March 2017 | Page 2 of 3 | CalWatchdog.com

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California may test all young kids for lead exposure

Three months after a Reuters study of national lead exposure data showed at least 13 communities in California faced as bad or worse contamination than Flint, Michigan – the poster city for U.S. lead risks –Assemblyman Bill Quirk is moving to

Is California estate-tax proposal real or latest anti-Trump response?

Steven Greenhut March 21, 2017

SACRAMENTO – This year’s California legislative session has been thus far dominated by two persistent themes: The desire to stand up to the Trump administration and the pursuit of new tax dollars to fund infrastructure and other spending programs. Democrats

New DMV rules would allow testing of driverless vehicles without human in car

James Poulos March 17, 2017

Responding to industry criticism and public uncertainty, California has rejiggered its rules to accommodate fully driverless vehicles. “California’s new proposals follow a Michigan law passed in December, which allowed testing with no human driver. It also created a framework for

Trump to scrap vehicle mileage standards – fight with California, environmentalists likely

Chris Reed March 16, 2017

President Trump on Wednesday launched the first salvo in what seems likely to end up a war with the state of California and many liberal states over vehicle mileage rules that Gov. Jerry Brown and environmentalists depict as crucial to

Rematch coming of high-profile 2014 race for state superintendent of public instruction

James Poulos March 15, 2017

The most expensive contest on the 2014 California ballot is set to return next year. “Marshall Tuck, who unsuccessfully challenged incumbent schools chief Tom Torlakson in a contentious 2014 race that became a proxy fight over a lawsuit on teacher

‘Gender injustice’ behind call to reduce taxes on tampons

Steven Greenhut March 14, 2017

SACRAMENTO – In his veto message of a series of tax-reduction bills last September, Gov. Jerry Brown explained that “tax breaks are the same as new spending – they both cost the general fund money.” He said such measures should

Proposed bill would mandate 100 percent renewable energy in California

James Poulos March 10, 2017

Joining a would-be trend that includes lawmakers in deep blue Massachusetts, Senate majority leader Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, has unveiled a new proposal that could become California Democrats’ answer to the limits of cap-and-trade. “The California Senate leader has introduced legislation that

California’s Legislative Analyst claims NIMBYism driving state’s housing crisis

Chris Reed March 10, 2017

When Gov. Jerry Brown’s aggressive proposal to jump-start housing construction by sharply streamlining the approvals process for urban housing projects that met certain conditions died quietly in September, the general consensus was that it was a victim of powerful factions

CA GOP cheers federal support for new water bills

James Poulos March 9, 2017

Central California residents, long hoping for federal water reform, have begun to see some movement from Washington. Rep. David Valadao, R-Calif., has rolled out language designed to “build on last year’s legislation that was loved by farmers and loathed by

Will L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti join crowded 2018 governor’s race?

Chris Reed March 9, 2017

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s landslide re-election win Tuesday led to inevitable speculation that he would join the crowded 2018 Democratic gubernatorial field. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, with his high profile and access to the deep-pockets of Bay Area and