May 21, 2021

21May

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

‘We have persevered’: Stanislaus State 2020 graduates celebrate in postponed ceremony

Modesto Bee

A year after earning their degrees from California State University, Stanislaus, about 260 graduates of the class of 2020 celebrated in a ceremony at the Turlock campus Tuesday morning.

 

Stanislaus is short on electric car charging stations. New state grants will help

Modesto Bee

The state is offering $1.97 million in grants to help spread charging stations in Stanislaus County. The California Energy Commission will cover up to 75% of the cost for installations at shopping centers, apartment complexes, gas stations and other convenient spots.

 

Mayor Zwahlen: Share your thoughts with us about Modesto police on Saturday

Modesto Bee

Every mayor runs on a platform. Mine was simple: I will help us find common ground. That’s why I am proud to announce the launch of Forward Together, a community engagement process to solicit feedback on police-community relations.

See also:

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

New Fresno State president talks about how he prepared for the job

Fresno Bee

Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, introduced on Wednesday as Fresno State's ninth president, talks about the power and incentive of students and the impact of the university's athletics and academics as a contribution the the community as a whole.

See also:

 

Fresno’s newest school named for Farbers, other candidates get campus buildings

Fresno Bee

After a lengthy debate over the past month, Fresno’s newest school, which is expected to be built by the summer of 2023, will be named after philanthropists Francine and Murray Farber.

See also:

 

Editorial: Get rid of police at Fresno Unified schools? It would be better to reinvent them instead

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Unified School District is confronting what role police should have on local campuses. As has occurred elsewhere, police here get criticized for too often focusing enforcement against children of color.

 

‘Making history’ after hard year. Madera Community College holds first commencement

Fresno Bee

Although students have been taking college classes in Madera since 1985, this is the first ceremony since the campus broke away from being a Reedley College satellite campus last summer, becoming the state’s 116th community college.

 

California may not widen Highway 41. Fresno leader says widening it will save lives

Fresno Bee

A potential plan to leave a section of Highway 41 at two lanes drew sharp criticism Wednesday from a group of Fresno-area officials led by Assemblymember Jim Patterson.

 

Kingsburg leaders turn down idea to recognize LGBTQ+ Pride month, after late night debate

Fresno Bee

After more than three hours of public comment on Wednesday, a proposal to recognize LGBTQ+ Pride Month in Kingsburg died without receiving any City Council support other than from its sponsor.

See also:

 

Local Organization Asks Fresno PD To Investigate Incident At Rally For Palestine As A Hate Crime

Fresno Bee

The Council on American-Islamic Relations or CAIR in Central California is calling on the Fresno Police Department to investigate a recent attack during a protest to support Palestine as a hate crime.

 

City Council to Appeal Court Ruling Regarding Housing

Clovis Roundup

On Monday May 17, the Clovis City Council unanimously voted (5-0) to appeal a court decision that found the city’s state approved Housing Element was out of compliance with state law.

 

Tule River Tribe, city partner on new water plant

Porterville Recorder

The Tule River Tribe and the City of Porterville have partnered on a new tertiary water treatment plant as part of the construction of the new, relocated Eagle Mountain Casino near the Porterville Municipal Airport and Porterville Sports Complex.

 

 

Downtown Fresno buildings under construction to bring in new businesses

abc30

Work is underway at the Helm Building along Fulton Street in downtown Fresno. "We are completely remodeling the ground level, the retail spaces, bringing the old craftsmanship, the beauty just like when the building was built," said Sevak Katchadourian.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

COVID Update:

 

Del Oro High School breaks ground in Southeast Bakersfield

Bakersfield Now

The Kern High School District held a groundbreaking ceremony for Del Oro High School in Southeast Bakersfield. The campus is located at the northeast corner of East Panama Lane and Cottonwood Road.

 

Bakersfield City Council approves bike share program

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield City Council approved a contract for a bike share program during a meeting on Wednesday. The contract will allow Spin to begin a bike share program in central Bakersfield and also including the Bakersfield College and Cal State Bakersfield campuses.

 

House vote on Jan. 6 commission again divides Valadao, McCarthy

Bakersfield Californian

Rep. David Valadao's vote Wednesday in favor of creating a commission to examine the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol has again put the Hanford Republican at odds with his Central Valley neighbor and sometime ally in Congress, Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

See also:

 

State:

 

COVID Update:

 

Gov. Newsom signs affordable housing legislation

abc30

Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation today aimed at affordable housing and other developments in California. Newsom was joined by Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) and other state leaders in Santa Clara County.

 

Cash to help California renters goes unspent with eviction protections expiring soon

Los Angeles Times

Months after the state approved $2.6 billion to help California tenants pay rent amid hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates say a disappointingly low number of people have applied, as the program has been hampered by a slow start, confusion and bureaucratic red tape.

 

Opinion: Want to end homelessness in California? Take lessons from the vaccine rollout

Sacramento Bee

It’s foolish to assume that the scale of the homelessness crisis in California is due to a lack of awareness or concern. Quite the opposite, it’s practically impossible to find a Californian who doesn’t lament the humanitarian crisis unfolding on our streets.

 

California Weighs Electric Car Mandate For Uber And Lyft

Capital Public Radio

Ninety percent of miles logged by Uber and Lyft drivers in California will have to be in electric vehicles by 2030 under a state mandate to be considered Thursday.

See also:

 

Gavin Newsom calls for more state spending at Mexico border, aiming to help migrants

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to spend a portion of the state’s budget surplus on supporting migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border, aiming to provide basic necessities to thousands of people.

See also:

 

Suspense file day: Which controversial bills did California legislators kill?

CalMatters

Forget about new protections for California kids cruising the internet. There will be no new requirements for crime labs to process old rape kits. And some households behind on their water bills won’t get more time to pay them back before their pipes get shut off.

 

More than 90% of California Capitol interns are unpaid by Legislature. Who’s left behind?

Fresno Bee

After leaving a job in college sports fundraising to pursue a path in politics, then 23-year-old Spencer Bowen took an unpaid internship for Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon.  (Note:  Maddy Legislative Interns have been paid since the inception of the program in 2000)

 

Sidney Powell, Joe Arpaio coming to SLO County for California secession group’s event

San Luis Obispo Tribune

A far-right group that seeks a “New California State” will return to the Central Coast late this month for a two-day fundraiser featuring allies of former President Donald Trump — including the lawyer who pushed baseless conspiracy theories about the 2020 presidential election.

 

Federal:

 

COVID Update:

 

Biden signs bill aimed at addressing rise in anti-Asian hate crimes

abc30

President Joe Biden signed a bill into law on Thursday that's aimed at countering a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes that's come during the coronavirus pandemic.

See also:

 

House vote on Jan. 6 commission again divides Valadao, McCarthy

Bakersfield Californian

Rep. David Valadao's vote Wednesday in favor of creating a commission to examine the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol has again put the Hanford Republican at odds with his Central Valley neighbor and sometime ally in Congress, Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

See also:

 

Could Supreme Court supercharge midterms with abortion ruling?

Roll Call

If redistricting hadn’t complicated the midterm elections enough, a Supreme Court decision on one of the country’s most polarizing issues has the potential to supercharge the fight for the House and Senate.

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Democratic defections foretell pitfalls for Capitol security bill, despite bipartisan backing for Jan. 6 commission

Washington Post

A proposal to fortify security at the U.S. Capitol passed the House by the narrowest of margins on Thursday, as Democratic leaders scrambled to overcome party defections a day after winning bipartisan backing for a commission to investigate the Jan. 6 pro-Trump riot.

See also:

 

U.S. House Republicans propose $400 billion for highway projects

Reuters

Republicans on the U.S. House of Representatives Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Wednesday proposed $400 billion to fund highway, transit and other and surface transportation programs over five years, less than President Joe Biden's proposal.

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Senators reach bipartisan deal to overhaul USPS finances, tighten accountability requirements

Washington Post

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation Wednesday to lift significant financial burdens off the ailing U.S. Postal Service while tightening accountability requirements for mail delivery.

 

Biden’s IRS Plan Would Double Agency Staffing, Target Cryptocurrency

Wall Street Journal

The Biden administration’s tax enforcement plan would double the number of IRS employees over the next decade and require banks, payment services and cryptocurrency exchanges to provide the government more information about account flows.

 

Biden to offer budget proposal on May 28

Reuters

U.S. President Joe Biden will unveil the first detailed budget proposal of his term in office on May 28, a day later than originally planned, the White House said on Wednesday.

 

Democratic fundraising arm outraised Republican peer by $2.4 million in April

Reuters

The fundraising arm of the U.S. Democratic Party raised $15.6 million in April, topping the $13.2 million raised by its Republican counterpart, Federal Election Commission filings showed on Thursday.

 

Biden, Harris Release Federal Tax Returns

U.S. News

Count the first and second couples as among those taxpayers who got hosed by the Trump-era tax law that limits how much filers can deduct in state, local and real estate taxes.

 

Other:

 

AEI Polling Report: LGBT identification, COVID-19 vaccines, Biden’s legitimacy and Trump’s future , the decennial census, and Ordinary Life

AEI

In this issue of the AEI Polling Report, we explore major pollsters’ findings on LGBT identity, gay marriage, COVID-19 vaccine attitudes and post-vaccine life, support for Donald Trump and his election claims, and what the new census shows.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, May 23, at 9 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "LAO Report on Safe Drinking Water" - Guest: Rachel Ehlers, Principal Fiscal and Policy Analyst - Legislative Analyst's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, May 23, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "Valley Water: Where & Why is it Unsafe to Drink?" - Guests: Ellen Hanak, Director - PPIC Water Center; Sarge Green, Research Scientist - Fresno State's CA Water Institute. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Why Do Californians Have To Choose Between Food, Agriculture, And Fish?

California Globe

The long time political dispute between California farmers and state and federal water regulators predates the latest drought and will continue long after, unless some political honesty takes place.

See also:

 

Food Supply Chains Are Stretched as Americans Head Back to Restaurants

Wall Street Journal

Americans are returning to restaurants, bars and other dining places as Covid-19 restrictions come down, adding new strains in food supply chains.

 

Drought Imperils Economy in California’s Farm Country

Wall Street Journal

California is gripped in severe drought just four years after emerging from the last one, forcing many farmers to scramble to find enough water. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has cut the water allocations for many to zero this year.

 

USDA to start debt forgiveness and pay outs to some 13,000 Black, Hispanic and other minority farmers in June

Washington Post

Up to 13,000 Black and other minority farmers could start to see thousands of dollars in loan forgiveness beginning in June, as a part of the federal stimulus package that aimed to help disadvantaged farmers but has been delayed for months.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Local Organization Asks Fresno PD To Investigate Incident At Rally For Palestine As A Hate Crime

Fresno Bee

The Council on American-Islamic Relations or CAIR in Central California is calling on the Fresno Police Department to investigate a recent attack during a protest to support Palestine as a hate crime.

 

California prison guards missed inmate’s decapitation and misled investigators, report says

Fresno Bee

Two California prison guards falsely reported that a decapitated inmate was still alive, according to a new report from the State Office of the Inspector General.

 

Public Safety:

 

Ordered online, assembled at home: the deadly toll of California’s ‘ghost guns’

The Guardian

Warnings about do-it-yourself guns have steadily grown in recent years, spurred by ominous news stories describing the weapons’ use in a slew of mass shootings, domestic terrorism cases and gun trafficking busts.

 

Fire:

 

Porterville City Council approves extra firefighting staff

Porterville Recorder

Porterville City Council approved the addition of a new 40-hour Deputy Fire Chief position and six firefighters to the Porterville Fire Department during Tuesday’s regular scheduled meeting.

 

Where California regions rank on the fire danger Burning Index right now

San Francisco Chronicle

A Chronicle analysis shows multiple measures of fire danger all pointing in the same direction — California is headed toward alarming, perhaps record-setting, dryness, and heightened risk of wildfires.

 

California Lacks Federal Firefighters as Dangerous Season Looms

PEW
That’s not just a problem for California—where wildfires have in recent years been among the largest and most dangerous in the country—but for the whole region, because federal crews travel to other states to beat back major fires.

 

The Biden administration releases its wildfire strategy as the climate threat grows.

New York Times

The government has to do more to reduce the intensity of wildfires, starting with removing far more vegetation from federal forests, the Biden administration said Thursday in a new strategy document.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Around Kings County: California, Central Valley tourism recovering slowly

Hanford Sentinel

Figures from the state tourism agency show hotel occupancy in March 2021 at around 64%.That is an improvement from all of 2020 when tourist spending in California was just 45% of the amount spent in 2019, before the pandemic hit.

 

As California Reopens, These Regions Lead Charge For Economic Equity

CA FWD

Not all of California’s regions benefited from that economy and those regions are taking the opportunity of the state’s reopening to create a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable economy for all Californians.

 

Jobs:

 

CA to consider dropping mask, physical distancing rules in the workplace

abc30

California is considering sweeping changes to COVID-19 safety rules that would allow employers to relax mask and physical distancing requirements in the workplace as long as everyone is vaccinated.

See also:

 

US jobless claims fall again as some states end federal aid

Business Journal

Fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week — the latest encouraging sign for the rebounding U.S. economy — just as Republican-led states are moving to cut off a federal benefit for the jobless.

See also:

 

As Amazon, McDonald’s Raise Wages, Small Businesses Struggle to Keep Up

Wall Street Journal

Some of the smallest firms said they are feeling acute pain because they have fewer people to pick up the slack and can’t easily match the pay increases, benefits and other perks that larger companies are offering to fill openings.

 

Guarantee 20 days of paid leave

Brookings

Seven out of ten mothers who are essential workers or working from home report that it is difficult to balance work and family, according to new work from our colleagues in the Hamilton Project.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Fresno’s newest school named for Farbers, other candidates get campus buildings

Fresno Bee

After a lengthy debate over the past month, Fresno’s newest school, which is expected to be built by the summer of 2023, will be named after philanthropists Francine and Murray Farber.

See also:

 

Editorial: Get rid of police at Fresno Unified schools? It would be better to reinvent them instead

Fresno Bee

The Fresno Unified School District is confronting what role police should have on local campuses. As has occurred elsewhere, police here get criticized for too often focusing enforcement against children of color.

 

Students Detail Experiences of Sexualization Amidst Dress Code Discussion at CUSD Board Meeting

Clovis Roundup

Each year the Clovis Unified School District (CUSD) dress code comes into question by students within the district. However, many parents and administrators believe that the dress code is exceptional the way it is.

 

Greenfield Union board votes to change name of Plantation Elementary

Bakersfield Californian

The board of the Greenfield Union School District voted to change the name of Plantation Elementary School at its Wednesday evening board meeting.

 

Del Oro High School breaks ground in Southeast Bakersfield

Bakersfield Now

The Kern High School District held a groundbreaking ceremony for Del Oro High School in Southeast Bakersfield. The campus is located at the northeast corner of East Panama Lane and Cottonwood Road.

 

Why Turlock teen girls are protesting, and school district’s plan to update dress code

Modesto Bee

A number of girls attended Pitman and Turlock high schools Monday wearing midriff-baring tops, in violation of the Turlock Unified School District’s dress code.

 

Will your gifted child take calculus? Maybe not under California’s reimagined math plan

Wall Street Journal

A plan to reimagine math instruction for 6 million California students has become ensnared in equity and fairness issues — with critics saying proposed guidelines will hold back gifted students and supporters saying it will give all students a better chance to excel.

 

Some Schools Struggle to Get Students to Return After Months of Remote Learning

Wall Street Journal

Half of school districts nationwide now offer school fully in person, but some classrooms remain largely empty. With billions in federal funding to support reopening and vaccinations schools are ramping up efforts to lure back families in time for summer school and the fall.

 

Opinion: How the failure of the Common Core looked from the ground

AEI

Given how contentious the Common Core has been over time, I’m not terribly surprised that my post on Tom Loveless’ hard-hitting new book on the failure of the Common Core has garnered a lot of reader response.

 

Higher Ed:

 

New Fresno State president talks about how he prepared for the job

Fresno Bee

Dr. Saúl Jiménez-Sandoval, introduced on Wednesday as Fresno State's ninth president, talks about the power and incentive of students and the impact of the university's athletics and academics as a contribution the the community as a whole.

See also:

 

‘We have persevered’: Stanislaus State 2020 graduates celebrate in postponed ceremony

Modesto Bee

A year after earning their degrees from California State University, Stanislaus, about 260 graduates of the class of 2020 celebrated in a ceremony at the Turlock campus Tuesday morning.

 

‘Making history’ after hard year. Madera Community College holds first commencement

Fresno Bee

Although students have been taking college classes in Madera since 1985, this is the first ceremony since the campus broke away from being a Reedley College satellite campus last summer, becoming the state’s 116th community college.

 

College credit for playing video games? At some California campuses, it’s happening

CalMatters

At least six Cal State campuses and nearly all of the University of California campuses have created esports programs since 2015, in which students host and compete in live tournaments, sometimes funded by corporate sponsors.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Gov. Newsom signs law streamlining environmental reviews for big housing projects

Mercury News

Offering a boost to large residential developments in the midst of a deepening housing crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday signed into law a measure streamlining environmental reviews for large projects.

 

Opinion: California’s budget surplus can help achieve a climate-safe future

CalMatters

California is becoming ground zero for the climate crisis. Intensifying drought and wildfire emergencies caused by climate change are the harbingers of a great gamble that risk the loss of California as we know it.

 

How Your Hot Showers And Toilet Flushes Can Help the Climate

VPR

A secret cache of clean energy is lurking in sewers, and there are growing efforts to put it to work in the battle against climate change. The US Department of Energy estimates Americans wash enough energy down the drain every year to power about 30 million homes.

 

Energy:

 

California readies to prevent blackouts, but threats remain

Santa Monica Daily Press

California’s top energy regulators on Tuesday said the state is better prepared to avoid last summer’s rotating blackouts, but they cautioned the power grid of the nation’s most populous state is still vulnerable to extreme heat waves that could force more outages later this year.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Do kids too young for COVID vaccines need to wear masks? Navigating new CDC guidance

Fresno Bee

Some days after federal health officials announced fully vaccinated Americans no longer have to wear masks in most indoor and all outdoor scenarios, they clarified information on one group left out of the new guidance: kids.

See also:

 

Fauci Says He Expects Vaccines For Younger Children By The End Of Year Or Early 2022

VPR

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical adviser to President Biden, says that he expects COVID-19 vaccinations to open up to younger children in the coming months.

See also:

 

Big gaps in vaccine rates across the US worry health experts

Fresno Bee

A month after every adult in the U.S. became eligible for the vaccine, a distinct geographic pattern has emerged: The highest vaccination rates are concentrated in the Northeast, while the lowest ones are mostly in the South.

See also:

 

Feeling Anxious About Returning To Post-Pandemic Society? You're Not Alone

VPR

After a long, dark year, social muscles have atrophied. In-person gatherings now call for weighty questions about COVID-19 safety. And many people, who during the pandemic found relief in empty calendars, don't want to go back to the world as they knew it.

 

Covid-19 Disrupts Years of Health Progress in U.S.

Wall Street Journal

Deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic are causing an extraordinary jolt in the U.S., inflating the nation’s death rate to the highest level seen in nearly two decades.

 

FDA vows to push ban on menthol cigarettes, a move it says could save Black lives

Los Angeles Times

The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced it would move to ban menthol tobacco cigarettes and flavored cigars, a historic step the agency said would significantly prevent death and disease, particularly among Black Americans.

 

Human Services:

 

CalViva Health announces new CEO

Business Journal

CalViva Health announced a change in leadership as CEO Greg Hund prepares to retire and its COO prepares to fill the role. Jeffery Nkansah, the health care provider’s COO, will take over as the new CEO after Hund’s retirement, which is scheduled for July 31.

 

Knock, knock. Have you had your vaccine yet? California sends out thousands to check

Sacramento Bee

The state of California has kicked in $10 million to fund the effort, which is being led by Healthy Future California and UCLA, in partnership with 70 community-based organizations.

See also:

 

The Pandemic Proved Hospitals Can Deliver Care To Seriously Ill Patients At Home

VPR

Late last year, Janet Yetenekian got seriously ill with COVID-19, sick enough to warrant going to the hospital. But instead, the hospital came to her. She got medical care in her own home in Glendale, Calif.

 

Sanders says US physician shortage is a ‘solvable problem’

Roll Call

Senators on both sides of the aisle agreed at a hearing Thursday that Congress should work to address the nation’s physician shortages, especially in primary health care, including through changes to training programs.

 

Laws to Curb Surprise Medical Bills Might Be Inflating Health Care Costs

PEW Trusts

New state laws designed to protect patients from being hit with steep out-of-network medical bills may contribute to higher health care costs and premiums, some researchers warn.

 

Hospitals Want More Time to Spend Covid-19 Relief Money

Wall Street Journal

Some lawmakers and healthcare providers are calling on the Biden administration to extend a deadline for hospitals to spend emergency coronavirus funding, with more than $30 billion remaining to be distributed out of about $187 billion Congress approved.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Gavin Newsom calls for more state spending at Mexico border, aiming to help migrants

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to spend a portion of the state’s budget surplus on supporting migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border, aiming to provide basic necessities to thousands of people.

 

Will California AG Rob Bonta finally demand accountability in immigration facilities?

Fresno Bee

As a Democratic Assemblymember, Rob Bonta led the fight to end the use of privately owned and operated prisons and immigration detention centers in California.

 

Despite Concerns About Border, Poll Finds Support For More Pathways To Citizenship

VPR
Across the political spectrum, Americans are worried about the rising number of migrants apprehended after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border in recent months, according to a new NPR/Ipsos poll.

 

Outgoing immigration judge says he encountered 'soul-crushing bureaucracy'

ABAJournal

The assistant chief immigration judge who oversaw judges and staff members in San Francisco has quit in frustration after only 14 months on the job.

 

Pandemic population change across metro America: Accelerated migration, less immigration, fewer births and more deaths

Brookings

There has been much speculation about the impact that COVID-19 has had on population changes across the country since the pandemic began in the early part of 2020. Most of this discussion has been focused on the ways COVID-19 has affected moves across the US.

 

Editorial: Biden must stop expelling migrants under draconian Trump policy

Los Angeles Times

We are into the fifth month of Joe Biden’s presidency, which also marks the fifth month that he has continued enforcing draconian Trump administration border policies that, as a candidate, he rejected as inhumane.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Downtown Fresno buildings under construction to bring in new businesses

abc30

Work is underway at the Helm Building along Fulton Street in downtown Fresno. "We are completely remodeling the ground level, the retail spaces, bringing the old craftsmanship, the beauty just like when the building was built," said Sevak Katchadourian.

 

Sustainable Development and Land Use Update - May 2021

JDSupra

A newly released draft of California's 2022 building code proposes the most ambitious electrification policies in the country but stops short of a ban on new natural gas-burning appliances.

 

Housing:

 

City Council to Appeal Court Ruling Regarding Housing

Clovis Roundup

On Monday May 17, the Clovis City Council unanimously voted (5-0) to appeal a court decision that found the city’s state approved Housing Element was out of compliance with state law.

 

Gov. Newsom signs affordable housing legislation

abc30

Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation today aimed at affordable housing and other developments in California. Newsom was joined by Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) and other state leaders in Santa Clara County.

 

Cash to help California renters goes unspent with eviction protections expiring soon

Los Angeles Times

Months after the state approved $2.6 billion to help California tenants pay rent amid hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates say a disappointingly low number of people have applied, as the program has been hampered by a slow start, confusion and bureaucratic red tape.

 

Opinion: Want to end homelessness in California? Take lessons from the vaccine rollout

Sacramento Bee

It’s foolish to assume that the scale of the homelessness crisis in California is due to a lack of awareness or concern. Quite the opposite, it’s practically impossible to find a Californian who doesn’t lament the humanitarian crisis unfolding on our streets.

 

Housing finance: Insights on the new normal

AEI

In recent weeks the 3 loan purpose types have responded differently to generally increasing loan rates. At today’s level of 3.13%, purchase volume has continued to be strong.

See also:

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

What’s missing in Newsom’s budget that has public health officials worried

Los Angeles Times

Healthcare advocates in California are pushing back against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s budget plan released last week, saying it follows a dangerous pattern of underfunding local public health agencies despite glaring funding inadequacies exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

See also:

 

Gavin Newsom wants to test guaranteed income programs, give grants to laid-off workers

Sacramento Bee

California workers laid off during the coronavirus pandemic could be eligible for grants to help them train for new jobs or to start a new business, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday as he rolled out his revised budget proposal.

 

California pension plans would get an ‘unprecedented’ boost in Newsom’s budget. Here’s how

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom said last week that his budget would put $11 billion toward California’s retirement debts, a sum he called “unprecedented.” That’s true. But California voters deserve much of the credit for this portion of fiscal prudence in the governor’s budget.

 

Measuring California’s progress on income inequality

CalMatters

California is awash in cash — $100 billion says Gov. Gavin Newsom. While much of the federal aid and taxes from the rich will be used to provide core services such as education and health care, the windfall also provides a once-in-a-generational opportunity to tackle one of California’s most vexing problems: income inequality.

 

U.S. Treasury Offers 15% Minimum Corporate Tax in Global Talks

Wall Street Journal

The U.S. will accept a global minimum corporate tax rate as low as 15% in international negotiations, below the 21% level it has been seeking for U.S.-based companies’ foreign income, the Treasury Department said Thursday.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

California may not widen Highway 41. Fresno leader says widening it will save lives

Fresno Bee

A potential plan to leave a section of Highway 41 at two lanes drew sharp criticism Wednesday from a group of Fresno-area officials led by Assemblymember Jim Patterson.

 

Bakersfield City Council approves bike share program

Bakersfield Californian

The contract will allow Spin, an electric scooter and bicycle company owned by Ford, to begin a bike share program in central Bakersfield and also including the Bakersfield College and Cal State Bakersfield campuses.

 

Stanislaus is short on electric car charging stations. New state grants will help

Modesto Bee

The state is offering $1.97 million in grants to help spread charging stations in Stanislaus County. The California Energy Commission will cover up to 75% of the cost for installations at shopping centers, apartment complexes, gas stations and other convenient spots.

 

California Weighs Electric Car Mandate For Uber And Lyft

Capital Public Radio

Ninety percent of miles logged by Uber and Lyft drivers in California will have to be in electric vehicles by 2030 under a state mandate to be considered Thursday.

See also:

 

DMV looks to increase efficiencies in REAL ID application process

Bakersfield Californian

The Department of Motor Vehicles will no longer require residents applying for a REAL ID to provide a Social Security card or W-2 to prove they have a Social Security number.

 

WATER

 

Tule River Tribe, city partner on new water plant

Porterville Recorder

The Tule River Tribe and the City of Porterville have partnered on a new tertiary water treatment plant as part of the construction of the new, relocated Eagle Mountain Casino near the Porterville Municipal Airport and Porterville Sports Complex.

 

State plans $30 million wall to stop saltwater intrusion into delta - drought fallout

San Francisco Chronicle

In the latest chapter of California’s unfolding drought, state officials are planning to build a giant rock wall across a river in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to save the vital freshwater estuary from San Francisco Bay’s saltwater.

 

Opinion: Balance pain of drought on farmers and fishermen equitably

CalMatters

We need state water regulators to avoid repeating the mistakes of the last drought that hurt salmon, fishermen and women.

 

“Xtra”

 

Bethany Clough: Another wine bar to open in downtown Fresno, this one with a cheese and food business

Fresno Bee

Downtown Fresno is slated to get another wine bar – actually a wine and cheese bar – with a specialty market when Fig & Honey Lavish Grazing moves to Fulton Street. The Fresno catering company specializes in charcuterie boards, and larger, elaborate displays of fruit, cheese, meat and nuts for snacking.

 

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