December 7, 2020

07Dec


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 give an update on what is going on in their their legislative priorities, special projects, etc., after which guests will have the opportunity to ask questions (time permitting).

 

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

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:

 

State adds $100 million to Stockton project easing rail travel for Modesto and beyond

Modesto Bee

The state has kicked in $100 million for a Stockton rail project that would ease freight and passenger service in nearby counties.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

California Democrat TJ Cox said he was preparing for a recount, but he just conceded House race

Fresno Bee

Democrat Rep. TJ Cox conceded Friday that former Rep. David Valadao won the election for a California House seat in the San Joaquin Valley. Cox hadn’t suggested he might concede, however, in his communication with potential campaign donors.

 

Fresno officials expected to name Oklahoma City deputy chief as next police chief

Fresno Bee

Fresno city officials are poised to announce Paco Balderrama, a deputy chief in Oklahoma City, as the next police chief, multiple sources confirmed to The Bee.

 

Fresno-area counties among hardest hit by COVID-19 cases, deaths. What the rates show

Fresno Bee

The results indicate that as California experiences a renewed surge of new cases in recent weeks, the virus is continuing to spread rapidly not just in highly populated urban centers, but also in more rural areas of the state.

See also:

 

Nearly 200 workers test positive for COVID-19 at Foster Farms poultry plant in Fresno

Fresno Bee

Foster Farms will shut down its facility on Cherry Street in Fresno following a coronavirus outbreak, according to company officials. Over the past two weeks, 193 workers at the 1,400-person facility in southwest Fresno tested positive for COVID-19, according to Ira Brill, vice president of communications for Foster Farms.

 

Coronavirus vaccine coming to Fresno County. But it may be months before you get a shot

Fresno Bee

Fresno County expects to receive its first shipment of a coveted vaccine against COVID-19 by the middle of December, a long-awaited development to help end the coronavirus pandemic.

 

County, Valley worst ranked in Dream Index

Porterville Recorder

When it comes to providing the California dream for all of its residents, the state has a long ways to go. That was the conclusion of an index from the non-profit organization California Forward.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

New stay-at-home order to apply to Kern late Sunday night

Bakersfield Californian

Fearing hospitals could soon be overwhelmed, state officials have activated a mandatory three-week stay-at-home order in Kern County that takes effect just before midnight Sunday and lasts at least through the weekend after Christmas.

See also:

 

Bakersfield churches forge their own path as COVID cases increase

Bakersfield Californian

As the coronavirus pandemic has stretched on, local places of worship have been forced to institute a variety of measures designed to keep the congregations active.

See also:

 

State:

 

Coronavirus, depleted GOP shape new California Legislature

Bakersfield Californian

Democrats will begin their second half-century of dominating California's Legislature on Monday, when lawmakers reconvene for the first time since last month's election. The party has held continuous control of the Senate since 1970, while giving up their majority in the Assembly for just two years since then, in 1995 and 1996.

See also:

 

2 California regions trigger new COVID stay-at-home order. How close is your area?

Fresno Bee

Hospital ICU availability has improved in two California regions but worsened in three others, according to the Sunday update of the state’s data, as the San Joaquin and Southern California regions prepare for a three-week stay-at-home order to begin at 11:59 p.m. Sunday night.

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.

 

California is set to ban menthol cigarettes on Jan. 1. The industry is out to stop it

Sacramento Bee

The tobacco industry-funded group behind an effort to undo a pending state ban on the sale of most flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes, has submitted more than 1 million petition signatures.

 

Little Hoover Commission: Issue Brief on California's Digital Divide

Little Hoover Commission

Access to affordable, high-speed internet is more critical now than ever before, yet many California households go without or lack sufficient bandwidth to meet their household’s needs.

 

Walters: A legislative session shaped by pandemic

CalMatters

The California Legislature will reconvene Monday for what may be its most unusual session in the state’s 170-year history.

 

Federal:

 

He sued the Trump Admin over 100 times. Now Biden wants Xavier Becerra in his cabinet

Fresno Bee

President-elect Joe Biden has selected California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as his nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary, multiple outlets reported Sunday.

See also:

 

Momentum For Coronavirus Relief Bill Builds, But Time Short As Parties Work On Deal

VPR

After months of partisan standoff on Capitol Hill over the size and composition of another round of coronavirus relief, key signs of progress emerged as the House and Senate moved closer to a possible deal.

See also:

 

Barr may leave Trump Admin before Inauguration Day

Washington Post

Attorney General William P. Barr has told associates in recent weeks that he may leave his post before the Trump administration ends next month, according to people familiar with the discussions.

 

Joe Biden officially secures enough electors to become president

abc30

California certified its presidential election Friday and appointed 55 electors pledged to vote for Democrat Joe Biden, officially handing him the Electoral College majority needed to win the White House.

See also:

 

Native Americans critique data, surveys following election

Bakersfield Californian

On election night, Jodi Owings and her family watched the results reported live on television in their Oklahoma home. That's when she noticed the wording on a CNN graphic that displayed returns by race as white, Latino, Black, “something else” and Asian.

 

Trump’s Possible 2024 Bid Leaves Other GOP Candidates in a Bind

Wall Street Journal

President Trump’s public and private musings about running again in 2024 are scrambling the calculus for the large field of fellow Republicans considering bids. Most hopefuls have been quick to show deference.

See also:

 

Rudy Giuliani Tests Positive for Covid-19, Admitted to Hospital

Wall Street Journal

Rudy Giuliani, who has been leading President Trump’s effort to challenge the results of the presidential election, was admitted to a Washington hospital on Sunday and has tested positive for Covid-19, a person familiar with his condition said.

 

Opinion: Kamala Harris is on the cusp of power but has to tread carefully

Los Angeles Times

Now that long-apparent ambition will be the source of inevitable speculation as Harris is about to become the vice president, the understudy, to a man who at 78 will be the oldest president in history.

 

Other:

 

Democrats more optimistic than Republicans that partisan relations in Washington will improve in 2021

Pew Research

Americans have only modest expectations that the partisanship that has dominated Washington in recent years will ease in 2021. However, Democrats are much more optimistic than Republicans that relations between the two parties will improve.

See also:

 

Opinion: America Needs a COVID-19 Reckoning

The Atlantic

One of the first acts of President-elect Joe Biden’s new administration should be the creation of a COVID-19 commission to address the pandemic and prepare for future threats.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, December 13, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: Poverty and Income Inequality in California - Guest: Sarah Bohn, Public Policy Institute of California. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, December 13, 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

 

Nearly 200 workers test positive for COVID-19 at Foster Farms poultry plant in Fresno

Fresno Bee

Foster Farms will shut down its facility on Cherry Street in Fresno following a coronavirus outbreak, according to company officials. Over the past two weeks, 193 workers at the 1,400-person facility in southwest Fresno tested positive for COVID-19, according to Ira Brill, vice president of communications for Foster Farms.

 

Deep Distrust: Why Few Farmworkers Show Up For COVID-19 Testing

Capital Public Radio

On Sept. 9, a mobile testing site rolled up to Huron Middle School in the 7,000-person rural city 50 miles south of Fresno. In four hours, only four people showed up for free COVID-19 testing.

 

Farmers look for fresh start amid severe weather, pandemic

Hanford Sentinel

The farming industry took a massive hit shortly after COVID-19 was introduced to the world. The sharp hit to the supply and demand system shocked our economy.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Tulare County healthcare executive arrested at LAX, accused of financial crimes

Fresno Bee

A Tulare County healthcare executive, accused of multiple financial crimes, was taken into custody Wednesday night at Los Angeles International Airport.

 

Perceptions of Increased U.S. Crime at Highest Since 1993

Gallup

Americans are more likely to perceive crime in the U.S. as having increased over the prior year (78%) than they have been at any point since 1993. Meanwhile, they are less likely to perceive more crime in their local area (38%) than at any point in Gallup's trend since 2004.

 

Public Safety:

 

Fresno officials expected to name Oklahoma City deputy chief as next police chief

Fresno Bee

Fresno city officials are poised to announce Paco Balderrama, a deputy chief in Oklahoma City, as the next police chief, multiple sources confirmed to The Bee.

 

Who will enforce California's new regional stay-at-home order?

abc30

After Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a new regional stay-at-home order for California, questions about who will enforce the new order remain. The governor said much of the enforcement would remain at the local level.

See also:

 

County jail visits suspended indefinitely

Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County Sheriff's Office announced Saturday that all public visitation at the Lerdo and Central Receiving Facility jails have been suspended until further notice starting Sunday.

 

Fire:

 

California fire danger grows with strong winds in forecast

Fresno Bee

Fire danger in California will ramp up on Monday as forecasted strong winds in Southern California, the Bay Area and parts of the Sierra Nevada has utility companies considering turning off electricity for thousands of customers.

See also:

 

California wildfire victims start getting PG&E payouts. But the money is coming slowly

Sacramento Bee

California wildfire victims are getting their first payments from PG&E Corp.’s bankruptcy, but the early flow of money is hardly a gusher.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Valley businesses hoping to stay afloat amid looming stay home order

abc30

Best friends Angelica and Rosy just had one last pedicure at Heavenly Nail and Spa before the nail salon is forced to close by end of business on Sunday. "When we heard about the shutdown, we were asking ourselves what we should do," Rosy said. "I said, 'Let's just spend some time and go get our nails done.'"

See also:

 

'Warning Signs Flashing': Job Growth Slows Sharply As Pandemic Takes Toll On Economy

VPR

U.S. employers sharply scaled back their hiring last month as the coronavirus pandemic put new pressure on restaurants, retailers and other businesses. The Labor Department said Friday that employers added just 245,000 jobs in November.

 

Virtual Event: Income Inequality and Economic Opportunity in California

Public Policy Institute of California

On December 8, 2020, Sarah Bohn, vice president of research at PPIC, will present findings from a new report, and a panel of experts will discuss the future of economic opportunity for Californians from state and local perspectives.

 

Jobs:

 

California workers’ layoffs continue, and Congress isn’t acting. How can the state help?

Fresno Bee

Hits just keep coming for hospitality workers like Lisa Cavanaugh. Seven months after she was furloughed from her three-decade job as a server at the Sacramento International Airport, Cavanaugh got word a few weeks ago that her layoff has become permanent.

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 may have sent $1 billion in jobless benefits to people outside the state, D.A.s warn

Los Angeles Times

California may have sent a billion dollars or more in unemployment benefits to people out of the state, including to other countries, and much of it may be based on fraudulent claims, several prosecutors warned Thursday.

 

'Warning Signs Flashing': Job Growth Slows Sharply As Pandemic Takes Toll On Economy

VPR
U.S. employers sharply scaled back their hiring last month as the coronavirus pandemic put new pressure on restaurants, retailers and other businesses.

 

SHLC Live Webinar: New Covid-19 Cal-OSHA Requirements For CA Employers And Other Updates On Covid-19 Employment Law Developments

Sutton Hague Law Corporation

This will be an SHLC Worthy Cause Webinar™ with all proceeds going to the Central California Food Bank.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

'Our kids are the sacrifices': Parents push schools to open amid COVID surge

abc30

The activism of Jennifer Dale began when she watched her third grade daughter struggle with distance learning, kicking and screaming through her online classes.

See also:

 

Opinion: Biden’s victory will complicate union resistance to school reopening

AEI

Trump’s imminent departure means that unions are about to lose the erratic, impulsive, cartoonish foil that has allowed them to portray their resistance to school reopening as sensible rather than self-serving.

 

Higher Ed:

 

State of the University will be aired Tuesday on television

Fresno State News

KSEE24 will air this year’s State of the University allowing alumni and friends from across the country and world to join us for the first time. The program, held from 7 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, will recognize and celebrate Dr. Castro’s contributions and achievements during his time at Fresno State.

See also:

 

How California Community College Vocational Programs Have Adapted To COVID-19

Capital Public Radio

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, 300 people a day got food and snacks from the student-run bakeshop, cafeteria and restaurant at Diablo Valley College. The three eateries collectively let students in the school’s culinary arts program practice their vocation while earning $250,000 in annual revenue that went back into the program.

 

Hit by Covid-19, Colleges Do the Unthinkable and Cut Tenure

Wall Street Journal

When Kenneth Macur became president at Medaille College in 2015, the small, private school in Buffalo, N.Y., was “surviving paycheck to paycheck,” he said. Enrollment was declining and the small endowment was flat.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Hunting And Fishing See A Resurgence In California During The Pandemic

Capital Public Radio

When the pandemic hit, in-person business dried up for Joe Slaton, who runs Mother Lode Turkey Calls. He whittles devices out of wood that make turkey noises, or calls. “I do a lot of sales at outdoor sports events and they kind of shut that down,” he said. “We normally would have a booth and have my calls laid out and I'd sell my calls that way.”

 

A struggling recycling industry faces new crisis with coronavirus

Los Angeles Times

Even before coronavirus arrived on U.S. shores, California waste recyclers were reeling from the collapse of global markets for used plastics and other scrap materials — a predicament that diverted the contents of many blue recycling bins to local landfills.

 

Trump administration rejects tougher standards on soot, a deadly air pollutant

Washington Post

The Trump administration on Monday rejected setting tougher standards on soot, the nation’s most widespread deadly air pollutant, saying the existing regulations remain sufficient even though some public health experts and environmental justice communities had pleaded for stricter limits.

 

Biden calls climate change an 'emergency.' Now he's under pressure to officially declare it one.

Washington Post

Joe Biden often calls climate change an “emergency.” Soon he will have to decide whether to officially declare it one when he takes office.

 

Energy:

 

Need some cash? Some Fresno residents can earn money and help create cleaner air

Fresno Bee

This is not a get rich quick scheme, but you could earn some pocket money without leaving your house — and help improve air quality in your neighborhood at the same time. Residents in South-Central Fresno can earn up to $250 in the next few months by participating in an energy-savings study.

 

County targets solar incentive's 'fiscal inequities'

Bakersfield Californian

A primary incentive for developing renewable energy in California has cost Kern government $103 million in tax revenues in 10 years, according to a new county report that stops just short of suggesting the Board of Supervisors stop approving solar arrays if the state keeps attacking the far more fiscally supportive local oil industry.

 

California needs policies to protect communities moving to renewable energy

UCLA Newsroom

In 2018, California laid out an ambitious goal to transform the state’s energy system. A bill called SB 100 mandated that utility companies generate all of their electric power using zero-emission energy sources by 2045.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Largest coronavirus surge in 3-plus months pushes Fresno County past 40,000 total cases

Fresno Bee

Almost 430 new cases of novel coronavirus were identified in a 24-hour period in Fresno County, driving the number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 to more than 40,000 since early March.

See also:

 

Dining at restaurants linked with increased COVID-19 transmission: CDC study

GMA
As restaurants attempt to keep their kitchens open amid the pandemic, a new study has linked a possible increased risk of infection to dining out.

 

Winter Offers Perfect Conditions for Covid-19 Spread, Studies Show

Wall Street Journal

Winter outbreaks of Covid-19 might be worsened by colder weather and drier indoor air that boost transmission of the coronavirus, but it is too soon to know whether it will become truly seasonal, according to new research by scientists studying the disease.

 

Cut Back on Inflammatory Foods to Protect Your Heart and Brain

Consumer Reports

The foods we eat don’t just have an impact on our health because they affect weight, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure. Certain foods can also promote or suppress chronic inflammation—which researchers are increasingly recognizing as an underlying cause of many health problems.

 

Human Services:

 

How phones can alert you to COVID-19 exposure

Bakersfield Now

More than 8.1 million people in the U.S. have turned their iPhones and Android devices into pandemic contact-tracing tools, but it hasn't been of much use when their neighbors, classmates and coworkers aren't on the same system.

 

U.S. Surgeon General: 'We Are Absolutely Ready' To Distribute COVID-19 Vaccine

VPR
The U.S. surgeon general says the country is ready to spring into action as soon as a coronavirus vaccine is approved for use — despite earlier failures in the federal government's handling of the pandemic.

See also:

 

Larger, Low-Income Nursing Homes At Higher Risk As COVID-19 Surges in California, Experts Say

Capital Public Radio

When Sharon Kimball got to the Arden Post Acute Rehab Center in March, her first thought was that it was a whole lot larger than she’d anticipated. “It’s a big place,” she said. “There’s all these halls … five hundred halls.”

See also:

 

‘A roller coaster ride.’ Inside a small town California hospital’s fight against COVID

Fresno Bee

“High five!” Alina Kendler says. A tired but game Francisco Apolinar slaps hands with his nurse, not quite getting his arm all the way up, then sits down to gather his breath after a round of physical therapy, sucking on the oxygen tube fitted to his nostrils.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Federal judge reinstates DACA, orders Homeland Security to quickly accept new applicants

NBCNews

A New York federal judge on Friday restored the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program — which President Donald Trump has tried to end — in a court ruling that would swiftly grant thousands of immigrants whose parents brought them to the U.S. as young children the ability to continue to work and study in the country.

See also:

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Hit the trails of the Kern River Parkway with new map

Bakersfield Californian

With so many questions from residents and visitors on how to hit the trails, a new Kern River Parkway Trail Brochure was created. The Visit Bakersfield brochure includes a detailed​​ map that shows access points, parking lots and drinking fountains, distances between points and nearby amenities such as shopping, parks and museums, according to a city of Bakersfield memo.

See also:

 

Fresno could sell Selland Arena to Fuego soccer team. Here’s what we know

Fresno Bee

The Fresno City Council will consider declaring Selland Arena and surrounding spaces as surplus property, setting it up for a potential sale, according to records made public on Friday.

 

Housing:

 

Deadline Looms Over Fresno and Bakersfield To Turn Motels Into Homeless Housing

VPR
California Governor Gavin Newsom has a plan to use $750 million dollars of federal coronavirus relief funds to purchase motels and other properties that will be converted into housing for those experiencing homelessness. But, there’s a catch.

See also:

 

California’s ban on evictions would last through 2021 under new extension proposal

Sacramento Bee

California tenants struggling to pay rent due to COVID-19 would have until the end of 2021 to avoid eviction under a moratorium extension a Democratic lawmaker plans to introduce Monday.

See also:

 

Real estate prices soar during pandemic, climbing 25% in parts of California

CalMatters

The price of real estate has soared across the country since the pandemic, and California isn’t immune. Across the state, home prices are up by almost 20% and the Central Coast, a tight housing market to begin with, has been squeezed even tighter with prices up an average of 25%.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Valley Found To Have More Bang For Property Tax Buck

Business Journal

When purchasing a home, buyers need to consider property taxes as an ongoing expense. And since not all property taxes are created equal, it’s important to know where those tax dollars are going.

 

No $1,200 stimulus checks in next COVID relief bill, lawmakers say

abc30

With time running out, lawmakers on Sunday closed in on a proposed COVID-19 relief bill that would provide roughly $300 in extra federal weekly unemployment benefits but not another round of $1,200 in direct payments to most Americans, leaving that issue for President-elect Joe Biden to wrestle over with a new Congress next year.

 

Trump-Era Tax Rule Benefiting Some Multinationals May Get Revised Under Biden

Wall Street Journal

A Trump administration regulation that cut the tax bills of companies such as Philip Morris International Inc. and Sealed Air Corp. could be poised for reversal in 2021 as the Biden administration tries to deliver on its campaign promise to raise taxes on corporations.

 

What’s next for the Treasury-Fed COVID-19 lending facilities?

Brookings

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, in a November 19 letter to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, reduced to nearly nothing the Treasury’s commitments to many of the emergency lending facilities that the Fed created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the ones targeted at mid-sized businesses and state and local governments.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

State adds $100 million to Stockton project easing rail travel for Modesto and beyond

Modesto Bee

The state has kicked in $100 million for a Stockton rail project that would ease freight and passenger service in nearby counties.

 

Average US price of gas up 4 cents a gallon to $2.22

Fresno Bee

The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline rose 4 cents a gallon over the past two weeks to $2.22. Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg of the Lundberg Survey said Sunday that a rise in crude oil prices spurred the increase.

 

Nissan Pulls Out Of Trump Emissions Fight With California

Business Journal

Nissan said Friday that it will no longer support the Trump Administration in its legal fight to end California’s ability to set its own auto-pollution and gas-mileage standards.

 

WATER

 

Council approves $36 million in wastewater projects

Porterville Recorder

On Tuesday night, the Porterville City Council, acting as the Board of Directors for the Porterville Public Improvement Corporation, held a meeting to discuss financing no more than $36 million for water capital improvements.

 

“Xtra”

 

Families are flocking to get a real Christmas tree. Here are tips for keeping it fresh

Fresno Bee

Sales are booming at Sid’s Christmas Trees in Clovis, mirroring a nationwide trend with the coronavirus pandemic in its ninth month. Lot owner Sid Boolootian, who has 42 years of experience selling Christmas trees from Oregon in the Fresno area, said he’s taken aback by the early sales.

 

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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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