court over 2020 election

Roll Call

The appeal comes from Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Mike Kelly and other Trump allies, in a lawsuit they filed after the election to challenge a 2019 state law that allowed voters to cast mail-in ballots for any reason.

See also:

 

Trump, RNC Raised $207.5 Million After Election Day

Wall Street Journal

President Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee have raised more than $207.5 million in the weeks since Election Day, his campaign said Thursday, as their claims of voting fraud have generated a financial windfall that could be deployed in future political ventures.

See also:

 

Other:

 

Of the 700 attempts to fix or abolish the electoral college, this one nearly succeeded

Washington Post

The fight to reform or abolish the electoral college began almost as soon as it was created, by those who created it. Since then there have been more than 700 efforts to reform or abolish it, according to the Congressional Research Service.

 

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, December 6, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: Policing the Police - Guest: Laurel Rosenhall with CALmatters, Ron Lawrence with California Police Chiefs Association and Alice Hoffman with California Chapter - NCAAP. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, December 6, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: No show this week!- Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Congressman Costa loses bid to lead House Agriculture Committee

Fresno Bee

California Rep. Jim Costa lost the vote for chair of the House Agriculture Committeeto Georgia Rep. David Scott. Costa, D-Fresno, threw his hat in the ring to run for the position after the current chair, Rep. Collin Peterson, D-Minnesota, was ousted in his 2020 election, meaning he will not serve in the next Congress. Costa was then second in seniority to Scott.

See also:

 

Local advocates push for CA farmworkers to receive some of first COVID-19 vaccines

abc30

While health officials prepare to store a coronavirus vaccine, California leaders are working to determine who will be the first to receive it. Gov. Gavin Newsom has said that the vaccine will be distributed in phases, with healthcare workers, people in assisted living and nursing facilities and first responders being in the first group.

 

Helping California’s Hard-Hit Central Valley

Washington Post

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a $52 million grant from the federal government aimed at slowing the coronavirus’s rampage through California’s Central Valley, where residents of predominantly Latino communities have consistently been required to keep showing up to work in fields or meatpacking plants and warehouses.

 

House poised to vote to decriminalize marijuana as GOP resists national shift on pot

Washington Post

The House is set to endorse a landmark retreat in the nation’s decades-long war on drugs Friday, voting to remove marijuana from the federal schedule of controlled substances and provide for the regulation and taxation of legal cannabis sales.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

California unemployment fraud could ‘grow exponentially’ without more state action, DAs say

Fresno Bee

Prosecutors across California blasted the Employment Development Department again Thursday, saying the department still hasn’t stopped a massive pandemic assistance fraud scheme that it has known about for months.

See also:

 

Covid-19 Vaccines Are ‘Liquid Gold’ to Organized Crime, Interpol Says

Wall Street Journal

Criminal gangs will likely attempt to get their hands on the new Covid-19 vaccines, international police organization Interpol warned, potentially disrupting supplies of the crucial shots as they become available.

 

Public Safety:

 

Fresno police keeping vehicles away from train tracks near Christmas Tree Lane

Fresno Bee

Police are helping with traffic near Christmas Tree Lane in Fresno, California after a 5-year-old boy was killed in a train crash on Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020.

 

Online discussion aims to educate and address questions regarding human trafficking

Bakersfield Californian

Those fighting against human trafficking in Kern County have become increasingly concerned by what they say is the spread of false information and urban myths regarding human trafficking by users on Facebook and other social media platforms. So they decided to kick off a serious conversation about it.

 

Racial Disparities in California Law Enforcement Stops

PPIC

The killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd—among many others—laid bare the stark racial inequities in our criminal justice system, highlighting the need for reform and better understanding around interactions with law enforcement.

 

Fire:

 

PG&E rate hike aimed at improvements to ease fire risk

Bakersfield Californian

Pacific Gas & Electric's household customers will be hit with an average rate increase of 8% to help the once-bankrupt utility pay for improvements designed to reduce the risks that its outdated equipment will ignite deadly wildfires in its Northern California service territory.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Fresno-area restaurants say ‘devastating’ Newsom order to end outdoor dining will hurt

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s order that will require restaurants to close for all but takeout and delivery in the coming days will have a devastating effect on Fresno-area restaurants, according to people in the industry.

See also:

 

How States Can Help Small Businesses Recover from the Pandemic

NCSL

NCSL Webinars allow attendees to participate in meetings taking place around the world from the comfort of their desk. They are collaborative, interactive and easy to use. Most webinars will be recorded for those who are unable to attend the live meeting.

 

How unequal is California? A new index aims to measure the state’s economic inequity

Sacramento Bee

Since 2010, California has made substantial progress on providing its residents with broadband Internet and increasing the number of people with college degrees. Yet, over the same period, the state has not made a dent in improving housing affordability or home ownership.

 

Manufacturing Rallies as Tourism, Energy Lag

PEW

After a pandemic plunge cratered the U.S. economy in the spring, some states appear to be recovering by catering to Americans’ renewed obsession with homes and cars. States dependent on tourism or energy are still foundering, however.

 

Jobs:

 

Opening: Rural County Representatives of California President and Chief Executive Officer

Russell Reynolds Associates

Founded in 1972, the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) is a 37-member county service organization championing rural policies at the state and federal levels. Rural counties face unique challenges when dealing with state and federal policies.

 

U.S. Added 245,000 Jobs Last Month as Hiring Slowed

Wall Street Journal

U.S. job growth slowed sharply in November, suggesting the labor-market recovery is losing steam amid a surge in coronavirus cases and new business restrictions.

See also:

 

States Grapple with Cost of Jobless Benefits as Pandemic Worsens

Bloomberg Law

The steep and climbing cost of unemployment during the Covid-19 pandemic could give state policymakers déjà vu from the Great Recession—when states used unemployment tax increases and benefit cuts to rebuild unemployment trust funds depleted by millions of job

See also:

 

Trump Administration Claims Facebook Improperly Reserved Jobs for H-1B Workers

Wall Street Journal

The Trump administration has sued Facebook Inc., FB -0.30% accusing the social-media company of illegally reserving high-paying jobs for immigrant workers it was sponsoring for permanent residence, rather than searching adequately for available U.S. workers who could fill the positions.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Here’s how Fresno-area schools are affected by Gavin Newsom’s new stay-at-home orders

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new stay-at-home order on Thursday for areas, including the San Joaquin Valley, where intensive care unit capacity is projected to drop below 15%. It could take effect within days, and it would last at least three weeks.

See also:

 

No New Youth Sports Guidance Until After New Year, CIF Says

Clovis Roundup

The California Interscholastic Federation announced that no new youth sports guidance is expected from the Calif Department of Public Health until after Jan. 1, 2021 at the earliest, thus pushing full high school practice and competition start dates back into the new year.

 

State Leaders Empower Students to Be Active Digital Citizens

EdNote

Educators overwhelmingly agree that digital citizenship is critical to help students make informed decisions online and to build inclusive online communities. However, recent surveys show that most digital citizenship education focuses primarily on cyberbullying and privacy.

 

Dance Counts: How Policymakers Can Support Access to Quality Arts Education

EdNote

Schools across the country have made great strides to offer opportunities for dance education. Educators have pivoted from prioritizing dance as a purely physical activity to an art form that allows students to use movement to communicate, express themselves, build connections to community and improve academic outcomes.

 

Commentary: SAT math scores mirror and maintain racial inequity

Brookings

In 1926, the SAT was created to give talented students, regardless of income, the chance to compete for college admission and scholarships. Nearly 100 years later, it often excludes the lower-income students it was created to help. Although the original exam was primarily aimed at economic diversity, part of its stated modern mission is to help increase racial diversity, too.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Discrimination from some California college professors? Fresno State student speaks out

Fresno Bee

After a large spike in anti-Muslim hate crimes leading up to the 2016 election, many Muslim college students in the central San Joaquin Valley still feel unsafe on campus and face discrimination from professors and peers, according to a new report from the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

 

Fresno State professor wins big on 'Jeopardy!'

abc30

Fresno fans of 'Jeopardy!' got to cheer for a Fresno State professor who appeared on the quiz show - and won the day! Doctor Fred Nelson appeared on Thursday night's episode of 'Jeopardy!' with the late Alex Trebek.

 

UC Merced Reaches Carbon Neutrality Ahead of Schedule

UC Merced

After a lengthy and rigorous review by independent auditors, UC Merced can proudly announce it is the first public research university in the country to achieve carbon neutrality, two years ahead of its goal.

 

College freshmen and high school seniors lagging in completing financial aid applications

EdSource

The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the lives of many high school and college students, but now there are fears that it may be preventing them from applying for financial aid for college.

 

How Is the Pandemic Affecting California’s Independent, Nonprofit Colleges?

PPIC

The global pandemic has forced higher education institutions to rapidly shift to virtual learning models, develop protocols to prevent the spread of the virus, and find new ways to support students in an uncertain fiscal environment.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

California regulator might become Biden’s EPA chief. Why some environmentalists oppose her

Fresno Bee

Mary Nichols’ work as California’s top air-pollution and climate-change regulator has vaulted her onto the shortlist of candidates for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in President-elect Joe Biden’s administration.

 

Air District warns conditions not conducive to wood burning

Porterville Recorder

Local air officials are advising San Joaquin Valley residents that conditions are expected to remain cold, dry and stagnant throughout the week, causing PM2.5 (particulate matter pollution) emissions to accumulate, resulting in higher pollution concentrations throughout the Valley air basin, which includes the counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and the Valley portion and the Frazier Park area of Kern.

 

Winds stir up valley dust in Bakersfield

Bakersfield Californian

Strong gusts kicked up a lot of dust. The biggest impact on air quality was from stirring up relatively large, visible airborne material, not the fine particulates that can pose the biggest long-term health risks.

 

Trump Rushes To Lock In Oil Drilling In Arctic Wildlife Refuge Before Biden's Term

VPR

In a last-minute push, the Trump administration announced Thursday that it will auction off drilling rights in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in just over a month, setting up a final showdown with opponents before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.

 

Opinion: The Climate Warriors are Eyeing Your Plate

National Review

The war on red meat, spearheaded by vegetarians (and then vegans) has been going on for years. More recently, the climate warriors have joined in.

 

Energy:

 

Exxon Writes Off Record Amount From Value of Assets Amid Energy Market Downturn

NPR

After insisting for months that its oil and gas investments remain as valuable as ever, Exxon Mobil Corp. plans to write down $17 billion to $20 billion in natural gas assets in the largest such announcement the company has ever made.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

COVID-19 outbreak at Reedley retirement center

abc30

A COVID-19 outbreak inside a Reedley retirement center has sickened at least eight residents. In a letter sent out from Palm Village Retirement Community management says they had learned that members of a nearby church music ministry had tested positive for COVID-19 last week.

 

COVID-19 cases spike among Fresno's first responders

abc30

For first responders, going into dangerous situations is part of the job. But for the past eight months, an invisible danger has also posed a credible threat. The coronavirus.

 

Kern County Public Health announces 418 new COVID-19 cases, 1 death on Thursday

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Public Health Services Department reported 418 new coronavirus cases Thursday morning and one new death. The case count since the pandemic began stands at 43,355. There have been 452 deaths.

See also:

 

Everyone who gets a COVID vaccination will get a record card. Here’s what to know

Fresno Bee

Along with needles, syringes and alcohol prep pads, COVID-19 vaccine ancillary supply kits will include “vaccination record cards” for providers to give to every person who gets the shot. The CDC also calls them “second-dose reminders.”

 

States draft vaccine plans as coronavirus daily death toll tops 3,100

The Hill

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s independent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended that the first limited doses of a vaccine should go to healthcare workers and residents in long-term care facilities.

See also:

 

Democratic figures accused of hypocrisy on COVID-19 precautions

The Hill

High-profile elected Democrats have apologized for embarrassing instances in which they were caught dining indoors, traveling abroad or celebrating political victories in the streets, contrary to their own guidelines for social behavior during the resurgent pandemic.

 

How did you quarantine or isolate from others after being exposed to coronavirus?

Los Angeles Times

Are you a resident of California who has had to go to great lengths to sequester yourself from others during the pandemic because you’ve been sick or potentially infected? Share your experience below or send an email directly to colleen.shalby@latimes.com. Your story may be used in an upcoming article.

 

Human Services:

 

Quarantined Health Workers Compound Staffing Shortages at California Hospitals

VPR

The number of coronavirus cases in California has topped 1.2 million, leaving the state's hospitals near a breaking point. There are projections that the state could run out of intensive care beds before Christmas. And Gov. Gavin Newsom says he's considering another statewide stay-at-home order to stop the surge.

See also:

 

Vaccines getting closer: Governor outlines priorities for who’s up first

CalMatters

Californians will likely see the first doses of Pfizer’s new COVID-19 vaccine arrive between Dec. 12 and 15, Gov. Gavin Newsom said today as he unveiled the state’s distribution plans for its initial allotment of 327,000 doses.

 

As China nears a coronavirus vaccine, bribery cloud hangs over drugmaker Sinovac

Washington Post

Chinese coronavirus-vaccine maker Sinovac Biotech is good at getting its products to market. It was first to begin clinical trials of a SARS vaccine in 2003 and first to bring a swine flu vaccine to consumers in 2009.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

The challenges Biden will face on immigration reform

PBS

President-elect Joe Biden is planning to act quickly after taking office to improve conditions at the southern border for migrants seeking asylum in the United States, part of a broader strategy aimed at reversing Trump administration policies that separated families and led to a spike in detentions.

 

Biden Is Facing High Hopes, Tough Choices On Border Wall

Business Journal

The U.S. government has been trying to take Pamela Rivas’ land for a border wall since before Joe Biden was vice president. From a brushy bluff, Rivas can look across the Rio Grande to Mexico on the other side.

 

Senate Passes Bill to Clear Green-Card Backlog for Indian Immigrants

Wall Street Journal

The Senate unanimously passed a bill late Wednesday aimed at clearing a backlog of green cards for primarily Indian immigrants, after more than a year of wrangling following House passage of a similar bill in 2019.

 

Trump Administration Claims Facebook Improperly Reserved Jobs for H-1B Workers

Wall Street Journal

The Trump administration has sued Facebook Inc., FB -0.30% accusing the social-media company of illegally reserving high-paying jobs for immigrant workers it was sponsoring for permanent residence, rather than searching adequately for available U.S. workers who could fill the positions.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

A thorny land conservation dispute takes root in the wilds of Tejon Ranch

Los Angeles Times

Environmental groups have filed suit against the Tejon Ranch Co., accusing it of breaching an agreement by withholding funds needed to oversee the conservation of protected lands at California’s largest single piece of private property.

 

Housing:

 

Rising seas: California’s affordable housing faces worse floods

CalMatters

California’s crisis of affordable housing appears to be running smack into another intractable problem: sea level rise. A new study published this week projects that the number of affordable housing units at risk of flooding in the United States is projected to more than triple by 2050.

 

Canadian Nonprofit Sees Promising Results in Unique Approach to Homelessness

U.S. News

The U.S.' immediate neighbor to the north is also contending with struggling homeless individuals during the pandemic. And the co-founder and CEO of a Vancouver-based nonprofit has been championing a simple solution to combat the ongoing challenge: give homeless people money.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

These California state workers are eligible for new state sick leave

Fresno Bee

California state workers who are excluded from federal sick leave are now eligible for two weeks’ worth of supplemental sick leave from the state, according to the Human Resources Department.

 

Report: State Spending Spikes, Revenues Fall in Fiscal Year 2020

U.S. News

In a continued sign of the strain that the coronavirus pandemic and resulting recession put on state budgets, recent analysis shows that state expenditures saw a huge increase in fiscal year 2020, while general fund revenues declined for the first time since the great recession.

 

CFOs feel confident Biden won’t be able to raise the corporate tax rate to 28%: Survey

CNBC

Wall Street’s post-election rally and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rise to a new record above 30,000 is a bet that, among other things, a divided government during a Biden administration will be a good for corporations.

 

Commentary: US fiscal federalism during the COVID-19 pandemic

AEI

The likely impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on state and local government revenues is increasingly well understood. The condition of state and local government finances depends further, however, on the pandemic’s effects on expenditure needs, which have received less attention.

 

Commentary: Paid leave and childcare during the pandemic

AEI

Congress responded to the arrival of the pandemic on US soil in spring 2020 by passing sweeping economic relief measures, including policies directed toward supporting the needs of families. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act guaranteed paid time off for workers employed by small businesses, for both medical and childcare-related reasons.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Need to cancel your holiday travel plans amid COVID? Here’s the latest on changes and refunds

Los Angeles Times

With California’s pandemic policies tightening, COVID-19 cases escalating and vaccines unlikely to reach most people until spring or later, many families are rethinking their holiday travel plans. “It’s time to cancel everything,” L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a news conference Wednesday night.

 

Thanksgiving vehicle travel down just 5 percent from 2019 despite health experts' warnings

The Hill

Vehicle travel on and around Thanksgiving Day was only 5 percent less than in 2019, despite warnings from health care experts and elected officials to avoid family gatherings amid the coronavirus pandemic.

 

WATER

 

Video: Building a Water-Resilient California

PPIC

What are key California water priorities for the coming year, in light of ongoing disruptions from the pandemic, the recession, lingering drought, and a record-breaking fire season? The PPIC Water Policy Center brought together three panels of experts to discuss possibilities at our annual water priorities conference.

 

Opinion: California must bypass water politics and work toward solutions for our thirsty state

Fresno Bee

California’s water wars are epic. They’ve inspired Hollywood productions and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism. Water has been the source of both great wealth and great poverty in California.

 

“Xtra”

 

Encore Christmas Parade set for Dec. 11

Hanford Sentinel

So nice, they’re going to do it twice. The Hanford Chamber of Commerce has decided to host an encore of the Hanford Christmas Parade drive-thru event on Friday, Dec. 11.

 

How to turn your annual cookie swap into a long-distance, virtual party

Washington Post

We might have to do without some of our favorite traditions in this 2020 holiday season, but there was one that I was determined to experience: a holiday cookie swap with friends.

 

 

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

                                                     

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.

 

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