October 14, 2019

14Oct

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

EDITORIAL: Could Bay Area and SoCal interests ruin key links for Central Valley’s ACE Train?

Modesto Bee

In two or three years, new train services should be whisking Stanislaus County riders toward the Bay Area and Sacramento. Transit shortens the distance between different regions’ cultures and economies, and we look forward to rail enriching Valley lives.

 

EDITORIAL: Modesto leaders must fix doomed approach to downtown parking

Modesto Bee

Here’s a simple idea for improving downtown Modesto: parking meters. It’s hard to find street parking downtown on a weekday because it’s free. Such crowded curbs are not helping restaurants, shops and other businesses that should value customer convenience.

 

Modesto renters among nation’s leaders of those overburdened by housing cost

Modesto Bee

The cost burden for renters in the United States is the heaviest in five years, a new report says, and it’s stressing the household budgets of many residents in Modesto. More than half of the households in Modesto that rent a home or apartment are spending more than 30 percent of gross income on housing.

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Names of Note: The nation’s home builders think highly of this Modesto-area company

Modesto Bee

Entekra, which prefabricates timber in Ripon for use in home construction, has received a major industry honor. The National Association of Home Builders gave the company its Manufacturer of the Year award during an Oct. 6-8 gathering in Pittsburgh, Pa.

 

American Civil Liberties Union throws ‘block party’ to celebrate return to Modesto

Modesto Bee

The Stanislaus Chapter of ACLU Northern California was chartered in September, said Tom Crain, chairman of its steering committee. An ACLU chapter within the county was founded decades ago, but it withered, he said.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

Five Candidates Apply for Vacant Clovis Unified Trustee Sea

GV Wire

The six members of the Clovis Unified school board interviewed five candidates Thursday night to fill a vacancy and join them on an interim basis.

 

Bitwise, Google team up on program to bolster tech startups. Here’s where it’ll happen

Fresno Bee

Bitwise Industries, Fresno’s self-proclaimed “mothership” for upstart technology businesses, and Google are teaming up on a six-month pilot program to help entrepreneurs from non-traditional backgrounds in Fresno County to grow their businesses.

 

Commentary: Poor Central Valley communities deserve safe, affordable water service

Visalia Times Delta

Access to safe and affordable water is a basic human right. Many of our communities have been without safe water for years or even decades because of contamination of our drinking water sources.

 

Study: Hanford, Merced among worst places to get sick

Visalia Times Delta

There are over 6,200 hospitals in the United States, and not all of them are equally effective. While it is difficult to precisely determine the quality of a specific health care system, there are certain measures that can be indicative of overall quality of care.

 

Tulare County walnut growers, bombarded with tariffs, remain hopeful during harvest

Visalia Times Delta

After a devastating 2018, Tulare County walnut growers are on the rebound. That's according to longtime Visalia walnut grower Sam Sciacca who spent last Wednesday harvesting truckloads of walnuts out of his 30-acre orchard along Lovers Lane.

 

EDITORIAL: Devin Nunes needs an intervention to stop his unhealthy lawsuit habit

Los Angeles Times

Just like everyone else, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) has the right to sue anyone he believes has done him harm. But lately the Central Valley congressman has been exercising that right to settle what appear to be political scores.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

Gov Signs Assemblymember Salas’s Legislation to Protect Workers from Valley Fever

Hanford Sentinel

Specifically, Assembly Bill (AB) 203 requires construction employers in highly endemic counties to provide effective valley fever awareness and prevention training to employees.

See also:

 

Visalia leaders don't put 'a lot of credence' behind public opinion survey

Visalia Times Delta

Some Visalia City Council members questioned whether respondents of an annual public opinion survey represented many of the city's residents. "I don't put a lot of credence in a survey of less than 1% of the population," Vice Mayor Steve Nelsen said Monday.

 

Selma City Council Votes To Restart The Process Of Moving To District Elections

KVPR

It’s been about three months since the city of Selma started moving toward district elections, but this week the council voted to start the process all over again.

 

How six homeless people in Boise drastically curbed Bakersfield's ability to dismantle encampments

Bakersfield Californian

Homelessness in Kern County has apparently exploded over the past year, along with frustration that city residents say they feel over aggressive panhandlers and illicit activities happening in broad daylight.

 

Caltrans plans to pull funding on last stage of Highway 46 widening just outside Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

The widening of the last two-lane stretch of road on Highway 46 between Bakersfield and the Central Coast could be put on hold if a Caltrans proposal is approved.

 

EDITORIAL: Caltrans blindsides Kern, Valley with ‘bait and switch’

Bakersfield Californian

Highway 99 is not just a few lanes of asphalt running through the middle of the state. It is California’s most heavily traveled state highway. It’s California’s Main Street, as it veers through the hearts of many Central Valley cities, between Red Bluff and Bakersfield.

 

Pistachio production, revenues on the rise in Kern

Bakersfield Californian

If pistachios were a football team — and sometimes it does seem like they compete against almonds — they would be climbing the tree-nut power rankings.

 

County snuffs out farmers' plans for roadside hemp sales

Bakersfield Californian

Local farmers recently raised what seemed like a simple question: Anyone growing hemp legally in Kern County ought to be able to sell it on the side of the road just like growers of other crops, right?

 

Greenlawn marks opening of Bakersfield's only operating pet cemetery

Bakersfield Californian

Greenlawn Southwest is now allowing grieving pet owners to purchase plots for their household pets. The pets must be cremated beforehand, unless they are very small, such as a bird.

 

Cong. McCarthy says closure of Taft Correction Institution suspended

Bakersfield Californian

The Department of Justice has temporarily suspended the shutdown of Taft Correctional Institution, according to U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

 

State:

 

California governor ends Legislative session with vetoes

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has closed out the Legislative session by vetoing bills that would have expanded full-day kindergarten programs and paid family leave for teachers. Newsom had until Sunday to act on legislation passed this year.

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EDITORIAL: Murder, rape, slavery and genocide. Here’s why California must ditch Columbus Day

Sacramento Bee

Even by the dismal standards of the 1400s, Christopher Columbus was a terrible human being. So why does California continue to honor him with his own holiday when other states have already replaced it with Indigenous Peoples’ Day?

 

Federal:

 

Giuliani associates charged with campaign crimes gave money to California Republicans

Fresno Bee

Four California Republican congressman, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, in 2018 accepted contributions from the two associates of Rudy Giuliani who were charged with with federal campaign finance violations this week.

 

In or out? Court case on job bias casts pall on LGBT fests

Fresno Bee

National Coming Out Day festivities were tempered this year by anxiety that some LGBT folk may have to go back into the closet so they can make a living, depending on what the Supreme Court decides about workplace discrimination law.

 

Elections 2020:

 

New voting system in 2020 means more days and more ways to cast your ballot

Fresno Bee

As we transition to Vote Centers for the March 2020 election, it means that Fresno County voters will have more choices on where, when and how they would like to cast their ballot.

 

Joe Biden lays out ethical markers should he win

Fresno Bee

He says that in a Biden White House, his family members would not be allowed to have any business relationships with foreign companies or governments. Nor would they be allowed to have an office in the White House or attend Cabinet meetings.

 

What happened to Kamala Harris?

Roll Call

Harris’s failure to launch has caused me to think about what went wrong and whether she will have a second chance to make a first impression. Did those of us who expected her to be a formidable contender merely exaggerate this potential appeal, or did she fail to capitalize on her assets?

 

Sanders Pledges 20% Worker Stake in Sweeping Governance Overhaul

Bloomberg

Senator Bernie Sanders proposed sweeping changes to U.S. corporate governance that would give workers 20% ownership in public companies and the right to elect 45% of their directors, while expanding the government’s power to stop mergers.

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Nonpartisan commission announces sites and dates for 2020 presidential debates

Los Angeles Times

The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates has announced sites and dates for three presidential debates and one vice presidential debate, to be held just weeks before election day in 2020.

 

Other:

 

Commentary: It's time for biased media to play straight with public

Visalia Times Delta

Some Central Valley newspapers seem to assume conservatives have already canceled their subscriptions so they are free to publish biased news and opinion pieces that only appeal to the political left.

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In Their Own Words: Behind Americans’ Views of ‘Socialism’ and ‘Capitalism’

Pew Research

For many Americans, “socialism” is a word that evokes a weakened work ethic, stifled innovation and excessive reliance on the government. For others, it represents a fairer, more generous society.

 

Commentary: Social-Justice Warriors Won’t Listen, but You Should

Wall Street Journal

What can you do? Listen and learn. Ask questions to try to understand exactly what these quasi-religious ideologues are saying. Then, rather than disagreeing with them, arguing with them, or trying to get them to change their minds, do something truly radical. Believe them.

 

Should Consumers Be Able to Sell Their Own Personal Data?

Wall Street Journal

People around the world are confused and concerned about what companies do with the data they collect from their interactions with consumers. One idea is to give people greater control over their data by granting them ownership of it and the right to sell it or restrict its use as they see fit.

 

Broadband adoption is on the rise, but states can do much more

Brookings

Broadband, which enables high-speed internet access, is essential infrastructure in our digital age. However, with 19 million disconnected households across the country, it is impossible to capitalize on broadband’s full economic and social impacts.

 

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, October 13, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “The Road Ahead for Zero-Emision Vehicles in CA” – Guest: F. Noel Perry, Founder of Next 10. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, October 6, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Climate Change and Electric Vehicles: Public Action and Private Markets” – Guests: F. Noel Perry, Founder of Next 10; State Senator Fran Pavley. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, October 6, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Workers Comp Fraud” – Invitado: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Tulare County walnut growers, bombarded with tariffs, remain hopeful during harvest

Visalia Times Delta

After a devastating 2018, Tulare County walnut growers are on the rebound. That's according to longtime Visalia walnut grower Sam Sciacca who spent last Wednesday harvesting truckloads of walnuts out of his 30-acre orchard along Lovers Lane.

 

County snuffs out farmers' plans for roadside hemp sales

Bakersfield Californian

Local farmers recently raised what seemed like a simple question: Anyone growing hemp legally in Kern County ought to be able to sell it on the side of the road just like growers of other crops, right?

 

Pistachio production, revenues on the rise in Kern

Bakersfield Californian

If pistachios were a football team — and sometimes it does seem like they compete against almonds — they would be climbing the tree-nut power rankings.

 

Who says you can’t eat red meat? Food advice questioned anew

Stockton Record

A team of international researchers recently rattled the nutrition world by saying there isn’t enough evidence to tell people to cut back on red or processed meat, seemingly contradicting advice from prominent health experts and groups.

 

Governor Newsom signs measure banning 'lunch shaming' in California

abc30

California's governor has signed into law a bill that guarantees all students a state-funded meal of their choice, even if their parent or guardian has unpaid meal fees.

 

When it comes to legal marijuana, Fresno can learn a thing or two from Woodlake

Fresno Bee

You do know marijuana, both recreational and medicinal use, is legal in California, right? That may come as a shock to anyone living in Fresno and Clovis, where city leaders have chosen to clamp their hands over their ears and yell “Na! Na! Na! Na!”

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Law gives child sex assault victims more time to file suits

Fresno Bee

California is giving childhood victims of sexual abuse more time to decide whether to file lawsuits, joining several states in expanding the statute of limitations for victims over warnings from school districts that the new rules could bankrupt them.

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New California law bans private prisons and immigrant detention centers

Sacramento Bee

California must phase out private, for-profit prisons and immigrant detention centers by 2028 under a new law Gov. Gavin Newsom announced signing Friday. The measure, Assembly Bill 32, represents a step toward the governor’s campaign promise to end the state’s use of private prisons.

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McCarthy says closure of Taft Correction Institution suspended

Bakersfield Californian

The Department of Justice has temporarily suspended the shutdown of Taft Correctional Institution, according to U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy.

 

California Democrats pay $800,000 in sex-misconduct cases

AP News

The California Democratic Party has spent more than $800,000 in legal costs tied to three lawsuits alleging discrimination and sexual misconduct by its former chair, Eric Bauman.

 

Public Safety:

 

New California gun control laws limit firearm purchases, expand restraining orders

Sacramento Bee

Starting in July 2021, Californians will be allowed to purchase one long gun per month. People younger than age 21 won’t be allowed to obtain those weapons, with few exceptions for law enforcement officers and military service members.

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An effort to stop overnight jail releases in California is rejected by Gov. Newsom

Los Angeles Times

On Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation to change the rules. Senate Bill 42 would have required county jails to allow those being released to stay until daylight hours if they chose.

 

Newsom vetoes canine blood bank bill, saying he wants lawmakers to do more for pet safety

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday vetoed a bill that would have relaxed rules governing canine blood donation, an effort aimed at creating humane facilities in which people could donate plasma from their pets.

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Why we won’t call 911: Too often, police officers’ response to mental illness is deadly

CalMatters

Attributing these tragedies, whether gun or Taser-inflicted, to human error ignores systemic problems with how we address mental illness in the community. We’ve failed as a society when police are the primary responders to mental health crises.

 

Fire:

 

California power outages highlight economic disparity

Fresno Bee

Many families impacted by the blackouts are struggling from paycheck to paycheck and don't have the luxury of buying backup power. The blackouts are highlighting a divide in a region with growing income disparity where access to electricity is increasingly available to those who can afford to pay.

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ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Despite rumors, landlord says former Tower District BofA isn’t going to pot

Business Journal

Workers recently painting the building had some nearby business operators hoping that a new business would open there soon. In fact, one rumor circulating was that the former bank was set to become a medicinal marijuana shop.

 

Salazar pedigree didn’t win out over rising Visalia rents

Business Journal

After 23 years of being a staple among Visalia restaurants, Henry Salazar’s Fresh Mex Grill served its last meal Saturday night. Owner Henry Salazar said the Mexican restaurant didn’t go out of business due to lack of customers but rather because of rising rent.

 

Body del Sol tops local Inc. 5000 companies

Business Journal

Body del Sol Medical Spa earned the highest spot for the Central Valley on Inc. 5000’s 2019 Most Successful Companies in America — the business magazine’s annual list of the 5,000 fastest-growing privately held companies in the U.S.

 

Trump’s China Deal Yields Plenty of Questions, and Critics

Bloomberg

With the partial agreement with China that he announced Friday, President Donald Trump is back in dealmaker mode after months of escalation.

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Jobs:

 

Workforce Development Boards: Going Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

EdNote

As states assess their workforce needs and opportunities for further economic development, workforce boards commonly go beyond the 12 required functions set out in the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA).

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EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

New law delays start times at California schools: No class before 8 a.m.

Fresno Bee

A new law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed on Sunday forbids California middle schools from ringing the opening bell before 8 a.m., and prohibits high schools from starting class before 8:30 a.m.

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Kern students continue to struggle to meet standards for English, mathematics in 2018-19, but educators say there are improvements

Bakersfield Californian

Less than half of all students in Kern County who took a statewide standardized test met or exceeded standards for English language arts and mathematics in 2018-2019, but local educators say the numbers show a different story.

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Lemoore Native American Students Experience 'Egregiously High' Rates of Suspension, Expulsion

KVPR

A recently published study says that Native American students in California experience suspension rates that are twice as high as the state average. The same study also found that expulsion rates of those students are particularly high in Kings County.

 

Clovis Unified Invested in Present and Future

Clovis Roundup

With over 15 different pathways (Career Technical Education courses) available to students within the district, Clovis Unified is continuing a long-held tradition of promoting ROP/skilled-labor courses.

 

Parents, is the LCAP confusing? Here's a breakdown of the vital funding

Visalia Times Delta

Visalia Unified School District will soon have state dollars to spend on services that "matter most" to students and families. Now's your chance to let the district know if it should pour more money into preschools, career tech, summer school, arts or after-school programs.

 

‘In God We Trust’: Public School Displays of the National Motto

EdNote

When students returned to school this fall, some may have noticed new “In God We Trust” displays in their public school buildings. These displays correspond with recent laws in five states which make the displays a requirement beginning in the 2019-20 school year.

 

Teachers and students push for climate change education in California

EdSource

As students around the globe demand action by their government leaders to protect the environment, school boards across California have taken steps to recognize the impact of climate change on the environment and their students.

 

There’s More Than Two Paths to Success. Our K-12 System Should Reflect That.

Townhall

No matter what you think of this move, there’s no denying the issue it aims to address: our current education system reinforces inequality rather than eliminating it. A phenomenon known as “tracking” or “ability grouping” separates the “gifted” students from the “average” students.

 

Push to increase the number of teachers of color in California classrooms gains momentum

EdSource

Increasing the number of teachers of color in California classrooms has been a top priority for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond since he started the job in January.

 

Gov. Newsom vetoes allowing districts to substitute SAT for 11th grade state test

EdSource

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed legislation Sunday that would have let school districts substitute the SAT or ACT college entrance exams for the state’s standardized 11th grade math and reading/writing tests to meet state and federal testing requirements.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Fresno State Statement: Incorrect claim of regarding involvement in a Fresno-based media-related initiative.

Fresno State News

Contrary to implications in said news report, Fresno State is not financially supporting The Fresno Bee’s Education Lab, a new initiative that includes the hiring of an editor and three reporters who will focus on education stories.

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Valley Fever the Focus of Public Event

UC Merced

UC Merced is offering the opportunity for Valley residents to learn what clinicians and researchers know about Valley fever, an airborne fungal infection that can have serious, even fatal, consequences for people across California and the Southwest.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

California beaches and parks to be tobacco-free under new smoking, vaping ban

Sacramento Bee

California will no longer allow people to smoke or vape at state parks and beaches, under a new law signed Gov. Gavin Newsom signed on Friday. Even so, people will still be allowed to smoke in parking lots and on roads outside state parks and beaches.

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Gavin Newsom signs bill banning California hotels from using tiny plastic shampoo bottles

Sacramento Bee

California hotels with more than 50 rooms will be banned from dispensing plastic bottles of soap, shampoo or conditioner beginning in 2023 under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The ban applies to all hotels, regardless of size, in 2024.

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Newsom vetoes tough bill on new plastic bottle recycling rules

San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Saturday to give California one of the toughest recycling mandates for plastic bottles in the nation. AB792 by Assemblyman Phil Ting would have required beverage companies to use 50% recycled content in bottles by 2030.

 

600 former EPA officials demand investigation into Trump administration over California threats

Los Angeles Times

Nearly 600 former Environmental Protection Agency officials have called for an investigation into whether the agency’s leaders abused their authority by threatening punitive action against California.

 

California is unlikely to work with Trump on environment policy. Influencers explain why

Sacramento Bee

While the federal government should set minimum standards so that all of America can be clean and beautiful, it should avoid blocking a state from enacting stronger rules designed to meet the unique environmental and public health needs of those within its borders.

 

Energy:

 

California governor signs bill limiting oil, gas development

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday signed a law intended to counter Trump administration plans to increase oil and gas production on protected public land.

See also:

 

Lithium will fuel the clean energy boom. This company may have a breakthrough

Los Angeles Times

The geothermal plants could soon contribute to California’s war against climate change in a new way: by producing lithium, a key ingredient in batteries that power electric cars and store solar power for use after dark.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Governor Signs Assemblymember Salas’s Legislation to Protect Workers from Valley Fever

Hanford Sentinel

Specifically, Assembly Bill (AB) 203 requires construction employers in highly endemic counties to provide effective valley fever awareness and prevention training to employees.

See also:

 

The ‘price gouging’ of diabetes. Solutions sought to high cost of insulin

Modesto Bee

For an individual, monthly medical expenses may exceed $1,000. Those costs include insulin, supplies such as glucose monitors and test strips, alcohol swabs, syringes, needles and bandages.

 

VUSD to host community presentation on vaping

Hanford Sentinel

Visalia Unified School District, the California Health Collaborative, Visalia Police Department and the Tulare County Office of Education are joining forces to inform parents and community members about vape-use among teenagers.

See also:

 

Diet And Depression: What You Eat Can Help Improve Mood, New Study Finds

NPR

There's fresh evidence that eating a healthy diet, one that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables and limits highly processed foods, can help reduce symptoms of depression.

 

Human Services:

 

Abortion pills to be available at California colleges under new law

Fresno Bee

Her experience led to her lobby for a law that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed on Friday requiring California public universities to provide medication abortion through campus clinics by 2023. Former Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a similar bill last year.

See also:

 

Kern kicks off Binational Health Week; taskforce to focus on mental health care, Medi-Cal expansion

Kern Sol News

The mission of the Binational Health Week Taskforce is to educate under served communities about health care services and to expand access to healthcare by delivering key messages to the Latino migrant community.

 

Study: Hanford, Merced among worst places to get sick

Visalia Times Delta

There are over 6,200 hospitals in the United States, and not all of them are equally effective. While it is difficult to precisely determine the quality of a specific health care system, there are certain measures that can be indicative of overall quality of care.

 

Fertility options for cancer patients must be covered under new California law

Los Angeles Times

California will require health insurance companies to cover the cost of fertility procedures for patients undergoing treatment that can make it difficult to have children, such as chemotherapy, under a bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Saturday.

 

Heads Up: A Ruling On The Latest Challenge To The Affordable Care Act Is Coming

NPR

A decision in the latest court case to threaten the future of the Affordable Care Act could come as soon as this month. The ruling will come from the panel of judges in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which heard oral arguments in the Texas v. Azar lawsuit.

 

Retroactive enrollment: A feasible way to bring auto-enrollment to the individual market

Brookings

Over the past decade, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has dramatically increased the share of Americans with health insurance coverage, but 30 million people remain uninsured.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Hundreds of migrants corralled at detention center in Mexico

Fresno Bee

Hundreds of migrants from Africa, the Caribbean and Central America found themselves corralled in a migrant detention facility in southern Mexico on Sunday after a futile attempt to head north as part of a caravan aiming to reach the United States.

 

Homeland Security acting head Kevin McAleenan resigns, leaving department at war with itself

Los Angeles Times

Kevin McAleenan, the acting Homeland Security secretary, is leaving President Trump’s administration, making the lawyer and former Obama official the latest departure in a long purge of leadership from the U.S. government’s third-largest department.

 

No refugees allowed? Trump’s plan to give states and cities a veto prompts an outcry.

Washington Post

Trump’s executive order requires state and local governments to consent in writing before people can arrive, meaning a state could ban refugees even when a city is prepared to welcome them, and vice versa.

See also:

 

Federal Judges Block Rule to Disqualify Legal Immigrants Over Public Assistance

Wall Street Journal

Federal judges in three states on Friday blocked a Trump administration rule that would disqualify legal immigrants from permanent residency if they use certain public-assistance programs and impede prospective applicants deemed likely to need them.

 

EDITORIAL: Trump’s plan to collect DNA from migrants is a civil liberties nightmare

Los Angeles Times

The 4th Amendment of the Constitution protects everyone in the U.S. — regardless of legal status — against excessive searches and seizures by the government. In a reasonable world, that would mean that the authorities couldn’t compel you to provide a DNA sample unless they have a warrant or probable cause to believe you’ve committed a crime.

 

Census Bureau seeks state data, including citizenship info

AP News

The U.S. Census Bureau is asking states for drivers’ license records that typically include citizenship data and has made a new request for information on recipients of government assistance after the U.S. Supreme Court blocked plans to include a citizenship question in its 2020 population count.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Names of Note: The nation’s home builders think highly of this Modesto-area company

Modesto Bee

Entekra, which prefabricates timber in Ripon for use in home construction, has received a major industry honor. The National Association of Home Builders gave the company its Manufacturer of the Year award during an Oct. 6-8 gathering in Pittsburgh, Pa.

 

Housing:

 

How six homeless people in Boise drastically curbed Bakersfield's ability to dismantle encampments

Bakersfield Californian

Homelessness in Kern County has apparently exploded over the past year, along with frustration that city residents say they feel over aggressive panhandlers and illicit activities happening in broad daylight.

 

In return to its roots, Lamont may provide refuge to those in need

Bakersfield Californian

Last week, the Housing Authority of Kern County discussed plans to use the Sunset Camp, a housing complex it owns south of Lamont, to shelter up to 50 women to live at the camp from Nov. 15 through March 31, a time of year when the units are normally vacant.

 

Modesto renters among nation’s leaders of those overburdened by housing cost

Modesto Bee

The cost burden for renters in the United States is the heaviest in five years, a new report says, and it’s stressing the household budgets of many residents in Modesto. More than half of the households in Modesto that rent a home or apartment are spending more than 30 percent of gross income on housing.

See also:

 

Newsom rejects California housing bill that would have raised billions for projects

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Sunday that he’d vetoed a bill to authorize up to $2 billion in annual state funding for affordable housing projects in California.

See also:

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

State Fiscal Health Index: August 2019

LAO

Multiple signs suggest a slowdown could be on the horizon, but recent actions by the Federal Reserve could help improve economic conditions. If, despite Federal Reserve actions, conditions do not improve in the coming months the risk of a decline in state revenues would be high.

Newsom veto lets California cities share sales tax with Amazon, other retailers

Fresno Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have barred California cities from striking tax-sharing deals with retailers like Amazon and Apple, finding that rural communities rely on the agreements to spur employment.

 

CalPERS in settlement talks in $1 billion long-term care insurance lawsuit

Sacramento Bee

A judge has postponed a trial in a $1.2 billion lawsuit against CalPERS over an 85 percent price hike to its long-term care insurance policies.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Caltrans plans to pull funding on last stage of Highway 46 widening just outside Kern County

Bakersfield Californian

The widening of the last two-lane stretch of road on Highway 46 between Bakersfield and the Central Coast could be put on hold if a Caltrans proposal is approved.

 

Governor vetoes bill to require walkable, bike-friendly roadways

San Francisco Chronicle

Gov. Gavin Newsom has rejected a bill that sought to turn California highways into walkable civic spines, saying it would have been too prescriptive and costly.

 

EDITORIAL: Could Bay Area and SoCal interests ruin key links for Central Valley’s ACE Train?

Modesto Bee

In two or three years, new train services should be whisking Stanislaus County riders toward the Bay Area and Sacramento. Transit shortens the distance between different regions’ cultures and economies, and we look forward to rail enriching Valley lives.

 

EDITORIAL: Caltrans blindsides Kern, Valley with ‘bait and switch’

Bakersfield Californian

Highway 99 is not just a few lanes of asphalt running through the middle of the state. It is California’s most heavily traveled state highway. It’s California’s Main Street, as it veers through the hearts of many Central Valley cities, between Red Bluff and Bakersfield.

 

EDITORIAL: Modesto leaders must fix doomed approach to downtown parking

Modesto Bee

Here’s a simple idea for improving downtown Modesto: parking meters. It’s hard to find street parking downtown on a weekday because it’s free. Such crowded curbs are not helping restaurants, shops and other businesses that should value customer convenience.

 

EDITORIAL: To get lower car insurance premiums in California, it helps to be well-off and white

Los Angeles Times

If you’re a Latino or black Californian with a low-wage job and no college degree, you already have the economic deck stacked against you. And now, a survey by the Department of Insurance shows that you probably aren’t getting a discount on your car insurance that more affluent Californians get.

 

EDITORIAL: The Electric-Vehicle Subsidy Racket

Wall Street Journal

Government data show the EV subsidy mostly benefits the well-to-do. Electric cars are substantially more expensive than average vehicles.

 

WATER

 

Commentary: Poor Central Valley communities deserve safe, affordable water service

Visalia Times Delta

Access to safe and affordable water is a basic human right. Many of our communities have been without safe water for years or even decades because of contamination of our drinking water sources.

 

What Is ‘SGMA?’ A Primer On California’s Groundwater Overhaul Law

KVPR

We in California are depleting our groundwater aquifers faster than we can replenish them. Over the last few decades in the San Joaquin Valley, that deficit has averaged close to two million acre-feet per year, a total that was exacerbated by drought conditions that may become more common as the climate continues to change.

 

“Xtra”

 

Ela Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma, will speak about legacy at Fresno State

Fresno Bee

Ela Gandhi, the granddaughter of civil rights leader Mahatma Gandhi, will be at Fresno State on Monday to talk about the Gandhian legacy and challenges in the 21st century.

 

This downtown Fresno beer pub and restaurant is calling it quits – for good this time

Fresno Bee

Downtown Fresno gastropub HoP PK has closed for good. The beer pub and restaurant at Van Ness Avenue and Inyo Street announced the closure in a Facebook post Friday morning.

 

Teen leads tours showcasing downtown Fresno's art

abc30

Miranda Deis stood next to her favorite piece of art, Fresno's washing woman, as she led an art tour in downtown Fresno. The 14-year-old set out to lead the art tour highlighting some pieces that fit the surroundings perfectly, and others with volcanic origins.

 

Flores: Family Halloween Movie Night is a scream

Bakersfield Californian

The Halloween season is the perfect time to ask anyone who has touched or been touched by, what some people claim to be, the mystical powers of the Ouija Board. Flicker the lights, cue the smog machine and listen for Vincent Price laughing.

 

Arts fans, Stockton has an amazing week in store

Stockton Record

The fourth annual Stockton Arts Week is in full swing, celebrating the community’s rich arts and culture with a packed lineup of art walks, exhibits, paint nights, performances and more.

 

Make a joyful noise; interactive public music garden going into downtown Modesto

Modesto Bee

Wait, is downtown Modesto becoming ... cool? Sky-high murals splashed across buildings. Maker’s markets drawing thousands to its streets. And now an open-air music garden that could become the soundtrack to it all.

 

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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno 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 at California State University, Fresno 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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