A Siskiyou County law enforcement officer in the weeds. (Photo: Siskiyou County)Illegal marijuana grows in rural Siskiyou County are out of control and state officials should help stop them, local authorities say. Earlier this month, the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors took the unusual step of declaring a state of emergency because of the cannabis.
U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Louisiana, at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on his legislation to repeal the ACA. (Photo: Ron Sachs/CNP, via Associated Press)Even as it entered its apparent death spiral, the latest Republican attempt to do away with Obamacare came in for fiery denunciations from California health care leaders. On the receiving end of all the vilification is a bill before the U. S. Senate that would eliminate key provisions of the Affordable Care Act and replace them with block grants to states. Its chances look grim, and that may be understating it.
Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, who along with Sen. Ricardo Lara authored the early primary legislation, addressing the Assembly in May. (Photo: AP/Rich Pedroncelli)With just-passed legislation from Sen. Ricardo Lara sitting on Gov. Brown’s desk, the 2020 California Primary looks to be headed to the front of the line. Well, not the very front – the first four spots in the nominating calendar would be reserved for Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina.
(Ed’s Note: This is Part 1 of a three-part series)
Throughout the 2016 election cycle, Capitol Weekly conducted several polls. Two of them, one during the primary and the other during the general, were targeted to voters right after they had mailed in their ballots.
In total, more than 80,000 Californians participated in these exit
Participants at a May 2016 rally for Donald Trump in Anaheim. (Photo: mikeledray, via Shutterstock)For more than 165 years, political battles in California have played out almost entirely within the framework of a two-party system. There are signs that may be changing. Differing ideologies within each party are competing for money, supporters and attention. Out of it all, four major, distinct political tribes seem to be emerging.
Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. (Photo: Wikipedia)East Bay lawmakers are pushing a bill to stop Sutter Health from shuttering its Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Berkeley — a measure with major statewide implications. The bill was prompted by issues surrounding Alta Bates, but it would apply to any emergency rooms across California run by nonprofits.
Bubba, a dog who found an owner after a year in a shelter. (Photo: Photography by Adri, via Shutterstock)Should customers be able to lease dogs and cats in the same way they rent cars, apartments or furniture? California legislators think not. Both houses overwhelmingly approved Assembly Bill 1491, which would outlaw the practice beginning Jan. 1. The bill is now awaiting final action from Gov. Jerry Brown.
Water is pumped into an irrigation canal. (Photo: Straight 8 Photography)OPINION: On the heels of a record-breaking drought and phenomenal water savings by California residents, Gov. Jerry Brown called upon the state to make conservation a permanent way of life. The administration established a broad stakeholder group comprised of water agencies, business and community groups and environmental organizations to develop a fair, forward looking conservation framework for the state.
General population prisoners at San Quentin march in a line. (Photo: Eric Risberg/Associated Press)>Much of redistricting law is arcane and technical. But often what seems like a little detail can become a significant factor in how the lines will be drawn. Take, for example, prisoners. The U.S. Census counts prisoners just like any other part of the overall population. The Census captures people at their “usual residence,” meaning the place where they live and sleep most days.
A cell block at Folsom Prison. Photo: Grace2GrowThe stories behind Gov. Jerry Brown’s nine recent sentence commutations reveal tangled lives marked by murder, abuse, addiction and determined efforts by criminals — usually over decades — to turn their lives around. Here are their stories.