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Sacto water deputies patrolling for water wasters

Sacramento water police are on patrol. If the rule of law isn’t enough to control Sacramento’s citizens, government officials have turned to deputizing neighbors for help making sure everyone complies with environmental restrictions. For nearly four years, the City of Sacramento

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Legislature takes up dueling water bonds

There’s no drought of water bonds in the California Legislature to deal with the record drought the state is suffering. The Republican minority in the Legislature even is pitching in. Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Marysville, is pushing Assembly Bill 1445, a

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Mayor’s ‘arena hype machine’ shuns due diligence, economic analysis

Arena Derangement Syndrome continues. “Collusion” and “shady dealings,” are just a few of the words used in a letter to describe the City of Sacramento’s “utter failure to conduct any economic analysis” in the proposed taxpayer-subsidized sports arena. Attorneys representing members

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Senate bill targets Vernon battery recycler

A new bill that today passed the California Senate, 33-0, is aimed at one specific company. And it would give great new regulatory powers to the state Department of Toxic Substances Control. Senate Bill 712, by Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Huntington Park,

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State of the State: Gov. Brown seeks ‘fiscal restraint’ — and more spending

SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown delivered his 2014 State of the State this morning. It was largely a recap of his recent 2014 Budget proposal press conference, but shorter. As Brown often does, he first took on his critics: “It

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BOE building gremlins linger in ‘sick’ building

There must be gremlins living in the Board of Equalization building in downtown Sacramento. What else could explain burst water pipes, flooding, mechanical problems, bats, mold, and falling glass? BOE employees have complained for years of safety hazards and moldy,

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Hearing reveals DTSC clogged with regulatory problems

The new year brought the implementation of complex new state legislation passed in 2013 dealing with toxic waste in California. Businesses also must prepare for yet more legislation that was enacted in 2013, but will become effective in 2015. The

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Senate Ed committee balances school needs, parents, unions and worms

At a meeting of the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, a dirty little secret about the Capitol came out. There are apparently worms in the drinking fountains. SB 687 was on the agenda in the education committee. The bill would

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Bill would strengthen public's right to comment before votes

“The people of this State do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies which serve them,” says California Code Section 54950 of The Ralph M. Brown Act, the state's bedrock open-government law. cure for diabetes But that’s not always the

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LAO questions legality of plan to use cap-and-trade $ on bullet train

The governor’s just-released 2014-15  budget proposes to spend $850 million from cap-and-trade auction revenue on various projects — including the state’s high-speed rail project. That would defy the very purpose of cap-and-trade. In a new report on the spending plan,

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