January 14, 2021

14Jan

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Ceres City Council to fill District 1 vacancy. Here’s how to apply for the appointment

Modesto Bee

Ceres is seeking applications for a City Council member to represent District 1 and join the legislative body mostly made up of newcomers to elected office. The City Council will appoint an applicant to serve the remainder of Channce Condit’s term because voters elected him to the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors in November.

 

A familiar face at Turlock City Hall: Council names acting city manager amid investigation

Modesto Bee

The Turlock City Council on Tuesday appointed Gary Hampton as acting city manager, bringing him back to the position he left in July 2017. With City Manager Toby Wells out on investigatory leave, Hampton’s appointment became effective Wednesday, according to the report from closed session.

 

New mayors appointed in Oakdale and Hughson. More appointments ahead

Modesto Bee

City councils in both Oakdale and Hughson this month appointed council members to fill mayoral seats left empty by resignations and will now have to appoint again to fill the empty council seats. But the two cities are taking different approaches.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

Rep. David Valadao only California Republican to break party lines and vote to impeach Trump

Fresno Bee

One California Republican broke with his party on Wednesday and voted to impeach President Donald Trump over his encouragement last week of a mob that overwhelmed the U.S. Capitol.

See also:

 

Vice President Mike Pence to visit Naval Air Station Lemoore on Saturday

abc30

Vice President Mike Pence is set to visit Central California this weekend. Pence and his wife, Karen, will speak at Naval Air Station Lemoore.

See also:

 

Clovis City Council Addresses Current Political Climate

Clovis Roundup

At the start of the January 11 council meeting, Mayor Drew Bessinger commented on the current political climate and how it has affected the City of Clovis. Bessinger condemned those who forced entry into the U.S. Capitol building to stop the legislative process.

See also:

 

January could be Fresno’s worst month yet. Here’s the latest

Fresno Bee

December was the deadliest month of the coronavirus pandemic in Fresno and the central San Joaquin Valley. More than 160,000 people tested positive, and at least 1,500 had died since the pandemic began. Health officials predict January is poised to be worse.

See also:

 

COVID Update:

 

South SJ Valley:

 

McCarthy votes against impeachment, citing 'division'; Valadao votes 'his conscience' to impeach

Bakersfield Californian

Rep. Kevin McCarthy, the House Minority Leader, said President Donald Trump bore some responsibility for last week's deadly violence at the Capitol but opposed impeachment in a speech on the floor of the House of Representatives Wednesday before the body voted to impeach the president with the support of 10 Republican members including local Rep. David Valadao, who recently won election by slim margins in a hotly contested race.

See also:

 

COVID Update

 

Politicians join industry's campaign against phasing out California oil production

Bakersfield Californian

California's petroleum industry kicked off a public campaign Wednesday aimed at fending off efforts in Sacramento to scale back in-state oil and natural gas production.

 

State:

 

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 vaccination plan for California bogs down

Fresno Bee

As a deadly surge of COVID-19 began hammering California late last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom imposed new restrictions on personal and economic activities and repeatedly promised that massive vaccinations would soon stop its spread.

See also:

 

California unemployment fraud 4 times worse than first reported; $8 billion paid to criminals

abc30

The amount of unemployment funds stolen from California taxpayers in 2020 may total more than $8 billion -- four times higher than estimated just one month ago.

See also:

 

Walters: California’s technology woes deepen

CalMatters

California Gov. Gavin Newsom envisions a technology-heavy government that’s transparent, responsive and efficient. So far, it’s going backwards.

 

No, Efforts To Recall California Gov. Newsom Are Not ‘A Coup’

Capital Public Radio

In remarks described by political observers as both factually wrong and politically foolish, California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks called the growing effort to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom as “the California coup.”

See Also:

 

California Enacts New Laws Affecting Employers in 2021

National Law Review

Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed a number of bills that will affect California employers in 2021. Most significantly, the new laws greatly expand the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), create stringent workplace reporting requirements related to COVID-19, and clarify California’s year-old independent contractor law, Assembly Bill 5 (AB 5).

 

How California’s budget depends on staggering wealth gap

CalMatters

The state’s progressive tax structure is reaping billions from the wealthiest to fund the state’s safety net. But it also reveals how the pandemic has widened the economic gulf for millions of Californians — more than the rest of the country.

 

Federal:

 

Donald Trump impeached for a second time. How did Californians shape the vote?

Fresno Bee

The House of Representatives Wednesday impeached President Donald Trump for an unprecedented second time, as Democrats and a handful of Republicans formally voted to charge the 45th president with “incitement of insurrection.”

See also:

 

In new video, Trump condemns violence without mentioning his second impeachment

Washington Post

The House voted 232 to 197 on Wednesday to impeach President Trump an unprecedented second time, on a charge of “inciting violence” against the U.S. government. Senate​​ Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) left open the possibility of voting to convict at a trial, which would occur after Trump leaves office next week.

See Also:

 

For some Christians, the Capitol riot doesn’t change the prophecy: Trump will be president

Washington Post

As lawmakers prepared to impeach President Trump for inciting a mob to attack the Capitol and Washington readied for President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, Cliff Dyrud wasn’t focused on man-made actions. He was listening for the words of prophets.

 

Amid fallout from Trump’s impeachment, Biden seeks to keep focus on coronavirus, economy

Washington Post

Amid the fallout from President Trump’s second impeachment, President-elect Joe Biden will try to maintain a focus Thurs. on his priorities with a speech in Wilmington, Del., outlining additional steps to combat the coronavirus and address the economic havoc it has caused.

 

What Will Biden’s Covid-19 Stimulus Plan Look Like?

Wall Street Journal

President-elect Joe Biden says he plans to detail Thursday the first major legislation of his incoming administration: a massive new stimulus and relief package meant to address the continuing economic fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.

See Also:

 

Report: Justice Dept. pushed for border policy that separated children from parents despite warnings government was ill-prepared

Wash Post

The Trump administration and then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions barreled forward with their “Zero Tolerance” border crackdown in 2018 knowing that the policy would separate migrant children from their parents and despite warnings that the government was ill-prepared to deal with the consequences, according to a long-awaited report issued Thursday by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General.

 

Supreme Court joins with Trump on restricting abortion pills, despite coronavirus

Los Angeles Times

A divided Supreme Court on Tues. granted an appeal from Trump administration lawyers and restored a controversial abortion rule that requires women who want medication to end an early pregnancy to travel to a hospital or clinic to pick up the pills, despite the pandemic.

 

Other:

 

Opinion: Xavier Becerra’s Nonprofit Problem

Wall Street Journal

No federal agency works as much with nonprofits as the Department of Health and Human Services. That is one reason Xavier Becerra, President-elect Biden’s pick to lead the agency, will face opposition.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, January 17, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: What’s on the Agenda for the Valley Mayors?   - Guest: Matthew Serratto, Mayor - City of Merced; Jerry Dyer, Mayor - City of Fresno; Steve Nelson, Mayor - City of Visalia; Karen Goh, Mayor - City of Bakersfield. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, January 17, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "All Politics Are Local: The Big Issues in the Valley for 2021"- Guests: Matthew Serratto, Mayor - City of Merced; Jerry Dyer, Mayor - City of Fresno; Steve Nelson, Mayor - City of Visalia; Karen Goh, Mayor - City of Bakersfield with commentary from the editorial page writers from the Valley’s Newspapers.  Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Farmworkers lose out on $1.5B COVID-19 safety funding after USDA springs surprise spending

CalMatters

Farmworkers lost out on up to $1.5 billion in grants and loans for COVID-19 safety needs after the USDA committed funds earmarked as such for a food box program.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

‘Horrifying.’ Fresno police sued for wrongful death in shooting of Black man last year

Fresno Bee

A wrongful death lawsuit accuses Fresno police officers of using excessive force when they shot an unarmed mentally-ill Black man after he barricaded himself inside a broken-down car during a drug-induced episode in March last year.

 

California unemployment fraud 4 times worse than first reported; $8 billion paid to criminals

abc30

The amount of unemployment funds stolen from California taxpayers in 2020 may total more than $8 billion -- four times higher than estimated just one month ago.

 

Public Safety:

 

COVID court closures could trickle down for Fresno County

abc30

The burden of COVID cases has Fresno County courts cutting down on public access and delaying a lot of cases, and a coming court backlog could affect the entire community.

 

Advocates Say Conditions At Women’s Prison In Chowchilla Remain Poor Following Huge COVID Outbreak

VPR
She says the women inside the Chowchilla facility continue to tell her about unsafe living conditions even after the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation reported the highest number of positive cases, 512, at the facility on Jan. 3.

 

Fire:

 

Wildfire smoke now causes up to half the fine-particle pollution in Western US, study finds

Los Angeles Times

Wildfire smoke now accounts for up to half of all fine-particle pollution in the Western U.S., according to a new study that blames climate change for worsening air quality and health risks in both urban and rural communities in recent years.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Close to 200 Groups Join CalChamber’s Call for COVID-19 Business Relief, Action to Prevent California Employer Exodus

CalChamber Advocacy

The California Chamber of Commerce and nearly 200 allied business organizations...sent a letter to Governor Gavin Newsom and the Legislature calling for specific and immediate actions to curb the impact of the current pandemic-related economic crisis...

 

Defiance of virus dining bans grows as restaurants flounder

Bakersfield Californian

A line formed out the door during the lunch rush at the Carver Hangar, a family-owned restaurant and sports bar, and waitresses zipped in and out of the kitchen trying to keep up with orders as customers backed up in the lobby.

 

Jobs:

 

Some California jobs lost to COVID will never be the same. Here’s what experts say

Sacramento Bee

Jobs such as restaurant staff may shift away from cities and into suburbs as more people work from home. Younger workers may find themselves competing for a job against people thousands of miles away because of companies’ embrace of virtual offices.

 

U.S. Unemployment Claims Rise as Pandemic Weighs on Economy

Wall Street Journal

Worker filings for initial jobless claims jumped to nearly one million last week, indicating rising layoffs amid a surge in Covid-19 cases at the start of the year.

See also:

 

Many States Resist Adapting Worker Safety Rules to Pandemic

PEW

Some are citing existing rules or executive orders as the basis for their enforcement, but workers’ rights advocates say many states have not been aggressive about inspecting workplaces or issuing citations, despite an overwhelming number of complaints, leaving workers in danger.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Possible layoffs looming for teachers in Fresno’s Central schools. Here’s what we know

Fresno Bee

When Central Unified School District voted to lower graduation requirements in October to be on par with nearby districts, officials said they couldn’t promise there wouldn’t be layoffs.

 

Clovis parents urge school board to defy COVID-19 health orders, bring more students back

Fresno Bee

Clovis Unified School District parents and trustees voiced their frustration Wednesday night at not being able to let more children onto campuses this year.

See also:

 

Fresno Unified adds more instruction time for students

abc30

Fresno Unified students may be logged in for a little longer this semester. Students returned from winter break today to some changes. In the world of distance learning, Fresno Unified says one thing is clear: time is of the essence.

 

Big district superintendents, Newsom advisers remain at odds on back to school plan

EdSource

After a meeting Monday with top advisers of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, superintendents of two of the largest school districts in California said nothing had changed: Their districts won’t pursue $2 billion in state funding in return for committing by Feb. 1 to send younger students back to school when Covid infection rates fall.

 

Higher Ed:

 

The Year Ahead in Higher Education

Public Policy Institute of California

In the past year, the pandemic and related recession have caused unprecedented disruptions to California’s colleges and universities...How can policymakers and higher education officials continue to capitalize on their recent successes?

 

How the pandemic highlights racial disparities in higher education

PBS

Typically during a recession, community college enrollment goes up as unemployed workers start looking for new skills. But that’s not happening this time around, signaling trouble for the economy and individual families going forward, particularly for lower-income students and students of color. Hari Sreenivasan reports as part of our ongoing series, “Rethinking College.”

 

The for-profit college system is broken and the Biden administration needs to fix it

Brookings

The incoming Biden administration must prioritize regulating for-profits in order to protect students and taxpayer dollars.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Environmentalists move toward lawsuit over fuel break plan

Modesto Bee

Environmentalists have filed a notice of intent to sue the U.S government to block plans to build up to 11,000 miles (17,700 kilometers) of fuel breaks they claim would violate the Endangered Species Act in a misguided effort to slow the advance of wildfires in six Western states.

 

2020 rivals hottest year on record, pushing Earth closer to a critical climate threshold

Washington Post

The year 2020, which witnessed terrifying blazes from California to Siberia and a record number of tropical cyclones in the Atlantic, rivaled and possibly even equaled the hottest year on record, according to multiple scientific announcements Thursday.

 

Energy:

 

Politicians join industry's campaign against phasing out California oil production

Bakersfield Californian

California's petroleum industry kicked off a public campaign Wednesday aimed at fending off efforts in Sacramento to scale back in-state oil and natural gas production.

 

California project to assess long-duration energy storage technologies awarded US $5M grant

Energy Storage News

A project which will combine and then assess four different types of non-lithium technologies for long-durations of energy storage has been awarded a grant by the California Energy Commission (CEC).

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

January could be Fresno’s worst month yet. Here’s the latest

Fresno Bee

December was the deadliest month of the coronavirus pandemic in Fresno and the central San Joaquin Valley. More than 160,000 people tested positive, and at least 1,500 had died since the pandemic began. Health officials predict January is poised to be worse.

See also:

 

Why You Should Still Wear A Mask And Avoid Crowds After Getting The COVID-19 Vaccine

VPR
It may seem counterintuitive, but health officials say that even after you get vaccinated against COVID-19, you still need to practice the usual pandemic precautions, at least for a while.

 

How close is California to bending the coronavirus curve?

Los Angeles Times

In a nation wracked by a long-feared winter surge of the coronavirus, California has emerged as the emblem of the pandemic’s devastation. The state has had some of the worst outcomes: morgues filled, hospitals overwhelmed, oxygen in short supply.

 

Use of Telehealth Jumped as Pandemic Shutdown Began; Use Is Highest for Mental Health Services

Rand Corporation

Use of telehealth jumped sharply during the first months of the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, with the approach being used more often for behavioral health services than for medical care, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

 

Human Services:

 

California will begin offering COVID vaccine to residents age 65 and older

Fresno Bee

California officials acted Wednesday to move everyone over age 65 into the state’s COVID-19 vaccine line, positioning them right after health care workers and skilled nursing home residents, a change made in response to the disease’s higher death rate for older people.

See also:

 

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s COVID-19 vaccination plan for California bogs down

Fresno Bee

As a deadly surge of COVID-19 began hammering California late last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom imposed new restrictions on personal and economic activities and repeatedly promised that massive vaccinations would soon stop its spread.

 

What happens if you lose your COVID vaccine record card? CDC offers other options

Sacramento Bee

But don’t worry, if you lose your vaccination record card you can still get your second dose, a CDC spokesperson told McClatchy News. Because the card is simply a reminder, there are other options in case you misplace it.

 

Vaccines Come With a Dose of Caution in California

New York Times

While the day was an undeniable turning point in the pandemic — the start of an enormous, high-stakes logistical undertaking involving FedEx trucks, ultracold storage and sensitive timing — California leaders on Monday tempered relief with pleas for vigilance.

 

Hospital officials call for more COVID-19 plasma donations, citing patients waiting for treatment

Bakersfield Californian

Local hospital officials put out an urgent call Wednesday for blood plasma donations from people who have recovered from COVID-19 in order to treat patients hospitalized with serious illness from the virus.

 

As COVID-19 cases rise at a state psychiatric hospital, a federal judge mulls releasing patients

Los Angeles Times

With coronavirus infections soaring inside a locked California psychiatric hospital, a federal judge this week is weighing whether to release and transfer hundreds of patients from the facility or to wait for vaccines to be administered.

 

How Full Are Hospital I.C.U.s Near You?

New York Times

See how the pandemic has affected recent hospital capacity in the map below, which shows data reported by individual hospitals. Health officials said that the data should not discourage sick people from seeking care.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Report: Justice Dept. pushed for border policy that separated children from parents despite warnings government was ill-prepared

Wash Post

The Trump administration and then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions barreled forward with their “Zero Tolerance” border crackdown in 2018 knowing that the policy would separate migrant children from their parents and despite warnings that the government was ill-prepared to deal with the consequences, according to a long-awaited report issued Thursday by the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General.

 

Harris teases immigration agenda: Green cards for DACA and TPS recipients, shorter waits for citizenship

Politico

The incoming administration will focus on decreasing wait times to obtain citizenship, granting automatic green cards to protected undocumented immigrants and adding immigration judges to decrease backlogs on court hearings, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris said on Tuesday.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Oak-forested ranch on San Joaquin River purchased for conservation and public access

Fresno Bee

San Joaquin River Parkway and Conservation Trust has purchased another stretch of riverside land — an important piece of a puzzle needed for a 22-mile public-access regional park envisioned in north Fresno.

 

Fresno’s longest-running music venue going up for sale. Here are the $4 million details

Fresno Bee

Fresno’s longest running, and perhaps most iconic, live-music venue is being listed for sale. The Rainbow Ballroom, built in 1918 on what would become Broadway Avenue and the cultural arts/mural district, is being sold for $3,995,000...

 

Housing:

 

Proposed corporate tax hike in California would aid homeless

Bakersfield Californian

A California coalition is proposing legislation to boost taxes on wealthy multinational corporations to raise more than $2 billion a year to house tens of thousands of homeless people, addressing what has become a worsening problem in the country's most populous state.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Some missing second stimulus check and last year's tax refund wonder if problems are related

abc30

The ABC7 I-Team has heard from numerous people who said they are waiting for both their tax refund and stimulus check, who filed their taxes around this time last year. Many wonder if the delay in their tax refund is contributing to their wait for the second stimulus check.

 

These Californians don’t get stimulus checks — why advocates want Newsom to do more for them

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom last week unveiled a budget proposal that if passed would dole out billions of dollars in aid to taxpayers affected by the coronavirus pandemic, sometimes in the form of direct cash payments.

 

How California’s budget depends on staggering wealth gap

CalMatters

The state’s progressive tax structure is reaping billions from the wealthiest to fund the state’s safety net. But it also reveals how the pandemic has widened the economic gulf for millions of Californians — more than the rest of the country.

See also:

 

Payroll tax deferral ends with a whimper

AEI

According to guidance issued by the Treasury Department, the deferred taxes were to be repaid through extra withholding from employees’ paychecks during the first four months of 2021.

 

U.S. Budget Gap Rose 61% in First Quarter of Fiscal 2021

Wall Street Journal

The federal budget gap widened in the first three months of the fiscal year, as government spending continued to outpace revenues while the economy slowly recovers from the pandemic-induced downturn.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

FAA to crack down on unruly airline passengers: ‘First strike and you’re out’

Los Angeles Times

Federal safety officials said Wednesday that they’re stepping up enforcement against unruly airline passengers after confrontations took place on flights to and from Washington in the days before and after last week’s pro-Trump riot at the U.S. Capitol.

 

WATER

 

National Coalition Calls for Incoming Administration to Address Aging Water Infrastructure

California Water News Daily

Family Farm Alliance, a national coalition of more than 200 agricultural organizations and urban and rural water districts sent letters yesterday, urging President-elect Joe Biden and congressional leadership to address aging Western water infrastructure as a part of  any potential infrastructure or economic recovery package.

 

“Xtra”

 

The Clovis Rodeo is Back for 2021

Clovis Roundup

The Clovis Rodeo Association is planning to host their 107th Clovis Rodeo from April 21 to 25. Last year’s rodeo was cancelled due to COVID-19. This year, the association said they would adapt to the current health regulations...

 

Merced’s annual MLK march canceled. Virtual program being held due to pandemic

Merced Sun-Star

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing organizers to cancel the annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. march in Merced this year — although a virtual program that can be viewed online is scheduled in its place. It would have been the 25th annual march in Merced, according to Tamara Cobb, the chairperson of the annual peace march and celebration.

 

Bethany Clough: It’s almost here: The first ALDI grocery store in Fresno sets opening date

Fresno Bee

ALDI, the highly anticipated new grocery store in northwest Fresno, has set an opening date. The store plans to open Jan. 28, according to its website.

 

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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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