State & Regional Govt & Politics Stories for July 2012
Stories for Tuesday, July 31
Gay marriage ban backers seek Supreme Court review
Backers of California's ban on same-sex marriages asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday to overrule a federal appeals court that struck down the measure as unconstitutional, a move that means the bitter, four-year court fight over Proposition 8 could soon be resolved. Lawyers for the coalition of religious conservative ...
Stories for Saturday, July 28
State's mental health dollars bypassing mentally ill
As state mental health services have crumbled under budget cuts, tens of millions of dollars raised through a tax designed to help the mentally ill have gone to "wellness" programs like horseback riding for teens and yoga classes for city workers. And that's by design. Voters approved Proposition 63, the ...
Stories for Thursday, July 26
Former parks official claims he alerted higher ups to hidden funds
A former state parks official said he repeatedly told his superiors about more than $53 million hidden in two accounts that could have been used to help California avoid the threat of closing 70 state parks, a newspaper reported Thursday. Manuel Lopez, former deputy director of administrative services for the ...
Stories for Wednesday, July 25
Brown breaks silence on state parks fund debacle
Gov. Jerry Brown broke his silence Wednesday on the discovery of hidden money at California's cash-strapped state parks department. The Democratic governor downplayed the scandal, saying it was the first time he's seen government get in trouble for saving money. "When somebody comes and says, 'Hey, guess what, we have ...
APNewsBreak: State's counties report fewer fugitives
Fewer felons are skipping out on probation under California's new criminal justice realignment than under the state's old parole system, according to a report released Wednesday. The report obtained by The Associated Press is the first six-month snapshot of trends in all 58 counties. It found that less than 4 ...
Brown proposes massive water tunnel under the Delta
California's ambitious $24 billion plan for ending the state's water wars was unveiled Wednesday, but standing in its way are unanswered questions and hurdles that will take years to surmount if they can be at all. With fanfare, Gov. Jerry Brown and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar touted a massive twin-tunnel ...
Stories for Monday, July 23
Californian homeowners see surprise jump in property taxes
Tens of thousands of Californian homeowners are seeing the downside of the recovering real estate market: unexpected jumps in their property tax bills. Many homeowners believe their property taxes are limited to increases of no more than 2 percent annually because of Proposition 13, the landmark voter initiative approved in ...
Students workers to be let go amid budget cuts
Hundreds of California student assistants will lose their jobs as the school year begins as part of a cost-cutting deal between the state and its largest public employees union. With California facing a deep budget deficit, 1,600 state student assistant positions will be eliminated in September, The Sacramento Bee reported ...
Weekend power outage causes DMV computer shutdown
Local residents wanting to visit the DMV were encountering long lines and slow online service Monday morning because of a power outage. Customers were lined up outside the door at the fell street DMV in San Francisco around 11 a.m. The computers were offline when the office was supposed to ...
Stories for Tuesday, July 17
Defiant restaurants duck weak state foie gras ban
A California ban on the sale of foie gras did not stop Karlene Bley from ordering the duck liver delicacy as she lunched Tuesday at the posh Presidio Social Club. Bley, visiting from Los Angeles and sitting with her son, speaks excitedly. "I've been waiting three weeks for this," she ...
Stories for Saturday, July 14
New state law allows drivers to text, with restrictions
California drivers will be allowed to text when they're behind the wheel of a car, as long as they're using a hands-free device, and with some restrictions. Under a bill signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday, beginning Jan. 1, drivers will be able to send, dictate and ...
Stories for Tuesday, July 10
Appeals court to examine state's ballot numbering
An appeals court on Tuesday asked the California secretary of state to explain why Gov. Jerry Brown's tax initiative should be first on the November ballot. The Third District Court of Appeal in Sacramento agreed to examine a challenge to the decision, one day after the state's chief elections officer ...
Stories for Monday, July 9
Gov. Brown signs bill delaying water bond to 2014
Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill delaying a vote on an $11 billion water bond until November 2014. Brown announced Monday that he signed AB1422 by Democratic Assemblyman Henry Perea of Fresno. It's the second time the measure has been postponed. Voters were originally supposed to consider the bond ...
Judge clears Gov Brown's tax for top billing
A judge cleared Gov. Jerry Brown's tax initiative for top billing on the November ballot by rejecting a challenge from a competing tax campaign Monday. Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Michael Kenny denied a request from the Our Children, Our Future campaign to stop the secretary of state from placing ...
Stories for Sunday, July 8
State lawmakers depart to prepare for fall election
California state lawmakers have adjourned for their summer recess after spending months unabashedly positioning themselves to their best competitive advantage going into the fall election campaign. Democrats who control both the Senate and Assembly hammered through a state budget and protections for homeowners facing foreclosures, brushing aside Republicans' opposition. They ...
Stories for Tuesday, July 3
State foie gras ban gets legal challenge
A first-of-its-kind ban on the sale of foie gras that went into effect in California this week is being challenged in court. A Canadian exporter of the fattened duck liver delicacy, a foie gras producer based in New York state and a Southern California restaurateur filed a lawsuit in Los ...
Brown, Democrats fail to reach pension reform deal
The governor said Tuesday he could not reach a deal with Democratic leaders on sweeping public pension reform and suggested talks continue during a monthlong recess that begins at the end of the week. Gov. Jerry Brown issued a comprehensive proposal last fall that focused on raising the retirement age ...
Stories for Monday, July 2
PG&E: 239 pipelines at risk of failure
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. on Monday proposed raising utility customer's bills by as much as $12 per month to upgrade its gas and electricity systems, as more questions surfaced about the company's oversight of its gas lines in the wake of the deadly San Bruno explosion. The company sent ...
Assembly OKs adding bank settlement into state law
California will become the first state to write into law much of the national mortgage settlement negotiated this year with the nation's top five banks, and expand it to all mortgages, if state lawmakers approve wide-ranging legislation on Monday. Majority Democrats say they have the votes to send the homeowner ...
Stories for Sunday, July 1
California bullet train up for contentious vote
Gov. Jerry Brown's ambitious plan to start building the nation's first dedicated high-speed rail line is set for a pivotal vote by the Legislature this week with some state lawmakers still skeptical about spending billions in the Central Valley. The Democratic governor is pushing lawmakers to authorize $2.7 billion in ...
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