Maddy Institute – September 12, 2019

12Sep

POLICY & POLITICS

North SJ Valley:

Caballero on SB1: Environmentalists can’t have it both ways

Modesto Bee

Senate Bill 1 is an effort to insure that the Trump administration does not frustrate California’s efforts to protect our environment and combat the fiscal impact of climate change through federal regulatory rollbacks.

Government denies attorneys to immigrant kids at Modesto shelter — ‘We need answers’

Modesto Bee

The federal government is denying legal assistance to child migrants living at a Modesto shelter, according to advocates who worry the kids will suffer unnecessarily without access to attorneys.

Stanislaus County considers proposal that would bring new life to former animal shelter

Modesto Bee

The former animal shelter on Finch Road in Modesto could once again house furry friends. In addition, it could provide job training for people trying to break their addiction to alcohol or drugs.

California rail authority issues environmental document for Central Valley wye

Progressive Railroading

The California High-Speed Rail Authority yesterday released a draft supplemental environmental impact statement for the Central Valley wye that would be part of the state's high-speed rail (HSR) system between Merced and Fresno.

Lodi-area winery apologizes, reverses policy after refusing to host lesbian wedding

Sacramento Bee

A Lodi-area winery has apologized after refusing to host a lesbian couple’s wedding based on the owners’ religious objections.Nikki Levy posted screenshots of an email from Viaggio Estate & Winery to Facebook on Tuesday, calling winery wedding and events director Angelina Hodgson’s explanation “overt homophobia.”

Central SJ Valley:

Fresno County first in state to adopt suicide prevention strategic plan

abc30

Fresno County is the first county in the state to adopt a strategic plan and risk assessment tool to address suicide prevention.

Editorial: Running for office is an American ideal. Being forced on job leave to campaign is not (Fresno Mayoral Race – Candidate Janz)

Fresno Bee

One of the great promises of American life is that any citizen can run for elected office. If someone wants to enter the public sphere and serve, he or she has only to qualify for the ballot, make the case for election and let the voters decide.

Warszawski: Fresno’s oldest building is about to look young again. Let’s make it a trend

Fresno Bee

For decades, Fresno’s oldest building has also been one of its ugliest. But one chip at a time, things are changing. And maybe, in time, the rest of downtown Fresno will transform right along with it.

Dirty water fight brewing as Central Valley city refuses to help neighboring town

Fresno Bee

The tiny South Valley community of Tooleville faced a major set back this week in its years-long struggle for clean drinking water - but advocates say the fight isn’t over.

Animal control provider to part ways with Fresno. What will the city do?

Fresno Bee

The nonprofit that picks up Fresno’s stray animals, performs pet adoptions and maintains the local animal shelter says its job with the city is ending.

Official: Satellite Government Center to Open in 2020

Sierra News

With escrow now closed and renovation efforts well underway, county officials said this week the new Satellite Government Center in Oakhurst should be open for business early next year.

Friant-Kern funding sunk… for now

Visalia Times Delta

The Friant-Kern Canal is sinking at an alarming rate, compromising the ability of farmers and rural communities across the Central Valley to access critical irrigation and drinking water.

South SJ Valley:

Tulare County passes $1.4B budget

Visalia Times Delta

Tulare County leaders approved a $1.38 billion budget that significantly increases spending on public safety, infrastructure and county employee healthcare plans.

State ramps up pressure on Chevron over oil leaks in western Kern

Bakersfield Californian

State oil regulators turned up the heat on Chevron Tuesday, ordering the company to provide still more information about eight recent or ongoing uncontrolled releases of oily fluid in the Cymric Oil Field outside McKittrick.

Can an earthquake bring two Kern counties together?

Bakersfield Californian

Maybe we should drop the "y" and start identifying this part of the state as Kern counties, because it really is two distinct places: The Kern of the Central Valley and the Kern of the Mojave Desert.

State:

Legislature votes to ban private prisons, sends bill to Newsom

San Francisco Chronicle

The California Legislature has moved to phase out the use of private prisons in the state, giving Gov. Gavin Newsom an opportunity to fulfill a campaign promise.

Uber vows to keep fighting sweeping California labor bill

Fresno Bee

California lawmakers confronting the changing definition of work approved sweeping legislation Wednesday designed to give many contract workers new pay and benefit protections, but tech giants Uber and Lyft vowed to keep fighting the changes, possibly by bankrolling an expensive fight on the 2020 ballot.

● Gig workers on verge of becoming employees after California Senate vote Stockton Record

● Uber says it won’t reclassify its drivers despite passage of new California labor rules Sacramento Bee

● California seeks to make Uber, Lyft drivers employees with passage of new California labor rules Sacramento Bee

● California Senate Moves 'Dynamex' Worker Classification Bill Forward Without

● Deal For Gig Companies Capital Public Radio

● Sweeping bill rewriting California employment law sent to Gov. Newsom Los Angeles Times

● Legislature passes AB5 gig-work bill San Francisco Chronicle

● Who’s in, who’s out of AB 5? CALmatters

● Uber: We’ll fight in court to keep drivers as independent contractors San Francisco Chronicle

● Skelton: Labor won big with bill to rewrite California employment law — but it’s flawed Los Angeles Times

● Fox: AB 5 and the Ghost of Failed Bills Past Fox & Hounds

California college athlete ‘fair pay’ bill goes to governor

Fresno Bee

Athletes at California colleges could hire agents and sign endorsement deals under a bill the state Legislature sent to the governor Wednesday, setting up a potential confrontation with the NCAA that could jeopardize the athletic futures of powerhouse programs like USC, UCLA and Stanford.

● NCAA warns California bill that would allow college athletes to be paid is ‘unconstitutional’ Los Angeles Times

● California would allow college athletes to profit under bill headed to Newsom San Francisco Chronicle

● California Takes Aim at NCAA Pay Ban Wall Street Journal

● NCAA sends California governor letter calling name, likeness bill 'unconstitutional’ USA Today

● NCAA urges California governor not to sign 'fair pay' bill for college athletes The Hill

California moves to protect tenants by limiting rent increases and evictions

Fresno Bee

A California bill to cap rent increases and prohibit certain evictions is on its way to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk following a Wednesday Assembly vote to approve the strongest tenant protection measure this year.

● California tenants will see cap on rent increases under bill sent to Newsom Los Angeles Times

● California Approves Statewide Rent Control to Ease Housing Crisis New York Times

● California cap on rent increases moves to governor’s desk San Francisco Chronicle

● Sacramento’s New Rent Cap Law Goes Into Effect Today. Here’s How California’s Renter Bill Might Impact It Capital Public Radio

● California lawmakers act to keep landlords from refusing low-income renters Los Angeles Times

California bill to clamp down on semiautomatic rifles heads for vote this week

Los Angeles Times

Californians would be barred from buying more than one semiautomatic rifle a month and those weapons would be off-limits to people younger than 21 under a bill set for a final vote in the Legislature this week.

Remakes and fresh takes: On these 2019 bills, it’s now Newsom’s call

CALmatters

Gavin Newsom began his first year as California governor with surpluses of money in the budget ($21 billion) and Democrats in the Legislature (about 75%), a combination that helped him realize an ambitious agenda to expand public preschool, add a year of tuition-free community college for full-time students, offer health care to young adults who are undocumented, pass a tax to improve 911 emergency service and offer $1 billion in tax rebates to low-income Californians.

California could become the largest state to ban facial recognition in body cameras

Washington Post

California could soon become the largest state to ban the use of facial-recognition technology in law enforcement body cameras, a milestone in the regulation of the fast-developing but loosely controlled technology.

● Facing police opposition, California lawmakers limit bill to ban facial recognition Public CEO

California moves to protect tenants by limiting rent increases and evictions

Fresno Bee

California voters could get a chance to overturn new vaccine law

Fresno Bee

California’s new law restricting medical exemptions for vaccines has a challenge from a group of protesters who want voters to overturn it.

California legislation inspired by college admissions scandal goes to Gov. Newsom

Los Angeles Times

California lawmakers have sent the governor a package of reforms sparked by the recent college admissions scandal, including a bill approved Wednesday that would require special admits at public universities to be approved by three administrators.

California college athlete ‘fair pay’ bill goes to governor

Fresno Bee

Lions, tigers and bears no more: California lawmakers ban exotic animals at circuses

Los Angeles Times

Should Newsom sign Senate Bill 313, circuses in the state will no longer be allowed to use bears, tigers, elephants, monkeys or other wild animals in their acts. State Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego) said circus animals are often chained and confined to trailers or cramped cages and physically punished with whips and muzzles if they don’t perform.

With scandals multiplying, will Ricardo Lara last a full term as insurance commissioner?

Sacramento Bee

Will Ricardo Lara survive his first term as California’s insurance commissioner? We can’t say for sure.

● EDITORIAL: California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara has a taxpayer-funded second home Los Angeles Times

Federal:

Trump aims to tackle California homelessness

Visalia Times Delta

Trump administration officials confirmed Tuesday they are on the ground in California looking at ways to intervene in the state’s mounting homelessness issue, which President Donald Trump has criticized as “disgusting” and a “disgrace to our country.”

● EDITORIAL: Trump’s homelessness proposal for California would be ineffective and punitive policy San Francisco Chronicle

● Opinion: The World’s Dumbest Housing Policy Wall Street Journal

What’s in the Judiciary Committee Resolution on Impeachment Procedures

Lawfare

The House Judiciary Committee released a draft copy of a “Resolution for Investigative Procedures Offered by Chairman Jerrold Nadler,” which outlines procedures that will apply to “the presentation of information in connection with the Committee’s investigation to determine whether to recommend articles of impeachment with respect to President Donald J. Trump.”

● House Panel Approves Procedures for Trump Impeachment Probe Wall Street Journal

● House Judiciary Committee approves guidelines for Trump impeachment probe Politico

Trump White House hasn't held a traditional press briefing in 6 months

abc30

It's now been six months since a traditional briefing by a White House press secretary?Will they ever resume? Is there a downside for the public?

Government Orders Google: Let Employees Speak Out

Wall Street Journal

Federal regulators have ordered Google to assure employees they are allowed to speak out on political and workplace issues, people familiar with the matter say, as part of a settlement of formal complaints that the search giant punishes those who do just that.

Elections 2020:

Calif. Democrats cite Reagan vetoes to defend law aimed at Trump’s tax returns

San Francisco Chronicle

California Democrats have turned to an unlikely ally — Ronald Reagan — in their defense of a state law that requires President Trump to release his tax returns before he may appear on next year’s primary ballot.

Kamala Harris Claims She ‘Took On Big Oil’ As California AG. How Far Did She Go?

Capital Public Radio

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris has claimed she took on Big Oil during her time as California’s attorney general. PolitiFact California examined her record and spoke with environmental experts about how far she went.

See also:

● What Kamala Harris Needs to Do Tonight New York Times

Why cramming 10 candidates on stage could work against the Democrats

Los Angeles Times

In 2019, it’s hard to imagine a candidate — even one running ahead in the polls — giving up a spot on the debate stage. Instead, some candidates have made qualifying for the debate part of their fundraising appeals.

See also:

● Trump plans to ban flavored e-cigarettes Los Angeles Times

● As the next debate nears, trailing candidates soldier on in obscurity Los Angeles Times

● Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden Will Finally Debate. Here’s What to Expect. New York Times

Poll: Democrats see Biden, Warren as close fits ideologically, view Sanders as more extreme

Los Angeles Times

Democratic primary voters nationwide see former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Elizabeth Warren as relatively close to their own political views but regard Sen. Bernie Sanders as significantly further to their left, a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll shows.

How will Russian manipulation affect the 2020 election? We still have no idea

Los Angeles Times

The Senate Intelligence Committee singled out Russian interference in social media in misinformation campaigns targeting the presidential elections. But nobody seemed to be able to conclude what the impact of that was: did it swing the election or did it not swing the election?

Opinion: The Problem With Politics Is the Politicians

Wall Street Journal

Pity Joe Biden. He has to convince voters both that the economy was booming less than three years ago, when he and Barack Obama were in charge, and that it’s now fallen into such a mess that we need Mr. Biden to come fix it.

Opinion: The Democrats’ Dilemma

Wall Street Journal

It’s too late to turn back now. The 2020 presidential campaign is underway, which means the American people are about to have their second, mass out-of-body political experience.

Other:

9/11 remembrance service elicits emotional memories for Clovis woman

Fresno Bee

The annual service at the West Coast’s largest 9/11 memorial is one of many around the central San Joaquin Valley and around the nation.

● Hundreds gather for California 9/11 Memorial Ceremony abc30

● Legacy of those lost on 9/11 not forgotten Stockton Record

● 'We will never forget': NAS Lemoore remembers lives lost on Sept. 11 Hanford Sentinel

● Kern County public service departments honor 9/11 victims Bakersfield Californian

● Even for those not yet born, 9/11 a day to 'honor,' 'never forget' Bakersfield Californian

● 18 years later, Americans vow to ‘never forget’ 9/11 Los Angeles Times

● EDITORIAL: Remembering 9/11 revisits painful memories — and renews resolve to defend America Fresno Bee

Why AT&T cable, DirecTV customers might soon lose ABC and ESPN channels

Fresno Bee

Brace yourself, DirecTV and AT&T cable subscribers, for the potential loss of more local channels and some cable options.

Bells Across America: Constitution Week to be celebrated

Porterville Recorder

For the 26th year Alta Mira Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution will be celebrating “Constitution Week with their “Bells Across America” event.

America's sweeping tide of diversity

Axios

America is more racially diverse than at any point in history, and racial minorities are becoming more geographically dispersed than ever before. Why it matters: Even before the 2020 census gets underway, recent population data makes it quite clear that rapidly expanding diversity will be the overarching theme of this century's demographic shift.

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

Sunday, September 15, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Medi-Cal Premiums and Claims Because It Failed to Follow Up on Eligibility Discrepancies” – Guest: California State Auditor, Elaine Howle. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, September 15, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “The Senior Boom: Preparing for the Baby Boom Aftershock” – Guest: PPIC Analyst Laurel Beck. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

Sunday, September 15, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Medi-Cal: miles de millones para pagos cuestionables” – Invitado: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

Farms, the environment, and the future of water

CALmatters

In the middle of July, I was surprised to find myself trudging through a couple feet of snow while hiking south of Lake Tahoe. It was a striking contrast to the long walks I took on the dry lakebed of Folsom Reservoir near my home during the historic drought just five short years ago.

Top Democrat attempts to block Trump from paying farm bailout money, setting up battle over trade war tactics

Washington Post

House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) is proposing to block the White House request over its farm bailout program, according to a draft of legislation reviewed by the Washington Post, potentially imperiling President Trump’s ability to direct payments to thousands of farmers.

How to Get Rid of Carbon Emissions: Pay Farmers to Bury Them

Wall Street Journal

What if there was a way to combat climate change that didn’t require technological breakthroughs, carbon taxes or eliminating all fossil fuels? Such a solution might lie here in an Iowa cornfield beneath the feet of Mitchell Hora, a seventh-generation farmer.

How's Our Appetite for Lab-Grown Meat?

KQED

Someday you could slice into a steak from a Petri dish, or savor sashimi from a test tube. By growing meat in labs, a slew of Bay Area startups promise a future of tasty dishes for carnivores without making billions of animals suffer.

California marijuana retailers want Gavin Newsom to punish Weedmaps with fines

Sacramento Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom should use all the legal muscle at his disposal to crack down on Weedmaps, the Irvine-based website that helps people find medical and recreational marijuana, according to a letter sent to the governor by a cannabis industry trade group.

See also:

● First CBD store in the county to open in Porterville Porterville Recorder

● Nearly 3,000 illegal marijuana businesses found in California audit, dwarfing legal trade Los Angeles Times

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

Crime:

California Supreme Court declines to block two death penalty cases despite Newsom moratorium

Fresno Bee

The California Supreme Court on Wednesday denied petitions in two unrelated death penalty cases, clearing the way for district attorneys to continue prosecuting the cases despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s moratorium against capital punishment.

● California Supreme Court declines to block two death penalty cases despite Newsom moratorium Sacramento Bee

Legislature votes to ban private prisons, sends bill to Newsom

San Francisco Chronicle

The California Legislature has moved to phase out the use of private prisons in the state, giving Gov. Gavin Newsom an opportunity to fulfill a campaign promise.

Public Safety:

145 CEOs implore Senate to act on gun violence, saying doing nothing is ‘simply unacceptable’

Washington Post

The chief executives of 145 U.S. companies pressed Senate leaders to expand background checks to all firearms sales and implement stronger “red flag” laws, marking the latest push by corporate America to pressure Congress into taking meaningful action on gun violence.

Fire:

A Utah firefighter was killed by an air retardant drop. His widow is suing Cal Fire

Sacramento Bee

One year after a Utah firefighter was killed when a supertanker dropped nearly 20,000 gallons of fire retardant near his position, his widow is suing Cal Fire and the aircraft company for alleged negligence.

Fuel breaks won’t stop the worst wildfires. So why is California spending millions on them?

Los Angeles Times

Four months after the town of Paradise was incinerated in the most destructive wildfire in California history, Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an emergency proclamation, ordering agencies to thin trees and clear shrubs near some of the state’s most fire-threatened communities.

The threat of deadly wildfires was no secret to residents of Paradise, Calif.

Los Angeles Times

Nearly 20 years ago, they began to thin trees and shrubs on the edge of town, creating protective fuel breaks. Last November, a malfunctioning power line sparked a wildfire northeast of town. Driven by strong winds, the fire charged toward Paradise, launching fire brands as far as five miles ahead of the flames.

ECONOMY / JOBS

Economy:

US stocks notch solid gains as China eases trade tensions

Fresno Bee

Stocks notched broad gains on Wall Street Wednesday as investors drew encouragement from China's move to exempt some U.S. products from a recent round of tariffs.

Trump’s tweet on Fed, negative rates and debt is called a ‘recipe for disaster’

Los Angeles Times

President Trump triggered a swift and skeptical reaction with his demand Wednesday for the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates “to zero, or less” as part of a plan to reduce the financing costs of U.S. government debt.

Trump delays increase in tariffs on Chinese goods by two weeks ‘as a gesture of good will’

Washington Post

The president acted several hours after a conciliatory Chinese move to grant 16 U.S. products a one-year exemption from Beijing’s retaliatory tariffs. In a pair of tweets, Trump said he delayed his scheduled Oct. 1 increase at the request of China’s chief trade negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, to avoid imposing the tariffs as the People’s Republic of China celebrated its 70th anniversary.

See also:

● Trump to Delay Tariffs on China by Two Weeks Wall Street Journal

Female CEOs Blast 'Forbes' List Of Innovative Leaders That Includes Only One Woman

Capital Public Radio

The sole woman, Barbara Rentler of Ross Stores, clocked in at No. 75. Dozens of female CEOs have signed a letter demanding Forbes do better. Anne Wojcicki of DNA testing company 23andMe is among them.

2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens

CAFWD

Registration has opened for the 2019 California Economic Summit, which will take place in Fresno on November 7-8. The Summit, produced by California Forward, marks the eighth annual gathering of private, public and civic leaders from across California’s diverse regions committed to creating a shared economic agenda to expand prosperity for all.

Jobs:

Uber vows to keep fighting sweeping California labor bill

Fresno Bee

● Gig workers on verge of becoming employees after California Senate vote Stockton Record

● Uber says it won’t reclassify its drivers despite passage of new California labor rules Sacramento Bee

● California seeks to make Uber, Lyft drivers employees with passage of new California labor rules Sacramento Bee

● California Senate Moves 'Dynamex' Worker Classification Bill Forward Without

● Deal For Gig Companies Capital Public Radio

● Sweeping bill rewriting California employment law sent to Gov. Newsom Los Angeles Times

● Legislature passes AB5 gig-work bill San Francisco Chronicle

● Who’s in, who’s out of AB 5? CALmatters

● Uber: We’ll fight in court to keep drivers as independent contractors San Francisco Chronicle

● Skelton: Labor won big with bill to rewrite California employment law — but it’s flawed Los Angeles Times

● Fox: AB 5 and the Ghost of Failed Bills Past Fox & Hounds

EDUCATION

K-12:

Gov. Newsom, lawmakers strike deal on $15 billion education construction bond

EdSource

After intensive down-to-the-wire negotiations, legislative leaders and staff from the governor’s office have agreed on legislation to place a $15 billion preschool, K-12 and higher education construction bond before voters in March 2020.

Compromise made between Clovis Unified, parents of water polo players

abc30

When it comes to Clovis Unified water polo the focus is back on athleticism in the water and not what's covered up out of it.

VUSD board to self-evaluate

Visalia Times Delta

On Tuesday's school board meeting, trustees unanimously agreed to move ahead with a voluntary self-evaluation.

Your Guide To The Biggest Changes To California Charter School Laws Since 1992

LAist

California school boards will soon have enhanced powers to block new charter schools from opening in their districts — if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a sweeping piece of charter school legislation now on his desk. But "high-performing" charter schools could also soon have an easier time securing the permissions they need to remain open.

How Are School Districts Spending Their LCFF Dollars?

Public Policy Institute of California

Since the enactment of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) in 2013–14, funding for K–12 education has risen to record highs. Much of the increase is due to the improved state economy, which has seen nearly a decade of continuous growth and led to dramatic expansions in the state budget.

Report: Noose photo was joke

AVPress

A questionable attempt at an “end-of-the-year” joke, and not racial animus, was the motivating factor in a decision by four former Summerwind Elementary School first-grade teachers to pose for a picture with a noose taken by their former Principal Linda Brandts, who subsequently emailed the photo to the entire Summerwind staff, according to a 36-page report released Friday by the Palmdale School District.

The changing face of school integration

Washington Post

The number of children attending U.S. public schools with students of other races has nearly doubled over the past quarter century, a little-noticed surge that reflects the nation’s shifting demographics, a Washington Post analysis has found.

Higher Ed:

Help improve education. Join CSU chancellor at Fresno Bee’s California Priorities summit

Fresno Bee

Parents. Students. Teachers. Business owners. Concerned citizens. If you fall into any of the above categories – and most of us do – you will want to be at Fresno State the morning of Sept. 18 when The Fresno Bee brings together top educators and experts to discuss issues and solutions surrounding critical education-related issues.

California legislation inspired by college admissions scandal goes to Gov. Gavin Newsom

Los Angeles Times

California college athlete ‘fair pay’ bill goes to governor

Fresno Bee

● NCAA warns California bill that would allow college athletes to be paid is ‘unconstitutional’ Los Angeles Times

● California would allow college athletes to profit under bill headed to Newsom San Francisco Chronicle

● California Takes Aim at NCAA Pay Ban Wall Street Journal

● NCAA sends California governor letter calling name, likeness bill 'unconstitutional’ USA Today

● NCAA urges California governor not to sign 'fair pay' bill for college athletes The Hill

California community colleges work to solve housing for foster youths

EdSource

While California’s housing market poses problems for many college students, the challenge is particularly acute among former foster youth, as they prepare to leave the care system and enter the next chapter of their adult lives without built-in support from family.

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

Environment:

California’s Trump-blocking environmental bill may be delayed in fight over water

Fresno Bee

It started out as a bold effort by the California Legislature to prevent the Trump administration from rolling back protections for the environment and labor.

Caballero on SB1: Environmentalists can’t have it both ways

Modesto Bee

Can an earthquake bring two Kern counties together?

Bakersfield Californian

Maybe we should drop the "y" and start identifying this part of the state as Kern counties, because it really is two distinct places: The Kern of the Central Valley and the Kern of the Mojave Desert.

California could soon ban sale of new fur products

Los Angeles Times

New fur coats and mink shawls could soon face extinction in California State lawmakers in the Assembly on Wednesday gave final approval to legislation that would outlaw new items made from the fur of undomesticated animals, including mink, rabbit and coyote.

California considering toughest plastic pollution laws in United States

San Jose Mercury

With enormous and ever-growing amounts of plastic washing into oceans, rivers and lakes around the world, California lawmakers this week are considering passing the nation’s most far-reaching laws to reduce plastic pollution over the next decade.

Energy:

State ramps up pressure on Chevron over oil leaks in western Kern

Bakersfield Californian

Los Angeles OKs a deal for record-cheap solar power and battery storage

Los Angeles Times

For a long time, there were two big knocks against solar power: It’s expensive, and it can’t keep the lights on after sundown. A contract approved Tuesday by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power shows how much that reality has changed.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

Health:

California voters could get a chance to overturn new vaccine law

Fresno Bee

California’s new law restricting medical exemptions for vaccines has a challenge from a group of protesters who want voters to overturn it.

Fresno County first in state to adopt suicide prevention strategic plan

abc30

Fresno County is the first county in the state to adopt a strategic plan and risk assessment tool to address suicide prevention.

What we know about vaping illness outbreak, deaths

abc30

U.S. health officials are investigating what might be causing hundreds of serious breathing illnesses in people who use e-cigarettes and other vaping devices. They have identified about 450 possible cases in 33 states, including six deaths.

● Vaping group plotted lobbying efforts at Trump’s DC hotel Fresno Bee

● FDA To Banish Flavored E-Cigarettes To Combat Youth Vaping Capital Public Radio

● Trump plans to ban flavored e-cigarettes Los Angeles Times

● Editorial: Banning flavored vapes may not stop a deadly respiratory outbreak, but it can cut teen use Los Angeles Times

● Vaping industry breathes easier: For now, California lawmakers won’t restrict its business CALmatters

● Vaping likely has dangers that could take years for scientists to even know about The Conversation

● Juul Labs says it will 'fully cooperate' with FDA investigation Fox11

● Trump Plans to Ban Most Vaping Flavors Wall Street Journal

● Trump moves to ban flavored e-cigarettes Washington Post

● Juul threw millions of dollars at Washington. It hasn’t bought much Politico

CRISPR Gene-Editing May Offer Path To Cure For HIV, First Published Report Shows

Capital Public Radio

Researchers safely used CRISPR gene-editing techniques in a patient with HIV. The research provides evidence the approach may be promising for treating HIV infection.

Purdue Pharma reaches tentative deal in federal, state opioid lawsuits

Washington Post

Purdue Pharma, manufacturer of the blockbuster painkiller OxyContin, reached a tentative settlement Wednesday with 23 states and more than 2,000 cities and counties that sued the company over its role in the opioid crisis, according to attorneys involved in the deal.

EDITORIAL: Surprise! Trump wants to help L.A.'s homeless by cracking down on them

Los Angeles Times

If President Trump wants to come in as a partner to work on serious solutions with local officials who have spent years studying and fighting this terribly complex social problem, that would be great.

Human Services:

Support groups can motivate stroke survivors. A new one is meeting in Modesto

Modesto Bee

Doctors Medical Center in Modesto is offering a support group for stroke survivors. The free support group is open to people who have suffered a stroke and also is a resource for caregivers, friends and health care providers.

More Californians got health insurance annually over 4 years. Here’s why the rate stalled

Sacramento Bee

California has seen its rate of uninsured residents drop every year since the state’s affordable care marketplace, Covered California, began offering insurance policies, but 2018 was the exception.

See also:

● California’s Uninsured Rate Stalled Out in 2018 California Budget & Policy Center

Opinion: Be Grateful for Your Health-Insurance Company

Wall Street Journal

Private health insurers are punching bags of choice in the Democratic presidential primary. “The insurance companies last year alone sucked $23 billion in profits out of the health-care system,” Elizabeth Warren fulminated in a June debate.

IMMIGRATION

Supreme Court allows broad enforcement of asylum limits

Fresno Bee

The Supreme Court is allowing nationwide enforcement of a new Trump administration rule that prevents most Central American immigrants from seeking asylum in the United States.

● Supreme Court Allows Government To Curtail Asylum Requests During Legal Fight Capital Public Radio

● Supreme Court rules for Trump on asylum ban at southern border Los Angeles Times

● Supreme Court says Trump administration can begin denying asylum to migrants while legal fight continues Washington Post

● Supreme Court Authorizes Trump to Deny Asylum to Central Americans Wall Street Journal

Government denies attorneys to immigrant kids at Modesto shelter — ‘We need answers’

Modesto Bee

The federal government is denying legal assistance to child migrants living at a Modesto shelter, according to advocates who worry the kids will suffer unnecessarily without access to attorneys.

Trump administration bars access to immigration tent courts

Los Angeles Times

The Trump administration announced Wednesday that new immigration courts in tents on the Texas border with Mexico will be closed to legal observers, the press and the public.

Bill Aims to Probe Immigrant Detainee Deaths

Capital & Main

Melissa Castro had just given birth to her first son last February when she learned that her 27-year-old husband, Jose Ibarra Bucio, then held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, lay shackled to a bed at Loma Linda University Medical Center after passing out at ICE’s Adelanto Detention Facility near San Bernardino.

LAND USE/HOUSING

Land Use:

Warszawski: Fresno’s oldest building is about to look young again. Let’s make it a trend

Fresno Bee

Plans for BMX bike park in southwest Fresno unveiled

abc30

BMX bikers had a vision for southwest Fresno. The project is ground-breaking in more ways than one.

Stanislaus County considers proposal that would bring new life to former animal shelter

Modesto Bee

The former animal shelter on Finch Road in Modesto could once again house furry friends. In addition, it could provide job training for people trying to break their addiction to alcohol or drugs.

Housing:

California moves to protect tenants by limiting rent increases and evictions

Fresno Bee

● California tenants will see cap on rent increases under bill sent to Newsom Los Angeles Times

● California Approves Statewide Rent Control to Ease Housing Crisis New York Times

● California cap on rent increases moves to governor’s desk San Francisco Chronicle

● Sacramento’s New Rent Cap Law Goes Into Effect Today. Here’s How California’s Renter Bill Might Impact It Capital Public Radio

● California lawmakers act to keep landlords from refusing low-income renters Los Angeles Times

New Fresno adult homeless shelter even takes sex offenders, officials confirm

Fresno Bee

The city of Fresno has made more than 200 new beds available for the homeless in the past 60 days – and the latest shelter is even set up to take people convicted of sexual violence, according to a city councilmember.

Medical Foster Homes can improve the lives of California veterans

Modesto Bee

California is home to 1.8 million U.S. military veterans, more than any other state in the country. Many receive high-quality care at the VA medical facility in Palo Alto, but veterans living outside the Bay Area must travel long distances to access this care.

California lawmakers move to reinstate, revamp local affordable housing program

Los Angeles Times

California lawmakers have approved a bid to renew a program that pumped hundreds of millions of dollars a year into affordable housing and economic development that had been eliminated during the state’s budget crisis eight years ago. But it’s uncertain if Gov. Gavin Newsom will sign off on the plan.

Trump aims to tackle California homelessness

Visalia Times Delta

● EDITORIAL: Trump’s homelessness proposal for California would be ineffective and punitive policy San Francisco Chronicle

● Opinion: The World’s Dumbest Housing Policy Wall Street Journal

PUBLIC FINANCES

Fellow Democrats Stop California Governor’s Opportunity Zone Push

Bloomberg Law

Newsom narrowed an already narrow proposal in last-minute negotiations this week with fellow Democrats, who control both houses of the legislature. But his plan never emerged by the Sept. 10 deadline for bills to be eligible for votes before lawmakers adjourn for the year Sept. 13.

Walters: Tax vote issue gets cloudier

CALmatters

Conflicting court decisions on a local jurisdiction’s ability to tax.

CalPERS big shot says he didn’t proposition the women or smell their hair. How is that a defense?

Sacramento Bee

The women didn’t care about politics. All they wanted, all they asked for, was that an office creep leave them alone so they could do their jobs. Period. That’s why they complained to their superiors at CalPERS, the Sacramento-based investment fund that boasts of having a “zero tolerance” policy on these matters

Social Security Expansion Under Consideration Would Boost Payroll Taxes

Wall Street Journal

House Democrats are debating whether to advance a significant expansion of Social Security that would extend the program’s solvency and increase benefits by raising taxes on top earners and middle-income workers.

Who pays for US tariffs on Chinese goods? You do

PolitiFact

Trump has slapped China with a 25 percent tariff on $200 billion of goods and floated the possibility of tariffs on $325 billion in additional Chinese goods. China, meanwhile, prepared to impose retaliatory tariffs on $60 billion in American products.

TRANSPORTATION

California rail authority issues environmental document for Central Valley wye

Progressive Railroading

Last electric bus in Transit fleet makes its way to Porterville

Porterville Recorder

GreenPower Motor Company Inc. announced on Monday, it has delivered the 10th and final EV350 electric bus to Porterville Transit.

Electric vehicle sales are up sharply in California, mostly due to Tesla

Los Angeles Times

Sales of new electric vehicles in California shot up 63.7% in the first half of the year, to 51,750 units, largely on the strength of the Tesla Model 3. But that doesn’t mean a golden age of electric vehicles has dawned.

See also:

 California lawmakers kill plan to triple electric-vehicle rebates San Francisco Chronicle

WATER

Dirty water fight brewing as Central Valley city refuses to help neighboring town

Fresno Bee

The tiny South Valley community of Tooleville faced a major set back this week in its years-long struggle for clean drinking water - but advocates say the fight isn’t over.

Friant-Kern funding sunk… for now

Visalia Times Delta

The Friant-Kern Canal is sinking at an alarming rate, compromising the ability of farmers and rural communities across the Central Valley to access critical irrigation and drinking water.

Fish-friendly changes at Nevada dam to help threatened trout

Bakersfield Californian

Federal officials are making fish-friendly modifications to a northern Nevada dam that for more than a century has blocked off native spawning grounds for a threatened trout species that once migrated 120 miles (193 kilometers) upstream from a high-desert lake to the alpine waters of Lake Tahoe.

Farms, the environment, and the future of water

CALmatters

Administration finalizes repeal of 2015 water rule Trump called ‘destructive and horrible’

Washington Post

For years, the fight over how much power the federal government should have to regulate the wetlands and tributaries that feed into the nation’s largest rivers has played out across the country.

“Xtra”

Fresno Bee

BarrelHouse Brewing Co. plans to open a taproom in Fresno – but just where it’s opening is a secret. The popular Paso Robles-based craft brewery has a following in the Valley, with a large tap room in Visalia and another in San Luis Obispo.

Lemoore surfing contest bringing in world’s best competitors. Also, the Raconteurs

Fresno Bee

The World Surf League returns to the central San Joaquin Valley next week for the Freshwater Pro. The three-day event at Lemoore’s Surf Ranch is one of the final U.S. competitions before the sport goes all Olympic in Tokyo next summer.

Madera’s Got Talent returns

Madera Tribune

Madera South High School Theater Company will present the fourth annual Madera’s Got Talent at 4 p.m., Sept. 14. The show is expected to last about two or three hours, said Alicia Gonzalez, one of the advisors on the project.

50th anniversary of the Sierra Historic Sites Association

Sierra News

A 10 a.m. parade on Saturday, Sept. 21 kicks off the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Sierra Historic Sites Association. A full day of activities and food follows and a dinner dance that evening will close out the event.

Lemoore Life, community volunteers clean up downtown

Hanford Sentinel

Members of Lemoore Life, city council and the chamber of commerce cleaned up downtown Lemoore Saturday morning as part of Lemoore Life's first service event.

Semper Fi!: President’s Own Marine Band coming to Porterville

Porterville Recorder

The President’s Own U.S. Marine Band is coming back to Porterville. It’s been a while but the band will be coming back to Porterville as part of its 2019 U.S. Tour to the West Coast from October 2-31.

‘Country Music’ Review: A Documentary Makes a Complex Genre Sing

Wall Street Journal

About six hours and 20 years into the Ken Burns-directed, eight-part “Country Music,” Nashville veteran Marty Stuart offers what might be the defining anecdote of the series.

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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.

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