Maddy Institute – October 19, 2021

19Oct

POLICY & POLITICS

Public Hearing on California's Recall System

Little Hoover Commision

On Thursday, October 28, 2021 the Little Hoover Commission will conduct a public hearing on California's recall system via Zoom. Click the URL to join online: https://bit.ly/3G14r79. To join via phone, call toll free from the U.S. by dialing (888) 788-0099. The webinar ID is 979-7797-7060. The password is 575258.

North SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Stanislaus adds four deaths, 410 cases over weekend Modesto Bee

Here’s how Merced schools responded to statewide protest over Newsom vaccination mandate

Merced Sun Star

Merced County school officials say a planned statewide protest Monday against state COVID-19 mandates doesn’t appear to have resulted in a dramatic difference in students attendance for some of the region’s largest districts.

Upgrades to downtown Mariposa making streets safer for pedestrians

abc30

The pedestrian safety project began in May. It should be finished by the end of this year or early next year. Work is underway in downtown Mariposa to improve roads and safety for pedestrians. The new project includes installing curbs and gutters along State Route 140.

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno-area parents, students protest Newsom’s COVID mandates. ‘I’m the parent, not you’

Fresno Bee

Holding signs declaring “I’m the parent, not you,” and waving the Don’t Tread on Me Gadsden flag, more than 200 Fresno-area parents, students and teachers rallied outside the offices of public health officials on Monday.

Nearly 5,000 Visalia Unified students, 150 teachers out amid statewide walkout

Visalia Times-Delta

While the number of students who missed classes Monday is unknown, the cost to local districts could be millions — likely upward of $300,000 in losses to Visalia Unified, based on rates published by the state's department of education.

Do other counties have foster kids sleeping on office tables? State says it’s ‘uncommon’

Fresno Bee

Scott Murray, a spokesman at the California Department of Social Services, said what was happening in Fresno County is rare, but there have been “some instances when it has happened in the past.”

Judge has harsh words for ex-Fresno City Council staffer convicted of domestic violence

Fresno Bee

A Fresno County Superior Court judge has ordered Daniel Gai, the former Fresno City Council staff member convicted of domestic violence charges, to be given a diagnostic evaluation by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation prior to sentencing.

Fresno’s TikTok mayor: How Jerry Dyer connects with young people and shares his personality

Fresno Bee

Since taking office as Fresno’s mayor in January, Jerry Dyer has been extra active and extra visible. You may see him even where you least expect it — on TikTok, the short-form, video-sharing social network that is popular with teens and Gen Z.

Calling All Community Groups: Grants Available For Stormwater Education Projects

Business Journal

Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District is opening grant program applications for community groups’ environmental projects. Community groups have a chance to receive up to $4,000 per project, with a total of $25,000 allotted for distribution to eligible applicants.

California Democrat joins race for tossup congressional seat. Will GOP be able to keep it?

Fresno Bee

Assemblyman Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield, announced on Monday that he intends to challenge Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, to contest a southern San Joaquin Valley district where Democrats outnumber Republicans.

See also:

● Rudy Salas announces bid for Congress Bakersfield Californian

● California congressional race could help tilt House control Associated Press

South SJ Valley:

COVID Update:

● Kern Public Health: 768 coronavirus cases, 10 deaths reported Monday Bakersfield Californian

● CAPK holding vaccine clinics throughout Kern Bakersfield Californian

Hundreds gather outside Superintendent's office to protest vaccine mandate

Bakersfield Now

A large crowd gathered in front of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools office in downtown Bakersfield Monday to protest the state's vaccine mandate.

Bakersfield College providing virtual resource, support sessions this week for undocumented students

KGET

The college is hosting a series of virtual events from Oct. through Oct. 22 for what’s being called Undocumented Student Action Week. Organizers say its an effort to support and advocate for undocumented students within the community college system in California.

State:

COVID Update:

● Tracking Coronavirus in California New York Times

● Why California Has One of the Lowest Covid-19 Rates in the Nation New York Times

Parents plan school walkout over vaccine mandate

CalMatters

Around 2,500 people are slated to protest in front of the state Capitol building in Sacramento for an event called “Our Children, Our Choice,” according to a permit approved by the California Highway Patrol.

● Parents in California protest student COVID-19 vaccine mandate, keep kids home Los Angeles Times

● California to Mandate Covid-19 Vaccines for All Students as Soon as Next Fall New York Times

● California’s Fraught History With Childhood Vaccines New York Times

Walters: California’s gas lawn equipment ban hits the little guys

CalMatters

A new California law to eliminate gasoline-powered lawn equipment sounds reasonable, but it messes with the lives of small landscapers.

California #MeToo leaders say Capitol’s sexual harassment unit is too close to the Legislature

Sacramento Bee

A network of activists who helped inspire the #MeToo movement in the California Capitol four years ago are calling for a series of improvements to the Legislature’s independent panel set up in 2019 to investigate workplace misconduct.

SEIU Local 1000 power struggle: Read the documents showing vote to strip president’s authority

Sacramento Bee

A group of SEIU Local 1000 board members voted on a series of policy proposals Sunday that, if upheld, would permanently restructure the board’s leadership, transferring powers held by the president to a board-selected chairperson.

Second state worker charged in fraud case at California Office of AIDS

Sacramento Bee

A second state worker has been charged in connection with a scandal inside California’s Office of AIDS that prosecutors say has cost the state $2 million in fraudulent billings.

Can online sports betting help the homeless? California mayors back ballot measure

Sacramento Bee

The mayors of four big California cities are backing an online sports betting initiative that they say will help “countless Californians” struggling with homelessness by providing more state revenue for housing.

California Has Driest Year Since 1924

Wall Street Journal

The 12-month period from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30 when surface-water supply is tracked, known as a water year, was the second driest on record based on precipitation and runoff, according to the California Department of Water Resources.

See also:

● California records driest year in a century Los Angeles Times

● Video: Managing Water in a Changing Climate Public Policy Institute of California

● Satellites reveal the secrets of water-guzzling farms in California VPR

● Opinion: Clean water in California is overdue CalMatters

Oil company at center of Orange County spill received millions in federal relief

Los Angeles Times

The energy company at the center of a massive oil spill off the Orange County coast has received roughly $31 million in federal relief since 2016, Rep. Katie Porter (D-Irvine) said during a congressional subcommittee hearing on Monday.

Federal:

COVID Update:

● Colin Powell was vaccinated but died from COVID. Here’s why the rare event is possible Fresno Bee

● Vaccine mix-and-match approach poised to get FDA clearance Los Angeles Times

● F.D.A. to Allow ‘Mix and Match’ Approach for Covid Booster Shots New York Times

● The coronavirus is still mutating. But will that matter? ‘We need to keep the respect for this virus.’ Washington Post

Biden’s dilemma: Satisfying Manchin risks losing other Dems

Modesto Bee

The conservative West Virginia Democrat wants to dismantle President Joe Biden's proposed climate change strategies and social services expansion in ways that are simply unacceptable for most in his party.

● The Manchin and Bernie show consumes Democrats Politico

● Opinion: Climate change policies in Biden’s budget bill are in trouble. Here’s what they are and why they’re crucial Los Angeles Times

Democrats unveil doomed funding bills ahead of December shutdown cliff

Politico

Those bills are already toast in the upper chamber, where Republican lawmakers are once again demanding that Pentagon funding and non-defense cash be boosted by the same amount.

● Biden’s Paid Leave Plan at Risk as Lawmakers Look to Shrink Package New York Times

● Opinion: Sinema saving seats of silent Democrats AEI

Lawmakers warn Biden not to dilute the ‘biggest racial justice bill in generations’

Politico

As he and other members of the Congressional Black Caucus gathered with President Joe Biden earlier this year, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn made note of the portrait of FDR that was hanging on the Oval Office wall.

The U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of officers accused of excessive force

VPR

The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in favor of police officers in two cases involving qualified immunity, the controversial legal doctrine that protects police officers accused of misconduct.

SCOTUS ‘Shadow Docket’ Decisions Impact Americans’ Liberties

Bloomberg

The U.S. Supreme Court this summer issued a number of rulings on its “shadow docket” that impact the liberties of all Americans. Rulings on issues like abortion, immigration, and evictions require judges at any level to carefully weigh their consequences on the people most affected.

● Biden asks Supreme Court to halt Texas abortion law Mercury News

● Justice Department Asks Supreme Court to Block Texas Abortion Law New York Times

● Opinion: Progressive Court-Packing Meltdown Wall Street Journal

Trump sues Jan. 6 committee, National Archives

Politico

Donald Trump is suing the Jan. 6 select committee and the National Archives to block the release of his White House’s records related to the Capitol attack.

● Trump questioned for four hours in lawsuit from protesters allegedly assaulted by his guards Washington Post

● Senate bill would boost Capitol Police budget, maybe rationale for new HQ Roll Call

Other:

Republican and Democrat Lawmakers Step Up Efforts to Adopt Tougher Tech Laws

Wall Street Journal

Legislation to curb the influence of big technology companies, including putting new restrictions on online content, is starting to gain traction in Congress as lawmakers narrow their targets and seek to build on public attention.

● Opinion: Invoking ‘Big Tech’ as an accusation can endanger American security The Hill

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, October 24, at 10 a.m on ABC30 – Maddy Report: "California Latinos: An Economic Analysis" - Guest: Mindy Romero, Director - Center for Inclusive Democracy, Price School of Public Policy at USC. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, October 24, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: "Poverty and the Economic Situation of California Latinos"- Guests: Sarah Bohn, Public Policy Institute of California and Mindy Romero, Director of Price School of Public Policy at USC. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Indigenous farmworkers lacked access to resources, information in their language during the pandemic

VPR

A new report from researchers and community-based organizations released Monday shows Indigenous farmworkers across California lacked information and resources to protect themselves during the coronavirus pandemic.

Farmers and John Deere Suppliers Worry About Strike’s Impact

Business Journal

Farmers and Deere & Co. suppliers are worried about what the strike at the tractor maker’s factories will mean for their livelihoods.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

California marijuana busts surge despite legalization as agencies target illicit growers

Sacramento Bee

Four years after weed became legal in California for adult recreational use, state law enforcement officials have doubled the amount of illicit marijuana plants seized and eradicated in an annual campaign.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Says It Was Hit by a Ransomware Attack

Wall Street Journal

Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., one of the largest owners of broadcast stations in the U.S., said it is working to contain a cybersecurity incident that disrupted some of its networks and had some of its servers and workstations encrypted with ransomware.

Public Safety:

Opinion: Rule of law takes a big hit during COVID-19

Brookings

The global pandemic has dramatically impaired the lives of millions of people around the world. It has also dealt a body blow to democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, at a time when these values were already in decline.

Fire:

Intense rain storms could dampen fall fire risk in parts of California

Los Angeles Times

After suffering through a devastating summer of wildfires, Californians may catch a break this month as a series of expected storms could effectively end the fire season in the northern and central parts of the state, experts say.

ECONOMY/JOBS

Economy:

1 in 3 working families is struggling to find the child care they desperately need

VPR

34% of families with young children are facing serious problems finding child care when adults need to work.The poll also found that in the last few months, 44% of households with children under age 18 have been facing serious financial problems. That figure jumps to 63% for Black families and 59% for Latino households.

High prices and depleted shelves: Here’s why the supply chain is a mess — and will be for a while

PolitiFact

Businesses and consumers are feeling the squeeze of a global supply chain under duress as the world economy navigates the latest stage of the coronavirus pandemic.

● Auto Supply-Chain Constraints Weighed on September’s Industrial Production Wall Street Journal

Opinion: A new look at wealth concentration in America

AEI

How rich are the richest Americans? It’s a question — one pretty relevant to modern American political debate — that is the subject of the new NBER working paper “Top Wealth in America: New Estimates and Implications for Taxing the Rich” by Matthew Smith, Owen M. Zidar, and Eric Zwick.

SEC’s GameStop Report Questions ‘Game-Like’ Trading Apps

Wall Street Journal

Agency report finds buying by hundreds of thousands of investors fueled the January meme-stock rally, dismisses alternative theories

Jobs:

Biden’s Paid Leave Plan at Risk as Lawmakers Look to Shrink Package

New York Times

An initial proposal to offer workers 12 weeks of paid leave could be whittled down as Democrats try to trim their $3.5 trillion social policy bill.

As Starbucks Workers Seek a Union, Company Officials Converge on Stores

New York Times

A push in the Buffalo area could produce the first union at company-owned stores in the U.S. But backers say moves by management are having a chilling effect.

Opinion: Why are so many Americans quitting their jobs?

VPR

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that 4.3 million Americans, or 2.9% of the entire workforce, quit their jobs in August. That was a record-breaking month, piggybacking on previous record months. "The Great Resignation" is real, and it can be seen across virtually all industries.

Can Anyone Stop the Uberization of the Economy?

Intelligencer

Massachusetts Bill H.1234, backed by Uber, Lyft, and other app companies, states that drivers are independent contractors who are not “entitled to some of the protections of an employee.”

EDUCATION

K-12:

Planned school site could derail approved Fresno cannabis shop. Could others be in jeopardy?

Fresno Bee

Just weeks after being awarded one of the city's first retail cannabis licenses, Fresno Farms is already being told it will have to move, or face closure, because of its proximity to a planned Fresno Unified school.

Can Fresno Unified schools reduce chronic absenteeism? Why the superintendent says ‘yes’

Fresno Bee

Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson plans to reduce chronic absenteeism in California’s third-largest school district.

Why many California students keep missing school

CalMatters

While Gov. Newsom brags about students returning to classrooms, an EdSource report found many districts are experiencing a massive uptick in chronic absenteeism.

Not on the menu: Halal, kosher options limited in California school lunches

CalMatters

While the state is the first to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students, California schools aren’t required to provide meals that adhere to students’ religious or cultural beliefs. This has an especially big impact on Muslim students.

Projected K-12 drops in enrollment pose immediate upheaval and decade-long challenge

EdSource

The unexpected drop in statewide school enrollment last year of 160,000 students may prove to be a blip, ready to rebound as the coronavirus recedes. Or that one-year 2.6% drop could be an oversize harbinger of what demographers are predicting will be a decade-long enrollment decline in California.

Opinion: Move school board elections on-cycle to restore local control

AEI

Off-cycle school board elections deeply depress voter turnout and minimize genuine “local control” in public education. When school board elections are held on cycle, school board members become more likely to hold the political and policy beliefs of their constituents.

Opinion: Why So Many Teachers Are Thinking of Quitting

Washington Post

One in four American teachers reported considering leaving their job by the end of the last academic year, in a survey taken in January and February by the Rand Corp., a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization. That’s “more than in a typical prepandemic year and at a higher rate than employed adults nationally,” the report explained.

Opinion: School Choice’s Antiracist History

Wall Street Journal

Vouchers sped up integration, while teachers unions fought them to preserve segregation. Is the school choice movement historically tainted by racism?

Higher Ed:

Undocumented Student Action Week kicks off at Fresno City College

abc30

Monday kicked off a series of events for this year's Undocumented Student Action Week at Fresno City College. FCC's Dream Resource Center is hosting virtual discussions all week long in honor of the week.

Dual Enrollment in California: Promoting Equitable Student Access and Success

Public Policy Institute of California

Dual enrollment, which provides opportunities for high school students to take college courses and earn college credit, is an important way to expand educational opportunities, improve economic mobility, and meet California’s workforce needs.

Opinion: Focus on finances to promote doctoral student diversity

Brookings

Increasing the diversity of students in Ph.D. programs is crucial to creating a pipeline of future researchers and educators in the nation’s system of higher education. College faculty remain far less racially and ethnically diverse than both college students and the national population as a whole.

Opinion: California’s students are not leading the way on free speech

AEI

Data show that censorship on campuses is quite high nationwide. Seventy-nine percent of students across the country report they self-censor themselves by not asking questions or sharing an opinion at least occasionally or more often. Over a fifth (21%) of students nationwide say they silence themselves fairly or very often.

ENVIRONMENT/ENERGY

Environment:

Kamala Harris visits Lake Mead to sell Biden’s climate agenda amid drought in West

Los Angeles Times

Amid worsening drought in the West that threatens the region’s water and food supplies, Vice President Kamala Harris went to Lake Mead on Monday to pitch the Biden administration’s infrastructure and climate change plans, saying they would create jobs and respond to climate change.

Biden Administration Seeks to Accelerate Cleanup of Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’

Wall Street Journal

The Biden administration said it is moving forward on regulations to limit the spread of several toxic chemicals that public-health advocates say are harmful to humans and should become the target of a widespread cleanup effort.

Who Are the World’s Biggest Climate Polluters? Satellites Sweep for Culprits

Wall Street Journal

Over the past three years, satellite images have been used to spotlight previously unreported leaks of methane—or to bump up estimates of known emissions—in Russia, Turkmenistan, Texas’ Permian Basin and elsewhere, in some cases triggering international scuffles.

Russia undercounts its planet-warming methane leaks. A new generation of satellites shows how they put the climate in peril.

Washington Post

On the morning of Friday, June 4, an underground gas pipeline running through the ancient state of Tatarstan sprang a leak. And not a small one.

To Strike a Climate Deal, Poor Nations Say They Need Trillions From Rich Ones

Wall Street Journal

Industrialized countries were already struggling to pay earlier commitments to help with clean-energy development and other infrastructure needs. Now the cost of buying cooperation has skyrocketed.

Energy:

Goldman Sachs says oil prices could be higher for much longer

CNBC

Oil prices could stay at higher levels in the years to come as demand rebounds while supply remains tight, according to Goldman Sachs’ head of energy research.

● A new global energy economy is emerging, but the transformation still has a long way to go International Energy Agency

● Opinion: Energy Crisis Hobbles Biden’s Green Agenda Wall Street Journal

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

FDA Nearing Approval for Mixing and Matching Covid-19 Booster Shots

Wall Street Journal

The Food and Drug Administration is moving to soon allow people to receive booster shots that are different from their first Covid-19 vaccine doses, people familiar with the matter said.

● F.D.A. to Allow ‘Mix and Match’ Approach for Covid Booster Shots New York Times

● FDA to allow ‘mix-and-match’ approach on coronavirus booster vaccines Washington Post

Hearing aids without a prescription or an exam? The FDA takes big step toward making that happen.

Washington Post

A long-awaited Food and Drug Administration proposal would allow millions of consumers to buy over-the-counter hearing aids in stores or online without a prescription or medical exam.

Human Services:

Patients say telehealth is OK, but most prefer to see their doctor in person

VPR

Telehealth is continuing to have its breakout moment — transforming the way we receive routine medical care during the pandemic, when visiting medical centers has carried with it the risk of coronavirus infection.

How will California’s new 988 mental health line actually work?

Mercury News

The system is intended to make it easier to seek immediate help during a mental health crisis. Instead of calling 911 or the 10-digit national suicide hotline, Americans theoretically will be able to speak to a trained counselor by calling 988 from almost any phone line.

Hearing aids without a prescription or an exam? FDA takes big step toward making that happen.

Washington Post

A long-awaited Food and Drug Administration proposal would allow millions of consumers to buy over-the-counter hearing aids in stores or online without a prescription or medical exam.

IMMIGRATION

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LAND USE/HOUSING

Where and what to build? Modesto turns to community in implementing housing plan

Modesto Bee

During a community workshop Thursday, the city outlined the broad strokes of its housing plan, which seeks to identify the needs in Modesto and provide policy suggestions for new developments.

California is increasing enforcement of its housing goals: Will it work?

CalMatters

In the new episode of “Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast.” CalMatters’ Manuela Tobias and the Los Angeles Times’ Liam Dillon break down California’s increased enforcement of housing production goals.

Zillow Says It Can’t Buy Any More Homes This Year

New York Times

Real-estate company Zillow Group Inc. will stop buying and flipping new houses for the remainder of this year. The real-estate company cited labor constraints and other challenges related to construction and renovation

PUBLIC FINANCES

Opinion: A new look at wealth concentration in America

AEI

TRANSPORTATION

Gallon of gas nears this milestone in Stanislaus County. What are this week’s trends?

Modesto Bee

Gasoline cost as much as $4.95 a gallon in Stanislaus County in an update Monday by GasBuddy. The online report cited high demand and tight supply globally for the run-up in fuel prices. Stanislaus had an average price of $4.31, up a penny from a week earlier. The average was $4.26 a month ago and $3.07 a year ago.

WATER

Cold front passing through California brought snow to the northern Sierra Nevada

Visalia Times-Delta

A cold front passing through drought-stricken California brought snow to the northern Sierra Nevada and rain, showers and drizzle elsewhere, the National Weather Service said Monday.

Satellites reveal the secrets of water-guzzling farms in California

VPR

In a new push to stop further depletion of California's shrinking aquifers, state regulators are turning to technology once used to count Soviet missile silos during the Cold War: satellites.

California Has Driest Year Since 1924

Wall Street Journal

See also:

● California records driest year in a century Los Angeles Times

● Video: Managing Water in a Changing Climate Public Policy Institute of California

Opinion: Clean water in California is overdue

CalMatters

As we approach the 50th anniversary of the federal Clean Water Act, it is time for the state to get on track toward ensuring swimmable, fishable and drinkable waters for all Californians.

“Xtra”

Bethany Clough: Not your average takeout: Two new cafes open in downtown Fresno’s Bitwise buildings

Fresno Bee

Contemplate is at the corner of Van Ness Avenue and Mono Street in the Bitwise South Stadium building. It’s been open since this summer, gradually expanding its hours and menu.

"Tres Artistas"

Merced County Arts Council

Join the Merced County Arts Council for a free reception on Thursday, October 21 from 6 pm - 8 pm. Exhibition will be from Oct. 20 to Nov. 14.

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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.

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