March 25, 2021

25Mar


POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Local Schools Update:

 

New $6.8M Merced County ‘Navigation Center’ unveiled to provide resources for homeless

Merced Sun-Star

Merced County elected officials gathered Wednesday to unveil the area’s $6.8 million new “Navigation Center” to help provide shelter and resources for homeless members of the community.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Local Schools Update:

 

Bill Would Change Board Overseeing SJ River Access. Is Update Needed?

GV Wire

The San Joaquin River Conservancy Board could expand under proposed legislation from Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula. The 15-member board sets policy and manages lands for the river parkway from Highway 99 to the Friant Dam.

 

‘We don’t know what hotspot means.’ Distance learning struggles mount for Fresno families

Fresno Bee

For hundreds of Fresno-area parents like Jesus Sierra Lopez, the more things change during the coronavirus pandemic, the more they stay the same for their children in school.

 

Fresno State plans in-person graduation ceremonies. Here’s how they will look and function

Fresno Bee

Fresno State graduates will once again be able to celebrate commencement services in person, though on a smaller scale than in previous years and spaced out over several days.

See also:

 

Fresno lab worker who had long-term COVID is suing hospital, says she was fired for illness

Fresno Bee

A longtime employee at Community Hospitals of Central California, who was recovering from a bout of “long haul” COVID-19, says she was fired by her employer for missing too many days of work.

 

Editorial: There is no red-lining going on, but Clovis clearly has an affordable-housing problem

Fresno Bee

Hidden by the miles of gleaming new homes being built in Clovis is a major housing problem. The city of 120,000 adjacent to Fresno is known for its wide streets, new subdivisions and quaint Old Town.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Local Schools Update:

 

GOP recall candidate pitches his plan in Bakersfield

Bakersfield Californian

Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer seized on a high-profile fraud scandal at the state's unemployment department during a trip to Bakersfield on Wednesday to highlight why he should replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in a recall election this fall.

 

Homelessness spiked in Kern while the housing supply dwindled at the end of 2020

Bakersfield Californian

The number of Kern County residents experiencing homelessness for the first time spiked in the final months of 2020, while the number of homeless residents able to find permanent housing sunk to its lowest level.

 

State:

 

COVID Update:

 

Newsom names Rob Bonta as AG, lifting Filipino leader after attacks on Asian Americans

Modesto Bee

Assemblyman Rob Bonta will be California’s next attorney general, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced today, making him the state’s top cop and first Filipino to hold the office.

See also:

 

’Troubling development’ for Newsom: California Latinos inclined to support recall, poll finds

Sacramento Bee

In the wake of a pandemic that has devastated Latino communities in California, a new statewide poll finds that Latino voters are more likely to vote to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom than white, Asian and Black voters.

See also:

 

California unemployment benefits system back online, accountability demanded

KTVU

Following days of intermittent outages, California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) said Tuesday its systems are back up and running, allowing claimants to access their online accounts.

See also:

 

Some water suppliers have just 5% amid drought. Oakdale district has surplus to sell

Modesto Bee

The winter just ended has been especially dry, but the effects vary widely for farm water suppliers in and near Stanislaus County. The Oakdale and South San Joaquin irrigation districts actually have surpluses to sell thanks to storage in New Melones Reservoir from 2020.

See also:

 

Will you get ‘premium pay’ for work in the pandemic? Here’s when Gavin Newsom has to decide

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom and California legislators will soon decide which California workers qualify for up to $25,000 in bonus pay funded by the federal government for working through the pandemic.

 

Unions would gain power under a bill backed by Democrats. What does that mean for California?

Sacramento Bee

A high-profile bill that House Democrats passed this month will make it easier for private sector workers to join unions, but it won’t do much directly for labor organizations representing California government employees.

 

Newsom doubles down on sheltering farmworkers despite few takers

CalMatters

California is upgrading its underutilized Housing for the Harvest program to provide quarantine hotel rooms for farmworkers, in the hopes that a wage replacement and an option to shelter at home will boost participation. But is it too late?

 

Fact check: Would a California bill prevent Republicans from being police officers?

Fresno Bee

California lawmakers are considering a bill that would require law enforcement agencies to screen their officers for membership in hate groups, participation in hate group activities, or “public expressions of hate.”

 

Walters: California and the political food chain

CalMatters

While the relationships among the various levels of American government are often cooperative, always lurking in the background is what one might characterize as a political food chain.

 

Federal:

 

COVID Update:

 

Biden’s First Press Conference Will Likely Focus on Border, Shootings

Wall Street Journal

President Biden will hold the first formal news conference of his presidency as his administration deals with the fallout of two mass shootings, a surge in migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border and preparations for a new economic package to push through Congress.

 

Can California’s first Latino senator break Washington’s gridlock on immigration reform?

Los Angeles Times

Twenty-seven years after Alex Padilla hit the streets with hundreds of thousands of California Latinos to protest the anti-immigrant Proposition 187, he finds himself in a position to help deliver the change he has long sought.

 

Senators turn to Democrats’ overhaul of elections and ethics

Roll Call

As outside groups ramped up multimillion-dollar campaigns for and against it, senators on Wednesday took their first formal look at Democrats’ symbolic top-priority bill, a nearly 800-page overhaul of election, campaign finance and government ethics laws.

See also:

 

Vice President Kamala Harris will lead response to migrant issue as numbers rise at border

Los Angeles Times

President Biden tapped Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday to lead diplomatic efforts to stem the growing influx of migrants crossing the border with Mexico, handing her one of the administration’s thorniest problems.

See also:

 

Commentary: Mitch McConnell is wrong. Here’s the filibuster’s ‘racial history.’

Washington Post

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell argued Tuesday that the Senate filibuster “has no racial history at all. None. There’s no dispute among historians about that.” That’s false. Historians know the filibuster is closely intertwined with the nation’s racial past and present.

See also:

 

As deadline nears, Senate Democrats pick up GOP support to extend PPP

Roll Call

Seven Republicans have signed on to a Senate bill that would extend the Paycheck Protection Program for two months, putting Democrats closer to the necessary 60 votes on a measure that Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer said must pass this week.

See also:

 

Expect slower mail, fewer post office hours as part of USPS 10-year plan, postmaster says

abc30

Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Tuesday announced plans to slow mail delivery standards and cut hours at some post offices as part of a 10-year strategy to stabilize the struggling agency.

 

Equality Act Would Extend Civil Rights Laws To LGBTQ People Throughout U.S.

VPR

Charleston native Tia Clark has learned to endure discrimination in conservative South Carolina, one of roughly two dozen states with few or no laws protecting LGBTQ people.

 

Rachel Levine becomes first openly transgender federal official to win Senate confirmation

Los Angeles Times

Voting mostly along party lines, the U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed former Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine to be the nation’s assistant secretary of Health. She is the first openly transgender federal official to win Senate confirmation.

 

Opinion: A Better Way to Judge Joe Biden

The Atlantic

We should ask whether a president, or someone who wants the job, has their eye on the most urgent issues of the moment—not just on what pundits, the opposition, or the most vocal members of their base want.

 

Other:

 

Comcast Commits to Investing $1B Over Next 10 Years to Reach 50M Low-Income Americans With Tools and Resources to Succeed In Digital World

Comcast

On the 10th anniversary of its Internet Essentials program, Comcast today announced it would invest $1 billion over the next 10 years to help further close the digital divide and give even more low-income Americans the tools and resources they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world.

 

Editorial: Bernie Sanders’s Censorship Wisdom

Wall Street Journal

Democrats have increasingly adopted Bernie Sanders’s ideas about economic policy. If only they’d instead take the Vermont socialist seriously on speech and censorship.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Saturday, March 27, at 1:30 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "California's Post-Pandemic Economy: From Crisis to Opportunity" -​​ Guests: Lenny Mendonca, former Chief Economic & Business Advisor to Gov. Gavin Newsom and former head of GOBiz. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, March 28, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “The Pandemic's Effect on Small Business in the Valley"  - Guests: Pedro Nava, Chairman - Little Hoover Commission; Nick Ortiz, President/CEO - Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce; Greg Newman, CEO - Clovis Chamber of Commerce; Dave White, CEO - Opportunity Stanislaus; Katy Winders, Director - Small Business Development Center, Stanislaus and Tuolumne Counties Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Newsom doubles down on sheltering farmworkers despite few takers

CalMatters

California is upgrading its underutilized Housing for the Harvest program to provide quarantine hotel rooms for farmworkers, in the hopes that a wage replacement and an option to shelter at home will boost participation. But is it too late?

 

Commentary: Ag employers are asking the Supreme Court to make it harder for farmworkers to unionize

Economic Policy Institute

In California, union organizers can temporarily access an agricultural employer’s property outside of work hours in order to talk to farmworkers about their legally protected right to join a union.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Justice Dept. alleges that Oath Keepers militia, far-right Proud Boys coordinated plans for Capitol assault

Los Angeles Times

A leader of the Oath Keepers militia was communicating with members of the far-right Proud Boys in the weeks leading to the U.S. Capitol attack, federal prosecutors allege, suggesting for the first time that the extremist groups had formed an alliance for the day of the deadly assault.

See also:

 

This is what the future of policing could look like

Stockton Record

Welcome to the future. A future where you’re driving and feel safe in your vehicle no matter your skin color. A future where a police officer parks on your street not to arrest one of your neighbors but because she is one of your neighbors.

 

Public Safety:

 

Amid gun control debate, federal court rules states may restrict open carry of weapons

Los Angeles Times

As the nation debates gun control following two mass shootings in Colorado and Georgia, a California-based federal appeals court decided Wednesday that states may restrict the open carrying of guns without running afoul of the 2nd Amendment.

See also:

 

Limited visits to resume at California prisons one year after suspension due to COVID

Fresno Bee

A year after prisons suspended in-person visits statewide, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is beginning a phased reopening plan that allows limited visitation starting next month.

 

Fact check: Would a California bill prevent Republicans from being police officers?

Fresno Bee

California lawmakers are considering a bill that would require law enforcement agencies to screen their officers for membership in hate groups, participation in hate group activities, or “public expressions of hate.”

 

Fire:

 

Editorial: It’s about time California put the brakes on new housing developments in high-fire risk areas

Los Angeles Times

One of the best ways to prevent wildfire destruction and death is to stop building houses in the likely path of the flames. Yet cities and counties across the state keep doing exactly that.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Small Businesses Exempted From California’s Expanded Sick Leave

Capital & Main

You could denote the past year of the pandemic by any number of markers, but it may ultimately be recalled for its seemingly nonstop barrage of temporary measures intended to help get U.S. residents through it. “Stopgap” has been the watchword of the realm.

 

Couples who filed taxes together could get stimulus checks in two payments, IRS says

Fresno Bee

Millions of Americans have already received their $1,400 stimulus checks, but not everyone has gotten the full payments for which they’re eligible. The IRS has an explanation for married couples who file taxes jointly and have only received a partial payment.

See also:

 

Jobs:

 

California unemployment benefits system back online, accountability demanded

KTVU

Following days of intermittent outages, California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) said Tuesday its systems are back up and running, allowing claimants to access their online accounts.

See also:

 

Will you get ‘premium pay’ for work in the pandemic? Here’s when Gavin Newsom has to decide

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom and California legislators will soon decide which California workers qualify for up to $25,000 in bonus pay funded by the federal government for working through the pandemic.

 

Jobless claims fall to lowest level of the pandemic

Washington Post

Americans made 684,000 initial unemployment claims last week, a better-than-expected showing and the latest sign the coronavirus’s economic impact is easing.

See also:

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Local Schools Update:

 

‘We don’t know what hotspot means.’ Distance learning struggles mount for Fresno families

Fresno Bee

For hundreds of Fresno-area parents like Jesus Sierra Lopez, the more things change during the coronavirus pandemic, the more they stay the same for their children in school.

 

What are California teachers seeing as the early grades go back to school?

EdSource

Now, as many California children in the early grades have started to venture back into the classroom after a long year of lockdowns and distance learning, teachers say they are seeing much rejoicing, as well as some anxiety, on campus.

 

California education news: What’s the latest?

EdSource

Bills introduced Wednesday in the California State Assembly Education Committee could increase the number of school nurses on school campuses and give them a leader.

 

The Pandemic Has Highlighted the Needs of California’s Youth

Public Policy Institute of California

The Youth Empowerment Act could bring young people’s voices to the capital so that when elected officials need a youth perspective, they have a body they can go to, a government committee or entity made up of young people appointed by the governor.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Fresno State plans in-person graduation ceremonies. Here’s how they will look and function

Fresno Bee

Fresno State graduates will once again be able to celebrate commencement services in person, though on a smaller scale than in previous years and spaced out over several days.

See also:

 

Merced College gets $436K federal grant to expand opportunities in rural communities

Merced Sun-Star

Merced College officials announced this week the campus has received a $436,772 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to expand education and outreach to rural areas and health care entities.

 

$1 billion in student debt to be canceled for some borrowers. Here’s what to know

Modesto Bee

President Joe Biden’s administration says it will “streamline” student debt forgiveness for thousands of borrowers. The announcement from the U.S. Department of Education last week comes as some Democratic lawmakers have been pushing for broader student debt cancellation.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

In what is hailed as a conservation success story, bald eagle numbers have soared

Los Angeles Times

The number of bald eagles — a species that once came dangerously close to extinction in the United States — has more than quadrupled over the last dozen years despite massive declines in overall bird populations, government scientists announced Tuesday.

 

Energy:

 

California Energy Officials Trying to Avoid Summer Blackouts

Governing

Officials are scrambling to expand the state’s electric grid in anticipation of the summer heat and the looming green energy timelines. But to avoid more blackouts, California may need a complete infrastructure overhaul.

See also:

 

Biden’s Recovery Plan Bets Big on Clean Energy

New York Times

The president’s plan, worth up to $4 trillion, represents a fundamental shift in the way Democrats talk about tackling climate change: It’s no longer a side issue.

 

Commentary: California could lead the nation in offshore wind energy

CalMatters

Standing on the beach, the giant blades of an offshore wind turbine 20 miles off the coast appear miniscule – a white pinprick floating on the blue horizon. But up close, the turbines are massive – taller, sometimes, than the Washington Monument and with blades that can span the length of a football field.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

AstraZeneca Releases Updated Covid-19 Vaccine Data Showing 76% Efficacy

Wall Street Journal

AstraZeneca PLC released more pivotal-trial data for its Covid-19 vaccine, saying the shot was 76% effective at preventing Covid-19 with symptoms in a fuller analysis of study results than the company had earlier provided.

See also:

 

The Future Of The Pandemic In The U.S.: Experts Look Ahead

VPR

A year after the pandemic shut down the country, a growing number of infectious disease experts, epidemiologists, public health officials and others have started to entertain a notion that has long seemed out of reach: The worst of the pandemic may be over for the United States.

See also:

 

Human Services:

 

Johnson & Johnson under pressure to deliver promised vaccine doses to states

Roll Call

Delays could undercut vaccinations in areas lacking access to deep freezers needed for one of the other authorized COVID-19 vaccines.

 

Covid rescue package offers help for health insurance. Here's how to get the most benefit

NBCNews

There’s something for everyone with private health insurance in the American Rescue Plan Act, but determining the best way to benefit may be confusing.

 

12 prominent people opposed to vaccines are responsible for two-thirds of anti-vaccine content online: report

The Hill

A new report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate and Anti-Vax Watch found that most of the anti-vaccine content circulating online can be tied to 12 people.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Vice President Kamala Harris will lead response to migrant issue as numbers rise at border

Los Angeles Times

President Biden tapped Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday to lead diplomatic efforts to stem the growing influx of migrants crossing the border with Mexico, handing her one of the administration’s thorniest problems.

See also:

 

Can California’s first Latino senator break Washington’s gridlock on immigration reform?

Los Angeles Times

Twenty-seven years after Alex Padilla hit the streets with hundreds of thousands of California Latinos to protest the anti-immigrant Proposition 187, he finds himself in a position to help deliver the change he has long sought.

 

No ‘Dreamers’ allowed: DACA recipients still can’t work for Congress

Roll Call

Like a lot of congressional interns, Sara had her five-year plan all mapped out. First, she’d find a staff assistant position, “then work my way up to legislative correspondent, then legislative assistant and then try to get a legislative directorship under my belt.”

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

What’s next for the Oceano Dunes? We answer your questions about the park’s future

Fresno Bee

A recent decision by the California Coastal Commission prohibits off-highway vehicles at Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area by 2024.

 

Housing:

 

Homelessness spiked in Kern while the housing supply dwindled at the end of 2020

Bakersfield Californian

The number of Kern County residents experiencing homelessness for the first time spiked in the final months of 2020, while the number of homeless residents able to find permanent housing sunk to its lowest level.

 

New $6.8M Merced County ‘Navigation Center’ unveiled to provide resources for homeless

Merced Sun-Star

Merced County elected officials gathered Wednesday to unveil the area’s $6.8 million new “Navigation Center” to help provide shelter and resources for homeless members of the community.

 

Editorial: There is no red-lining going on, but Clovis clearly has an affordable-housing problem

Fresno Bee

Hidden by the miles of gleaming new homes being built in Clovis is a major housing problem. The city of 120,000 adjacent to Fresno is known for its wide streets, new subdivisions and quaint Old Town.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Democrats Weigh Increases in Corporate, Personal Income-Tax Rates

Wall Street Journal

Democrats are considering a variety of possible tax increases, including boosting the corporate tax rate and the top marginal income-tax rate on individuals, to raise revenue as President Biden completes his infrastructure, climate and education proposal.

 

May 17 Is the New IRS Tax Filing Deadline—Here’s What You Need to Know

Wall Street Journal

The Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday that it is delaying the tax filing and payment deadline for individuals to May 17 from April 15 for 2020 tax returns.

 

Opinion: The Coming Demand Surge Brings Back Memories of 1970s Inflation

Wall Street Journal

The last bout of inflation the U.S. experienced was in the 1970s. Commentators duly note this historic reference but don’t really understand it—many weren’t yet born, and few were adults, at the time. It was no mere inconvenience; it was a catastrophe.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Boom Or Bubble? Skeptics Take Aim At Buzzy Electric Vehicle Market

VPR
When electric pickup maker Lordstown Motors took over an old General Motors plant in Ohio in 2019, it had big ambitions — and made a lot of promises.

 

Leap in Gas Prices Puts $3 a Gallon in Sight

Wall Street Journal

The prospect of summer drivers crowding U.S. highways is powering steep gains in the price of gasoline, a sign of economic recovery and a boon for the pandemic-ravaged energy industry.

 

WATER

 

Bill Would Change Board Overseeing SJ River Access. Is Update Needed?

GV Wire

The San Joaquin River Conservancy Board could expand under proposed legislation from Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula. The 15-member board sets policy and manages lands for the river parkway from Highway 99 to the Friant Dam.

 

Some water suppliers have just 5% amid drought. Oakdale district has surplus to sell

Modesto Bee

The winter just ended has been especially dry, but the effects vary widely for farm water suppliers in and near Stanislaus County. The Oakdale and South San Joaquin irrigation districts actually have surpluses to sell thanks to storage in New Melones Reservoir from 2020.

See also:

 

“Xtra”

 

Warszawski: Fresno County has a rare furry visitor from Oregon. Please don’t shoot him, or run him over

Fresno Bee

A furry four-legged tourist from north-central Oregon recently wandered into Fresno County. Don’t shoot him, or run him over. Please.

 

You can get a free Krispy Kreme doughnut every day of 2021 — if you get COVID vaccine

Fresno Bee

If you’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19, Krispy Kreme has a treat just for you: free doughnuts. Starting Monday, anyone who’s received a COVID-19 vaccine can get a free glazed doughnut at Krispy Kreme stores, the company said in a news release.

 

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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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