CalWatchdog Morning Read – January 25

25 Jan, 2017 by CalWatchdog Staff

Brown defiant and conciliatory in State of the State
Cap and trade under pressure
San Diego mayor pledges support for Mexico amid Trump talk
Should kids be able to testify in custody cases?
Becerra sworn in as Attorney General

Good morning! Happy Hump Day. In case you missed it, Jerry Brown teetered between conciliatory and defiant in his annual State of the State address on Tuesday.

The popular Democratic governor echoed other Democratic leaders in the state by taking shots at Republican President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans and their proposed, yet sometimes vague, agenda.

On the day Trump pushed through two controversial oil projects opposed by environmentalists, with a repeal of the Affordable Care Act slowly working through Congress and with federal action on immigration looming on the horizon, Brown pointed to the battle lines drawn between the state and the federal government.

“While no one knows what the new leaders will actually do, there are signs that are disturbing,” Brown said. “We have seen the bald assertion of ‘alternative facts.’ We have heard the blatant attacks on science. Familiar signposts of our democracy – truth, civility, working together – have been obscured or swept aside.”

CalWatchdog has more.

In other news:

Cap and trade: “California’s marquee climate-change program faced tough scrutiny on Tuesday from a state appeals court judge who seemed skeptical that the $4.4 billion raised from the state’s cap-and-trade program complied with laws regulating taxes and fees,” reports The Sacramento Bee.
2018: “Mayor Kevin Faulconer says he has ‘unwavering support’ for San Diego’s close binational ties with Mexico in the face of a pending border crackdown by President Donald Trump,” writes The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Family law: “California lawmakers will weigh whether family courts should allow children as young as 10 to testify before judges regarding parent custody or visitation rights.” The Los Angeles Times has more.
Musical chairs: “Xavier Becerra, a longtime U.S. congressman, was confirmed Monday as California attorney general as the state braces for conflict with the Trump administration on policies ranging from health care to immigration and the environment.” Politico has more.