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California lawmaker proposes permit for ammunition purchases -- California already has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, but a legislative leader proposed Tuesday that the state go further and also adopt tough new rules covering the sale of ammunition. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/18/12 Controller finds more accounting problems in parks payroll -- A review of the scandal-plagued California parks department found that employees were circumventing payroll policies to boost their salaries, according to the state controller's office on Tuesday. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/18/12 Rebel judges will continue battle with California chief justice -- California's civil war of the judges apparently will continue, even though a rebel organization scored a major victory this year. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/18/12 California oil regulators release draft of fracking rules -- Under pressure from state lawmakers and environmentalists, Gov. Jerry Brown's administration on Tuesday released draft regulations for hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," the controversial drilling process driving a national oil and gas boom. Michael J. Mishak in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/18/12 Newtown shooting prompts revival of campus safety proposal -- The Connecticut school shooting continues to spawn legislation in California aimed at improving campus safety. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times$ Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/18/12 Supervisors may cut off Assessor John Noguez’s $197,000 salary -- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will meet behind closed doors Tuesday to discuss cutting off the $197,000 salary of Assessor John Noguez, who has been receiving his paychecks while in jail. Jack Dolan and Abby Sewell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/18/12 California treasurer joins calls to pressure gun makers -- In the wake of Friday's shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, there's a growing push to put more pressure on gun manufacturers. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/18/12 Wildermuth: Eric Swalwell Recognized the Changing State -- California politics is never going to be the same again. And because Eric Swalwell took a chance and showed just how different life is going to be for officeholders and political wannabes in the Golden State, he’s my choice for Californian of the year. John Wildermuth Fox & Hounds -- 12/18/12 Five sticking points in the fiscal cliff deal -- President Obama’s latest fiscal cliff offer has brought the outlines of a final deal into focus. But there are still some major sticking points and outstanding questions that have to be resolved before a final deal will be able to pass Congress. Suzy Khimm in the Washington Post -- 12/18/12 Boehner's fiscal cliff ‘Plan B’ going nowhere in Senate -- House Republicans are launching a parallel strategy to avert the fiscal cliff, seeking to pass a bill that would hike tax rates on income over $1 million, while extending rates on the rest of Americans. JAKE SHERMAN and JOHN BRESNAHAN Politico -- 12/18/12 =/=
Top fundraisers among rookie California legislators win key Assembly posts -- The Democratic Party's 11 top freshmen fundraisers, all Assembly members, raised $1.2 million for party coffers this year – and 10 of them later were chosen for committee chairmanships or legislative leadership posts. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/18/12 Walters: Old liquor law faces a new test in California Legislature -- When Prohibition ended 79 years ago, California replaced the bootleg liquor trade with a legal monopoly – a series of laws that locked in industry marketing practices and enforced industry-established retail prices. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee$ -- 12/18/12 Newtown massacre renews assault gun fight -- U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who led the charge for a federal assault weapons ban after a San Francisco massacre left nine people dead two decades ago, is again at the forefront of the battle over guns with her call for new legislation in the wake of the mass shooting that killed 20 schoolchildren in Connecticut. Carla Marinucci in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/18/12 Feinstein Could Push Gun Control From Atop Judiciary Panel -- With Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vt., suddenly in line to become chairman of the Appropriations Committee, California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein could decide to claim the gavel on the Judiciary panel. The Judiciary move is one of several potential chairmanships that could shift after Monday’s death of Hawaii Democratic Sen. Daniel K. Inouye, who was Appropriations chairman. Niels Lesniewski Roll Call -- 12/18/12 CalBuzz: How DiFi’s Past Shapes the Ban on Assault Weapons -- Dianne Feinstein, who says she will introduce a renewal of the federal ban on assault weapons when the U.S. Senate reconvenes in 2013, has a long, personal and painful relationship with guns. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 12/18/12 Gun backers want to arm schoolteachers -- Gun-rights advocate Jeff Dunhill has a simple plan for preventing another bloodbath like the one that left 20 children and six adults murdered at a Connecticut elementary school on Friday - arm the teachers. Kevin Fagan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/18/12 California teachers pension fund tied to gun maker by investment -- An investment made by the California teachers pension fund is coming under scrutiny because of its link to the manufacturer of the assault rifle used in the Connecticut elementary school massacre. Chris Megerian in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/18/12 Lockyer: Pension funds should dump gunmakers -- California Treasurer Bill Lockyer wants the state’s gigantic public pension funds to divest themselves of investments in any firearm manufacturer that makes guns banned in California. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 12/18/12 LAPD officers to stop daily at local schools to boost security -- The LAPD will have officers stop daily at Los Angeles Unified's 600 elementary and middle schools - and any charter or private school that requests a visit - as part of the beefed-up student security measures sparked by the Connecticut school shooting, officials said Monday. Barbara Jones in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 12/18/12 San Diego police to get extra eye on schools -- San Diego police will soon be able to monitor live streaming video from 70 of the city’s roughly 200 campuses, an added measure of security in the wake of Friday’s school shooting in Newtown, Conn. Mark Walker UT San Diego$ -- 12/18/12 Good Samaritan drug law takes effect Jan. 1 -- Among California’s new laws taking effect Jan. 1 will be a “Good Samaritan” law, encouraging witnesses of suspected drug or alcohol overdoses to seek emergency aid without fear of arrest. Josh Richman Political Blotter -- 12/18/12 Richard Engel and NBC News team freed from captors in Syria -- NBC News’ Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel and members of his network production team were freed from captors in Syria after a firefight at a checkpoint on Monday, five days after they were taken prisoner, NBC News said early Tuesday. Mike Brunker NBC News -- 12/18/12
Penman strikes back against claims San Bernardino bankruptcy is 'sham' -- The city is prepared for a major hearing in bankruptcy court Friday and strongly rejects claims by its top creditor that its bankruptcy is a "sham," City Attorney James F. Penman said at Monday's City Council meeting. Ryan Hagen in the San Bernardino Sun -- 12/18/12
Districts face questions in spending long-term bonds for short-lived technology -- Is it legal to buy personal computers for students using school construction bonds? And if it’s legal, is it wise to pay interest long-term on devices with a short shelf life? John Fensterwald EdSource -- 12/18/12
Cancer patient tells court medical expenses left her devastated -- With tears in her eyes, Kathleen Carter told a jury on Monday what it felt like to receive an unexpected hospital bill for more than $100,000 following her cancer treatment. She also talked about how she had to deal with the creditors who called her home looking for payment. Lori Fowler in the Inland Daily Bulletin -- 12/18/12
Money-Making, Congestion-Reducing Express Lanes Spread On California Freeways -- Between July 2012 and June 2013, non-carpoolers in California are projected to pay $54.7 million to drive in carpool lanes that have been rebranded as Express Lanes, according to public budget documents and interviews with project managers. Most of this revenue will be spent keeping the automated toll facilities running. Paresh Dave USC Neon Tommy -- 12/18/12 Nuclear watchdog faults Mitsubishi over San Onofre equipment tests -- Federal regulators found flaws in the process followed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in building and testing mock-up replacement parts for the troubled San Onofre nuclear plant. Abby Sewell in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/18/12
Bob Dutton: Former Inland lawmaker looks ahead -- For anyone who might have viewed former Inland lawmaker Bob Dutton’s 16,709-vote defeat last month as a political swan song, not so fast. JIM MILLER in the Riverside Press -- 12/18/12 San Bernardino police taking longer to respond to emergencies -- Handy said the increase from an average of 4.9 minutes per call in 2011 to an average of 5.4 minutes now - comes mostly a new computer system that calculates statistics differently. But a smaller police force and other effects of the city's bankruptcy filing also contribute, Handy said in an interview after his presentation. Ryan Hagen in the San Bernardino Sun -- 12/18/12 Ex-narcotics chief leads undercover marijuana busts in Haight -- Some residents applaud crackdown as pot advocates criticize heavy-handed tactics. SHOSHANA WALTER Bay Citizen -- 12/18/12 In Gun Ownership Statistics, Partisan Divide Is Sharp -- It will come as no surprise to those with a passing interest in American politics that Republicans are more likely to own guns than Democrats. But the differences have become much starker in recent years, with gun ownership having become a powerful predictor of political behavior. NATE SILVER in the New York Times$ -- 12/18/12 Saunders: Reviving a gun law that didn't work -- Now the question is: Does Washington pass a bad law just to do something, anything, even something that doesn't enhance public safety? Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/18/12 Big U.S. airlines get $1.6 billion in passenger fees in 3 months -- Fees to check bags and change reservations generated $1.6 billion for the nation's largest airlines in July through September, according to new federal data. Hugo Martin in the Los Angeles Times$ -- 12/18/12 L.A. Animal Shelters Shoot For A Month With No Killed Cats Or Dogs -- Things don’t look good for Folie, a 4-year-old tan Chihuahua in a cage in the small dogs room at the South Los Angeles animal shelter. She presses her nose to the bars attempting to get closer to Matthew Spease, the shelter’s animal care technician supervisor, as he unlocks the latch to her stainless steel home. Katherine Davis USC Neon Tommy -- 12/18/12
Obama drops tax ask to $1.2 trillion -- President Obama and House Speaker John A. Boehner moved close to agreement Monday on a plan to avert the year-end “fiscal cliff,” but they had yet to clear several critical hurdles, including winning the support of wary House Republicans. Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane in the Washington Post Chris Frates and Nancy Cook National Journal CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN and JOHN BRESNAHAN Politico -- 12/18/12 How Big Deficits Became the Norm -- Big budget deficits haven't always been with us. DAVID WESSEL in the Wall Street Journal$ -- 12/18/12
Obama asks Cabinet members for proposals to curb gun violence -- President Obama on Monday began the first serious push of his administration to attempt to reduce gun violence, directing Cabinet members to formulate a set of proposals that could include reinstating a ban on assault rifles. Scott Wilson and Philip Rucker in the Washington Post -- 12/18/12 |