July 2015 | Page 6 of 8 | CalWatchdog.com

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Anti-smoking bills falter in Sacramento

A surprise switch to a bill that would tightly regulate vaping has caused its sponsor to repudiate the legislation. State Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, had advanced SB140 confidently, riding a wave of anti-smoking activism that sought to treat vapes, or e-cigs, the

CA drought spawns regulatory struggles

James Poulos July 10, 2015

As Californians are left reeling from an ever-worsening drought, state and federal regulators struggle to recast the rules surrounding water use — and the infrastructure designed to deliver it. Party politics In conversations with the New York Times, analysts warned that the drought’s lasting effects

High-profile CA judge trashes legal system

Chris Reed July 10, 2015

Alex Kozinski, the libertarian maverick judge on the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, is one of the best-known judges in the nation in media and legal circles because of his contrarian streak and his willingness to go

CA housing becomes political football

James Poulos July 9, 2015

To borrow one metaphor, California’s housing market has become a double-edged sword, reminiscent of the bonanza days before the 2008 economic crisis. That’s why, to borrow another, it has also become a political football. With residents increasingly priced out of the state’s coastal metropolises, politicians

Bill to restrict e-cigarette use dies in committee

Josephine Djuhana July 8, 2015

On Wednesday, legislation that would classify e-cigarettes as tobacco products was amended and held in the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee. Senate Bill 140 author Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, dropped his support for the bill after committee amendments struck out portions of

CA fiscal health ranks 44th in country

Josephine Djuhana July 8, 2015

In fiscal year 2013-14, California saw a slight uptick in the condition of its fiscal health, based on fiscal solvency metrics as reported by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. California placed 44th among U.S. states for fiscal health,

Shooting returns CA to center of immigration fight

James Poulos July 8, 2015

A slaying in San Francisco has sparked a national furor over its status as a so-called “sanctuary city” for unlawfully present immigrants. In an area popular with tourists, a five-time deportee named Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez shot Kathryn Steinle as she walked

Lawsuit filed over use of LCFF dollars in L.A. Unified

Chris Reed July 7, 2015

The Local Control Funding Formula enacted by the Legislature in 2013 at Gov. Jerry Brown’s behest was billed as a great way to get additional help to English-learners and foster children in California public schools. It changed the formula under

Special contracts allow ‘full-time’ teachers to work for both union and district

Steve Miller July 7, 2015

It’s been called “ghost teaching,” and it thrives in California. Full-time teachers are paid six-figure salaries to work for their union while keeping their school district seniority and pensions afloat. The dual work arrangements are built into union contracts. “This

Right-to-work states see union membership, revenues drop

Josephine Djuhana July 7, 2015

With Friedrichs v. CTA pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, stakeholders and spectators alike are curious to see not only the outcome of the court case, but also the greater implications tied to union membership and influence in legislative bodies