POLICY & POLITICS
Warszawski: Bay Area, LA politicians coming for Valley bullet train money. It’s up to Newsom to stop them
Fresno Bee
You had to know this was coming. From the moment Gov. Gavin Newsom teetered on high-speed rail, it was only a matter of time until politicians in California’s more populous, wealthier regions would try to get their hands on money earmarked for the San Joaquin Valley. That time is now. As reported this week by the Los Angeles Times, Southern California and Bay Area lawmakers are busy scheming ways to divert billions from the bullet train to their own regional transportation projects.
· A not-so-high-speed train in the Central Valley could be a boon for Bay Area Bay Area News Group
· Editorial: California leaders abandoning futile bullet train plans Bay Area News Group
Valley fever is a work related illness
Occupational Health Watch
People who work outdoors or on jobs that disturb dirt are at risk of becoming sick with Valley fever, a potentially deadly illness caused by a fungus found in the soil in parts of California.
North SJ Valley:
‘Straight Pride’ proposal prompts rare reaction from Modesto’s highest-profile business
Modesto Bee
E.&J. Gallo Winery issued a statement Tuesday on Facebook to its employees saying that Gallo remains “committed to diversity, equality and inclusion in our workplace and the communities we live in.
See also:
● EDITORIAL: What Modesto leaders should say about proposed straight pride event Modesto Bee
Stockton council seeking prudent, creative city manager
Stockton Record
In the aftermath of Kurt Wilson’s dismissal as city manager, Mayor Michael Tubbs and two council members said Wednesday they want a replacement who will spend taxpayer dollars prudently but also find creative ways to spur downtown development and enhance Stockton’s quality of life.
Central SJ Valley:
Two infected with West Nile virus, more showing signs, Fresno health officials say
Fresno Bee
Two people have tested positive for the West Nile virus in Fresno County. Aside from those two, five others are suspected of carrying the virus, the Fresno County Department of Public Health announced Wednesday.
See also:
● Two people test positive for West Nile Virus in Fresno County abc30
Three Fresno police shootings found to be within policy by independent reviewer
Fresno Bee
Three shootings by Fresno police officers, including one involving the fatal shooting of a former Fresno police captain, were found to be justified or within department policy in a report covering the second quarter of 2019.
California Economic Summit Registration Starts Today
CA Economic Summit
The 2019 California Economic Summit is a two-day event in Fresno designed to accelerate implementation of the Roadmap to Shared Prosperity and to strengthen the Summit network.
South SJ Valley:
Kevin McCarthy shares his top local issues following Rotary lunch
Bakersfield Californian
Rep. Kevin McCarthy was in Bakersfield on Wednesday, speaking during the Bakersfield West Rotary Luncheon at Stockdale Country Club before addressing media.
State Sen. Grove: Congress needs to pass Mexico-Canada trade deal
Fresno Bee
Agriculture is the foundation of the Golden State. California’s rich land and diverse climates make us the top producer of agricultural goods in the nation. Farming is more than a job; it supports our economies, infrastructure and communities.
Reports: McFarland City Manager John Wooner identified as body found in SUV pulled from Kern River
abc30
A tragic update on the search for missing McFarland City Manager John Wooner; the Kern County coroner has identified his body. Wooner had been missing for ten weeks.
See also:
● Missing McFarland city manager identified as man found in submerged car in Kern River Bakersfield Californian
● Body of missing McFarland city manager found in Kern River Los Angeles Times
State:
California State Auditor
Every ten years, after the federal census, California must re-establish the boundaries of its Congressional, State Senate, State Assembly, and State Board of Equalization districts to reflect new population data and shifting populations. The Voters FIRST Act gave this power to California citizens ensuring that new and fair political boundaries are drawn without special interests, politics and political influence.
See also:
● California State Auditor Announces More Than 10,300 Applications Submitted for 2020 Citizens Redistricting CommissionCalifornia State Auditor
● EDITORIAL: A disappointing applicant turnout for California’s citizens redistricting commission Los Angeles Times
● EDITORIAL: Panel to redraw voting districts needs more diverse candidates San Francisco Chronicle
Heterosexual Couples Can Register For Domestic Partnerships Under New California Law
KVPR
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law on Tuesday that lets straight couples register as domestic partners. California has recognized domestic partnerships since 2000. But the law only applied to same-sex couples who, at the time, were not allowed to get married.
California law to limit youth football practices
Associated Press
California’s governor has signed a law limiting full-contact practices for youth football teams to reduce brain injuries. State law already limits full-contact practices for middle and high school football teams to no more than 90 minutes per day, twice per week.
Walters: Ricardo Lara’s long, hot summer
CALmatters
This has been a long, hot summer for Ricardo Lara, a former state legislator from Los Angeles who was elected as California’s insurance commissioner nine months ago.
See also:
● Insurance Commissioner accepted, returned more cash from insurers than previously known San Diego Union-Tribune
Half of California’s private sector workers have no savings for retirement, study says
Fresno Bee
Millions of California workers have no money saved for retirement, are doing little to catch up or are shut out of employer-offered savings plans altogether, a newly released UC Berkeley study shows.
CA Economic Summit Registration Starts Today
CA Economic Summit
The 2019 California Economic Summit is a two-day event in Fresno designed to accelerate implementation of the Roadmap to Shared Prosperity and to strengthen the Summit network.
5 Top State Policy Issues of 2019
PEW Charitable Trusts
Dive into our Stateline news service’s annual Legislative Review series—five reports on issues that state lawmakers have tackled this year.
Federal:
Capital Public Radio
The proposed rule, announced last week, would undo the ability of states to provide food stamps to households that have incomes above the federal food stamp limit—130% of the federal poverty line—but hefty expenses.
See also:
· Column: Trump’s plan to throw 3 million people off food stamps shows his cruelty to the poor Los Angeles Times
Nunes Ally Kash Patel Who Fought Russia Probe Gets Senior White House National Security Job
Daily Beast
Patel was one of the leading staffers pushing back against FBI investigations of Trump-Russia. He’s now senior director of the National Security Council’s terrorism directorate.
Judge overturns IRS rule that shielded political donors’ identities
Bloomberg
The ruling upends a change the IRS made last year that permitted so-called Section 501(c)4 groups, known as “social welfare” organizations, to keep their donor lists private. A federal judge said the IRS didn’t follow proper procedure in writing the rule and needs to let the public weigh in on the change before altering the tax code.
Elections 2020:
Democrats’ divisions test Biden’s front-runner strength
Fresno Bee
The ideological divisions gripping the Democratic Party intensified on Wednesday as presidential candidates waged an acrimonious battle over health care, immigration and race that tested the strength of early front-runner Joe Biden’s candidacy.
See also:
● Joe Biden again absorbs attacks in second Democratic debate; this time he was prepared Fresno Bee
● Joe Biden takes fire from all sides in Democratic debate Los Angeles Times
● Biden and Harris play defense: Five takeaways from Night 2 of the Democratic debate Los Angeles Times
Fact-checking night two of the 2020 Democratic debates in Detroit
Politifact
Here are the facts from the July 31 debate.
See also:
● Protesters yelling ‘fire Pantaleo’ disrupt Democratic debate Fresno Bee
● Hecklers interrupt Democratic debate abc30
● ‘You’re dipping into the Kool-Aid’ and the other top moments from Wednesday’s spirited debate Visalia Times Delta
● News Analysis: Debate highlights Democrats’ key question: Will big plans thrill voters or terrify them? Los Angeles Times
Marianne Williamson Has Her Moment. And Republicans Are Gleefully Trumpeting It.
New York Times
If you asked President Trump’s supporters who won Tuesday night’s Democratic primary debate, their first answer — unequivocally — was Mr. Trump. But they also expressed a surprising, if not always entirely sincere, admiration for Marianne Williamson, the author and self-help guru who set herself apart with warnings of a “dark psychic force” tearing the country apart and an attack on “wonkiness” as the proper antidote to the populist president.
The fight between Kamala Harris and Bernie Sanders over “privatizing Medicare,” explained
VOX
No, Kamala Harris’s Medicare-for-all plan is not proposing privatized Medicare. But she does have a lot of questions to answer.
See also:
● What you should know about Kamala Harris’ healthcare plan Visalia Times Delta
● Fact check: Does Kamala Harris’ healthcare plan ban employer insurance? Sacramento Bee
● Medicare-for-all would increase federal expenditures Washington Post
● 2020 Candidates Views on Health Care: A Voter’s Guide Politico
Gavin Newsom Wants His Rich Friends To Back Kamala Harris
Vanity Fair
The California senator is underperforming in the crucial money race. California governor Gavin Newsom wants to change that.
See also:
● Fact check: Did Kamala Harris block evidence that would have freed death row inmates? Sacramento Bee
Los Angeles Times
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday took an important step to providing California voters with critical information to inform their election choices. He did so by signing SB 27, which requires all candidates for president to provide their income tax returns to the California Secretary of State as a precondition for appearing on the state’s primary election ballot.
See also:
● Can a California law requiring Trump to disclose his tax returns survive legal challenges? Los Angeles Times
● On Trump’s tax returns and maybe more, Newsom’s agenda isn’t Jerry Brown’s CALmatters
● Newsom spoke to Trump on same day he demanded Trump’s tax returns Politico
● Boies, Boutrous and Chemerinsky Back California’s Squeeze on Trump’s Tax Returns Law.com
● Fox: Newsom Signs Law that Invites Political Mischief Fox & Hounds
● EDITORIAL: California Bans Trump Wall Street Journal
Other:
Push For A Full 2020 Count Ramps Up After Census Citizenship Question Fight
Capital Public Radio
With the legal fight to block a citizenship question from the 2020 census behind them, immigrant rights groups and other advocates are now turning toward what they consider an even greater challenge — getting every person living in the U.S. counted.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, August 4, at 5 p.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Water in the San Joaquin Valley: A PPIC Report” – Guest: Ellen Hanak, Director – Water Policy Center – PPIC. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, August 4, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) –Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “A Comprehensive Look at the Valley’s Water Challenges” – Guest: Ellen Hanak, Director – Water Policy Center – PPIC. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, August 4, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Prevención de la violencia escolar: Informe de la auditora estatal” – Invitados: Margarita Fernandez, Jefe de Relaciones Publicas de las Oficina de la Auditora Estatal. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Ugly but tasty: A grocery delivery service launches in Fresno selling imperfect veggies
Fresno Bee
Imperfect Produce sells fruit and veggies that don’t fit grocery store’s cosmetic standards.
California’s tariff-tired walnut farmers get relief from the U.S. government
Chico Enterprise Record
Some say funds are “not enough” as trade wars continue.
Capital Public Radio
The proposed rule, announced last week, would undo the ability of states to provide food stamps to households that have incomes above the federal food stamp limit—130% of the federal poverty line—but hefty expenses.
See also:
· Column: Trump’s plan to throw 3 million people off food stamps shows his cruelty to the poor Los Angeles Times
New York Times
I left Los Angeles at 4 in the morning, long before first light, and made it to Bakersfield — the land of oil derricks, lowriders and truck stops with Punjabi food — by 6. Ten minutes later, I was in the land of carrots.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Three Fresno police shootings found to be within policy by independent reviewer
Fresno Bee
Three shootings by Fresno police officers, including one involving the fatal shooting of a former Fresno police captain, were found to be justified or within department policy in a report covering the second quarter of 2019.
Apparent act of vandalism shuts down community pool in Turlock’s Columbia Park
Modesto Bee
The community pool in Turlock’s Columbia Park has been closed by an apparent act of vandalism.
FBI: Media ‘wrong’ on Garlic Festival shooter’s white supremacy ideology, despite IG post
Visalia Times Delta
FBI officials called media reports characterizing the Gilroy festival gunman’s ideology “wrong” after outlets referenced a social media post and literature associated with white supremacists.
See also:
● Gilroy shooter meticulously planned attack, was armed for battle Los Angeles Times
● Mass shootings in California: Rare but increasingly deadly San Francisco Chronicle
Public Safety:
When Lawmakers Try to Ban Assault Weapons, Gunmakers Adapt
New York Times
As the United States witnesses dozens of mass shootings each year, one proposal to limit the carnage turns up again and again: an assault weapons ban.
This California town wants to be a 2nd Amendment ‘sanctuary city’ for guns and ammo
Los Angeles Times
Last month, other city leaders followed the Needles councilman’s suggestion and declared this town along the Colorado River a “sanctuary city” for the 2nd Amendment.
California Enacts Law Protecting the Health and Safety of People Engaging in Consensual Sex Work
HRC
Today, HRC praises the enactment of SB 233 in California, which will protect people engaging in consensual sex work from being arrested when reporting violent crimes. The legislation also disallows the use of condoms as evidence of sex work.
How Disaster Mitigation Funding Helps Your State
PEW
Every federal grant dollar spent on natural disaster mitigation projects—such as elevating buildings or making earthquake retrofits—saves an average of $6 in recovery costs. See how benefits vary by state and disaster type.
Fire:
Gavin Newsom adds hundreds more firefighters amid fears of ‘large and damaging’ fire season
Fresno Bee
California will hire 393 more firefighters in anticipation of an upcoming wildfire season that has the potential to be even worse than last year’s, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday.
See also:
● Worried About Wildfires, Californians Ready To Spend, Vote To Fight Climate Change Capital Public Radio
● California governor defends wildfire efforts, jabs at feds Associated Press
PG&E says repair delays didn’t trigger fatal Butte County inferno
San Francisco Chronicle
PG&E said that it “strongly disagrees” with claims in a recent report that the company deliberately put off upgrades and repairs on equipment that caused a fatal inferno in Butte County in 2018, according to a court filing from the utility on Wednesday.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Stocks sink as Powell dents hopes for multiple rate cuts
Fresno Bee
Stocks fell and bond yields rose on Wall Street Wednesday after the Federal Reserve lowered its key interest rate for the first time in a decade but left investors feeling uncertain about the likelihood of further cuts.
See also:
● Fed Cuts Interest Rates For 1st Time Since 2008 KVPR
● Fed cuts interest rate for first time since 2008, adopting risky new strategy Los Angeles Times
● Trump says Federal Reserve ‘let us down’ hours after central bank cut interest rates Washington Post
Half of California’s private sector workers have no savings for retirement, study says
Fresno Bee
Millions of California workers have no money saved for retirement, are doing little to catch up or are shut out of employer-offered savings plans altogether, a newly released UC Berkeley study shows.
After sale, Pelco announces CEO’s departure
Business Journal
Just a couple of months after Fresno-based security electronics company Pelco, Inc. was sold, its CEO has stepped down.
Nearly 100,000 millennials in the Sacramento area live at home. Why your kids can’t move out
Sacramento Bee
Read more Tipping Point stories here. Mary Thammavong is a 29-year-old electrician who helped build Golden 1 Center arena.
Bubble Watch: California economy goes from national leader to subpar
Orange County Register
California’s GDP grew at a 2.7% annual pace in the first quarter, ranking 29th among the states.
Amazon, Walmart, Ikea targeted in University of California light bulb lawsuits
Reuters
Five major retailers, including Amazon.com Inc and Walmart Inc, were sued on Tuesday by the University of California over what it called the “existential threat” when foreign manufacturers infringe schools’ patents.
See also:
● Walmart, Amazon and Ikea sued by UC over Edison light bulbs CNN
50-State Data: The Latest Fiscal, Economic Trends
PEW
Where does your state rank in tax revenue growth? What about reserves and balances? Use our interactive tool to explore 50-state data for these and other fiscal health indicators.
Slow Progress in Trade Talks Is Partly a Result of China’s New Tactic to Wait
Wall Street Journal
Beijing wants to appear willing to negotiate but also thinks it can extract better terms by not hurrying into concessions.
Jobs:
U.S. Workers’ Pay Gains Continue, but Hit Plateau
Wall Street Journal
Data on compensation, income show slight midyear pullback in growth as slow pace of increases continues to puzzle economists.
Fired by Google, a Republican Engineer Hits Back: ‘There’s Been a Lot of Bullying’
Wall Street Journal
Search giant’s culture wars flame anew; a senior executive contacts law enforcement over leaks.
Valley fever is a work related illness
Occupational Health Watch
People who work outdoors or on jobs that disturb dirt are at risk of becoming sick with Valley fever, a potentially deadly illness caused by a fungus found in the soil in parts of California.
Study: Breastpumping parents report difficulties at work
Sacramento Bee
The breastpump may help parents feel empowered to return to work, but many who do so run into workplace difficulties, according to a new study.
EDUCATION
K-12:
California ethnic studies curriculum would be a first in U.S. The state wants feedback
Fresno Bee
The California Department of Education has posted a draft of its proposed ethnic studies curriculum – the first state-level curriculum on the academic subject in the country – and is asking for public feedback.
Now it’s getting ridiculous: Four Democratic debates, almost no discussion on K-12 education
Washington Post
Now it’s getting ridiculous: Four debates among Democratic presidential candidates, and no questions — or serious discussion — about K-12 education.
Higher Ed:
UC and union reach tentative labor deal offering 20%-plus raises over 5 years
Fresno Bee
The University of California has reached a tentative contract agreement with the union representing roughly 13,000 health care, research and technical employees, giving them wage increases of 20 percent or more over a five-year period.
University of California just took five retail giants to court over light bulbs
Fresno Bee
The University of California has launched “a first-of-its-kind” legal campaign against five retailers accused of infringing on a UC Santa Barbara patent – specifically, LED light bulb technology created by a Nobel laureate-led research group.
Wealthy parents reportedly giving up custody of kids to get need-based financial aid
abc30
A loophole is raising new questions about fairness in the college admissions process. The Department of Education and several universities are now investigating a tactic that has allowed children of wealthy parents to qualify for financial aid.
Fresno State’s payroll topped $163 million. Search here to see how 3,200-plus divvied it up
Fresno Bee
Of the more than 3,200 people who collected paychecks last year working at Fresno State, president Joseph Castro was the university’s highest-paid state employee – yet he ranked only about mid-pack among his state peers.
EdSource
Ending a decades-long connection, the association representing California State University faculty has severed its ties with the California Teachers Association, resulting in a significant loss in membership for the state’s largest teachers union.
CSU adds $10 million to boost math and science teacher preparation in California
EdSource
To address a persistent teacher shortage in math and science, California State University is pumping $10 million into its Mathematics and Science Teacher Initiative over the next four years.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Burbank officials target polystyrene, single-use products in proposed ban
Los Angeles Times
The City Council unanimously voted last week to direct city staff to hire a consultant that can help develop a ban on expanded polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam, over the next year.
Some climate policy questions for the Democratic presidential candidates
AEI
Among the Democratic presidential candidates, the climate “crisis” is all the rage, and the source of much rage toward President Trump narrowly and the dissenter camp more generally.
Energy:
Energy traders took California for $866 million. Guess who paid for it
Sacramento Bee
For the past decade, electricity traders and generators have taken advantage of a little-known wrinkle in California’s energy market.
PG&E pushes back on Wall Street Journal investigation
San Francisco Chronicle
Pacific Gas and Electric Co. defended itself to a federal judge Wednesday amid scrutiny of its aging high-voltage power line system and corporate spending habits, arguing it was not dangerously neglectful of its infrastructure and had allocated its money wisely.
Opinion: Berkeley banned natural gas. The rest of California should too.
Los Angeles Times
By becoming the first city in the nation to ban natural gas in new low-rise buildings and homes, Berkeley did something momentous in mid-July: It signaled the beginning of the end of the natural gas era. This is an altogether good thing.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Two infected with West Nile virus, more showing signs, Fresno health officials say
Fresno Bee
Two people have tested positive for the West Nile virus in Fresno County. Aside from those two, five others are suspected of carrying the virus, the Fresno County Department of Public Health announced Wednesday.
See also:
● Two people test positive for West Nile Virus in Fresno County abc30
California law to limit youth football practices
Fresno Bee
California’s governor has signed a law limiting full-contact practices for youth football teams to reduce brain injuries.
Binge drinking among older Americans is on the rise, new study finds
CBS News
A new study estimates more than one in 10 older Americans binge drink. That’s an increase from the previous decade. The study, out this morning from the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, determined binge drinkers 65 and older were more likely to be men; they’re also more likely to use tobacco or cannabis.
Postpartum mental illness: The health crisis no expectant mother expects
CALmatters
California has become a national model for maternal health improvement. But less attention has been paid to new mothers’ postpartum mental health.
Valley fever is a work related illness
Occupational Health Watch
People who work outdoors or on jobs that disturb dirt are at risk of becoming sick with Valley fever, a potentially deadly illness caused by a fungus found in the soil in parts of California.
Human Services:
Breastpump at work? Most parents who use them report unpleasant workplace encounters
Fresno Bee
The breastpump may help parents feel empowered to return to work, but many who do so run into workplace difficulties, according to a new study.
Hundreds Of Thousands Of Californians Qualify For Medi-Cal But Aren’t Signing Up. Why?
Capital Public Radio
The doctor and nurses at the Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine clinic in Indio know many of their patients qualify for free medical insurance – and they tell them that. But many of the patients simply don’t sign up.
Why California’s ‘grayest’ generation will need a master plan for aging
CALmatters
Watching Gov. Gavin Newsom focus some of his youthful energy on the issue of aging is both refreshing and clearly required, especially given his observation that California is getting grayer in staggering numbers.
Trump to Sign Medicare Order as Part of Attack on Democrats’ Health-Care Message
Wall Street Journal
Administration moves ahead to bolster Medicare Advantage plans and authorize lower-cost drug imports from Canada, as it takes on Medicare for All.
Grassroots groups prepare for a post-Roe v. Wade America
Roll Call
Advocates, state lawmakers and legal organizations are setting up the infrastructure to prepare for potential changes to the landmark 1973 abortion rights case Roe v. Wade.
IMMIGRATION
Advocates: ‘Horrible deja vu’ in continued family separation
Fresno Bee
The 911 children were separated from 844 parents between the court order issued on June 26, 2018, and June 29 of this year, according to the ACLU’s analysis of government records it received under the judge’s supervision.
Graham moves controversial asylum bill through panel; Democrats charge he’s broken the rules
The Hill
The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced a bill to overhaul U.S. asylum laws on Thursday, waiving committee rules to force the legislation through over Democrat objections.
Editorial: The Trump administration is using any excuse it can find to separate migrant families
Los Angeles Times
The federal government has continued to separate migrant children from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border despite a court order that sought to severely curtail the practice. Over the course of a year , 911 more children were taken, the American Civil Liberties Union charged in a court filing Tuesday. And where did the ACLU get those details? From the government itself.
VOX
Tech companies big and small are making money off Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
LAND USE/HOUSING
‘Can’t afford to move, can’t afford to stay’: Spike in housing costs has many stuck
Modesto Bee
Respondents told of searching for rental housing for six months or more, endless applications and credit checks, and rental costs that now consume half their income.
New Housing Construction Continues to Lag: Building Permits vs. Job Growth 2019
Apartment List
In May 2009, shortly before the official end of the Great Recession, the number of housing units authorized by newly issued building permits hit its lowest level since the Census Bureau began tracking the data in 1960. More than a decade later, the pace of new construction remains significantly below its pre-recession peak, with 38.3 percent fewer units permitted in 2018 than in 2005.
See also:
● New Housing Permits Decline Statewide PPIC
A New Trump Rule Could Weaken A Civil Rights Era Housing Discrimination Law
KVPR
The Trump administration is moving to weaken the civil rights-era Fair Housing Act — making it much harder to bring lawsuits alleging discrimination in housing, according to housing advocates.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Local pension costs grew in California at nearly six times national rate, new data show
Sacramento Bee
Median pension costs for local governments grew nearly six times as much in California as the rest of the country over a decade.
Contract deal gives 10% raise or more to state safety and law enforcement employees
Sacramento Bee
Pay for dispatchers, security officers, inspectors and other public safety and law enforcement employees at the state will go up at least 10 percent over the next four years in a tentative agreement their union reached with the state.
Budget Decider: Making choices that impact millions
CALmatters
California lawmakers have passed a $215 billion budget filled with progressive eye-catchers. But what if you had the awesome power to tax and spend, charting a new course for California?
States voting for Trump in 2016 benefit from tax cuts
Sacramento Bee
When it comes to tax cuts, most of the states that President Donald Trump won in the last election fared better than the national average – giving Republicans a valuable rallying point for the 2020 campaigns.
Half a cheer for the budget deal
Real Clear Policy / AEI
Neither Republicans nor Democrats had any interest in taking on a politically challenging agreement. They chose instead to follow the path of least resistance, which, as usual, meant making both parties in Congress happy at the taxpayers’ expense.
Where Do States Get Their Money?
PEW
Federal funds are the greatest source of revenue in seven states. Is yours one of them? Get the answer and more.
TRANSPORTATION
When the Polluters Are Cleaner Than the Government
New York Times
President Trump wants to relax auto emission standards. Carmakers say, No thanks.
Los Angeles Times
Forget about presidential politics. The most controversial and divisive issue in Los Angeles these days may be scooters.
WATER
California governor signs law impacting desert water project
Fresno Bee
California’s governor signed a law on Wednesday that could delay a project to pump billions of gallons of water out from under the Mojave Desert. The bill adds another step by requiring the State Lands Commission to review the project before it can go forward.
See also:
● Trump revived the Cadiz water project. Now California has added a new hurdle Los Angeles Times
Water systems must notify Californians about these cancer-linked chemicals under new law
Fresno Bee
Starting next year, California water systems must notify residents if their water sources contain potentially toxic levels of cancer-linked chemicals called PFAS under a law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Wednesday.
See also:
● California 1st state to require notification of toxic ‘forever’ chemicals in water Palm Springs Desert Sun
As summer heats up, remember to follow water conservation rules
Hanford Sentinel
The Lemoore Public Works department urges residents to follow the city’s water conservation schedule as the peak of summer begins.
California Releases Roadmap for Water Resources Sustainability
CAFWD
Earlier this month, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) released the California Water Plan Update 2018. Update 2018 outlines state strategies and actions for managing California’s most precious resource in every region of the state.
“Xtra”
‘Bluesapalooza’ in Mammoth Lakes offers weekend getaway with bands and brews
Fresno Bee
Mammoth Lakes sits at 8,000 feet, near Yosemite National Park in the Eastern High Sierra.
Comic-con heading back to Madera
Madera Tribune
Back by popular demand will be the Madera Toy Anime Comic-Con to St. Joachim’s Holy Spouses Hall from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday.
Battle of the rackets: pickleball, tennis vie for Visalia courts
Visalia Times Delta
A battle of the rackets is brewing at Visalia’s Plaza Park.