CalWatchdog Morning Read – April 22, 2016

22 Apr, 2016 by CalWatchdog Staff

Education division widening. Guns, gasses and high-speed rail

By CALWATCHDOG STAFF

Good morning and happy Friday!

Last week’s ruling by an appeals court that overturned the Vergara decision — which upended teacher tenure laws in the state — has only fueled the conflicts in education that make reform so difficult.

“For now, the decision puts California students and teachers in a precarious, and possibly untenable, position. On the one hand, the current Vergara ruling has denied that students have a right to an education that trumps teachers unions’ interests in protecting failing teachers…

“On the other hand, the new … ruling has denied that students — this time backed by unions — have a right to an education that meets some qualitative standard.”

CalWatchdog has more.

In other news:

Counsel for the Legislature said that Gov. Jerry Brown exceeded his authority last year when he extended the provisions of AB32 — a greenhouse gas reduction law — beyond 2020 without legislative approval, reports The Sacramento Bee.
Senate Pro Tem Kevin de León and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom are fighting over who gets to pass gun control measures, both Democrats. Newsom is pursuing a ballot measure, which De León says could “derail” his efforts in the Legislature. The Los Angeles Times has more.
Southern California has the highest gas prices in the country “by far,” reports the LA Weekly. The average price per gallon in the region exceed that of Hawaii ($2.60) by 20 cents, although prices are easing.
The state rail authority announced on Thursday plans to link Merced to the initial segment for high-speed rail, which could add more than $1 billion to the project, reports the Los Angeles Times.
Senate Republicans plan to announce a package of bills on Tuesday, which could focus on veterans issues, among other things.