A series of budget bills are a great example of the truism that Emanuel had detailed. In early April, for instance, Gov. Jerry Brown had announced in a statement the end to emergency water-use restrictions (in all but four counties) that had been implemented as a result of the five-year drought. That relaxation of state-mandated water-conservation rules was expected after a season of record rainfall and floods in much of the state.

But Brown also noted that climate change remains a major threat and that another drought could be right around the corner. Water officials concurred.

“The statewide emergency clearly is over, but it makes sense to continue to assist areas where emergency drinking water projects are still needed in hard-hit areas. We also understand the need for continued water waste prohibitions and reporting requirements as a ‘bridge’ to permanent measures under the long-term conservation framework issued in final form today,” according a statement from the Association of California Water Agencies.

Indeed, the governor’s conservation ideas are now included in a package of water-related trailer bills. Trailer bills implement the already passed state budget, and are supposed to be technical in nature. But governors often use these bills to quietly pass substantive measures – and to do so without full hearings and vetting. In this case, three bills, by Assembly member Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, make permanent a variety of wide-ranging conservation edicts.

For instance, Assembly Bill 1667 “applies the requirement to adopt an agricultural water management plan (AWMP) to all agricultural water suppliers,” according to the official bill analysis. It also “applies agricultural water supplier efficient water management practices … to all agricultural water suppliers (and) requires AWMPs to have a drought plan.”

AB1668 “creates a new drought response plan by making numerous changes to water supply planning and drought planning to incorporate climate change, enhance water supply analysis, and strengthen the enforceability of urban water management plans … and drought contingency planning.” AB1669 requires the State Water Resources Control Board and the Department of Water Resources “to adopt long-term standards for urban water conservation and water use.”

Not all water officials are supportive of the approach. “Governor Brown’s water legislation is seeking to give unlimited power and control, minus any oversight or accountability, to an agency with the competency of Caltrans and the compassion of the Franchise Tax Board,” said Brett Barbre, vice president of the Municipal Water District of Orange County and a director of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The fear is the bills would give state agencies permanent drought-style emergency authority to demand water-use cutbacks on municipalities and businesses.

This certainly jibes with the governor’s stated goal of making conservation a “way of life.” And while Brown did remove those emergency water restrictions, he has not rescinded his May 2016 executive order, issued in the thick of the drought, that details a host of conservation measures.

One calls for a permanent framework of water restrictions that push urban water agencies to reduce water use by 20 percent by 2020 using strategies such as strengthened standards to reduce per-capita water use and restrictions on industrial water use. Another imposes permanent restrictions on hosing off sidewalks, watering lawns and washing cars. Yet another one calls for the completion of detailed management plans by agriculture water users.

These are restrictions the governor has long advocated. Most Californians understand the need for water conservation and have largely exceeded the tough standards the state government has imposed. They also realize that this year’s wet season could easily be followed next year by a dry one. But critics also question some of the government’s own water policies.

For instance, as I reported in 2015, federal and state officials were lowering water levels at the massive New Melones Reservoir and draining Lake Tulloch to help a dozen hatchery fish make their way to the Pacific. As Californians cut back on watering their lawns, their officials were draining water supplies for questionable purposes. Irrigation officials in the Sierra foothills were wondering why the state wasn’t prioritizing water needs at the apex of a drought, or at least able to temporary halt these fish-related water flows during a time of scarcity.

Furthermore, officials at the California Coastal Commission continue to delay approvals for a Huntington Beach desalination plant over concerns about the effect of the plant’s proposed ocean-intake pipes on microscopic plankton. 

But the big news for now is that the governor’s trailer bills are moving forward – and they attempt to turn the drought crisis into permanent water policy. 

Steven Greenhut is Western region director for the R Street Institute. Write to him at sgreenhut@rstreet.org.

Many CA House Democrats boycotting inauguration

Good morning! Happy Hump Day. Even though the inauguration is approaching, the campaign seems as though it’ll never end.

At least 15 of the 39 House Democrats from California are planning to boycott the presidential inauguration of Republican Donald Trump, according to multiple reports. 

The reasons range from district work, to disdain for Trump, to responding to Twitter polls. In all, more than 50 House Democrats are planning on skipping the event.

Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi will attend, however, out of a sense of “responsibility” and to honor the “peaceful transition of power.” The two remaining undecided Californians are: Senator Dianne Feinstein and Rep. Xavier Becerra of Los Angeles. Feinstein had a pacemaker installed last week, while Becerra is going through the confirmation process to become California’s next attorney general.

CalWatchdog has more. 

In other news:

• Pensions: “Over the past seven years, the city of San Diego has paid more than $14.7 million to bring retirees back to work part-time while they still collect a pension,” reports The San Diego Union-Tribune. 

• Marijuana: “California lawmakers want to make it easier for marijuana dispensaries to pay their taxes, saying many cash-only businesses are forced to drive long distances with thousands of dollars to make an in-person payment.” The San Francisco Chronicle has more. 

• No accountability: “On a summer day in 2015, 16 high-level managers at the Board of Equalization received special pay raises that the department still can’t explain.” The Sacramento Bee has more. 

• Water: “Despite drenching rains and heavy snowfall this winter, California moved Tuesday to keep in place its statewide water conservation rules — at least for another three months or so,” reports The San Jose Mercury News. 

Legislature:

• At 10 a.m., the Senate Rule Committee will consider the nomination of Congressman Xavier Becerra as the state’s attorney general.

Gov. Brown:

• No public events announced. 

Tips: matt@calwatchdog.com

Follow us: @calwatchdog @mflemingterp

New follower: @bscrafford

After SF rail system hack, concerns remain

Good morning! Lots going on today. Gov. Brown will introduce his budget this morning, while his nominee for attorney general, Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles, receives his first hearing.

But beyond the day’s headlines, six weeks after some 900 computers used by the San Francisco Municipal Railroad were hacked with ransomware, many concerns remain about the incident — especially as coverage of U.S. cyber vulnerabilities has become more extensive than ever.

San Francisco’s light-rail system, known as Muni, faced an emailed demand from an unknown hacker that he be paid about $73,000 in bitcoins if it wanted to regain control of the computers.

Apparently in fear that more computers had been hacked than the ones displaying a message, “You Hacked, ALL Data Encrypted,” the transit agency shut off ticket machines and fare gates at rail stations from the morning of Friday, Nov. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 27, allowing passengers free rides that weekend.

The following Monday, Muni officials announced that not only had they not paid the ransom, they never even considered paying it, confident in their tech prowess. Many targeted companies and organizations feel they have no choice. Last April, the Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles paid nearly $17,000 in bitcoins to recover access to data that had been encrypted by hackers.

Federal and state security officials have kept mum about the attack since it happened.

CalWatchdog has more.

In other news:

• “The powerful storms that soaked Northern California over the past week did more than trigger power outages, mudslides and flash floods. They sent roughly 350 billion gallons of water pouring into California’s biggest reservoirs — boosting their storage to levels not seen in years, forcing dam operators to release water to reduce flood risks and all but ending the five-year drought across much of Northern California, even though it remains in the south, experts said Monday.” The San Jose Mercury News has more. 

• “The fate of two of California’s four NFL teams should become much clearer this week. The Chargers have to decide by Sunday, Jan. 15, whether to exercise their option to share a $1.7 billion stadium being built in Inglewood by the Rams or to stay in San Diego despite voters’ sharp rejection of a Nov. 8 ballot measure to use an increase in the hotel room tax to contribute hundreds of millions of public dollars to build a billion-dollar-plus stadium in the city’s lively downtown.” CalWatchdog has more. 

• “President-elect Donald Trump’s plan to build a wall along the border will run into resistance in California, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom said in an interview with The Golden State podcast. The state could sue under the California Environmental Quality Act or its federal equivalent, said Newsom, utilizing a common tactic to delay or kill all sorts of development projects around the state.” The Los Angeles Times has more. 

• “Backers of a recent tobacco tax initiative ballot have agreed to pay a $2,500 fine for failing to identify that billionaire Tom Steyer was a major funder of the campaign in a YouTube video that urged voters to support the measure, according to documents released Monday.” The Los Angeles Times has more. 

Legislature:

• Assembly will hold 9 a.m. hearing on the appointment of Rep. Xavier Becerra to state attorney general.

Gov. Brown:

• Unveiling the proposed state budget today at 11 a.m. in Sacramento. 

Tips: matt@calwatchdog.com

Follow us: @calwatchdog @mflemingterp

New follower: @RareCat

Lead levels plague eight CA areas

Good morning. Happy Hump Day. The Legislature returns today, although don’t expect too much action. But next week, Gov. Brown will introduce his budget and Rep. Xavier Becerra will have a confirmation hearing to be the state’s attorney general. So things won’t be quiet for long. 

We begin today with a story off the beaten path. The water contamination scandal in Flint, Michigan, triggered national outrage and prompted Congress last month to pass a bill rushing $120 million in federal aid to the city.

The local regulators who knew about the severity of lead contamination and protected themselves but not the community are facing criminal charges. That’s because a high presence of lead in the blood is associated with low IQs and cognitive problems and can be devastating for infants and children.

Now a massive study by Reuters — based on federal health data from 21 states and broken down by ZIP code — points to eight areas in California with problems as bad or worse than what is now seen in Flint, where 5 percent of tested children have elevated levels of lead in their blood. The national norm is 2.5 percent.

CalWatchdog has more.

In other news:

• “An Orange County assemblyman is under fire from his right, center and left over a column published last week titled: ‘California Democrats legalize child prostitution.’ The column set off a war of words over the difference between legalization and decriminalization, with critics panning the column as ‘misleading,’ ‘irresponsible’ and ‘an unsubstantiated hot take.'” CalWatchdog has more. 

• Democratic legislative leaders hired former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder as outside counsel to “advise on potential legal challenges with the incoming Trump administration,” according to a statement sent this morning. Story coming later. 

• “California’s housing affordability challenges remain daunting and continue to increase, according to a draft report from the state’s Department of Housing and Community Development released Tuesday.” The Los Angeles Times has more. 

• “A series of powerful storms is set to soak California over the next week, bringing heavy rains, flooding risk in some creeks and 10 feet or more of new snow to the Sierra Nevada — the latest sign that the stranglehold of the state’s five-year drought is significantly weakening.” The San Jose Mercury News has more. 

Legislature:

• In today. Assembly at 1 p.m., Senate at 2 p.m. 

Gov. Brown:

• On vacation in Hawaii until Sunday, according to The Sacramento Bee. 

Tips: matt@calwatchdog.com

Follow us: @calwatchdog @mflemingterp

New follower: @617Bball

New laws going in effect

Good morning. Happy Hump Day. Your Morning Read author just flew back from D.C. last night from a holiday visit. But we’re back online, with the new year, and new laws, rapidly approaching.  

Gov. Jerry Brown signed 898 bills into law last year. Most start on Jan. 1, but others are going into effect in coming years. The majority of new laws deal with minutiae that’s unlikely to affect most residents, but a number of them will have real-world consequences for broad numbers of people – on issues ranging from new driving rules to patients’ access to experimental medications.

CalWatchdog has a sampling of some of the significant new laws from last session, which range from legalized lane splitting, to registering ammo purchases, to higher minimum wages and unpaid leave. 

In other news:

• Speaking of stricter gun and ammo laws: “(S)ales of semi-automatic rifles have more than doubled in California over last year,” reports the The San Jose Mercury News/AP. 

• Pensions: “The California Public Employees’ Retirement System has not had a good 2016. Its investment returns were microscopic, it faced sharp criticism from a prominent financial website for alleged unethical behavior and Gov. Jerry Brown had to intervene to prevent the nation’s largest pension fund from continuing to enable late-career pension spiking by public employees. But year’s end brought good news of a morbid nature to CalPERS, the California State Teachers’ Retirement System and all agencies with actuarial responsibilities: It appears that U.S. life expectancy has plateaued.” CalWatchdog has more. 

• Ghost Ship Fire: “A review of public inspection records, city emails and interviews shows that the city of Oakland for more than a decade often failed to conduct safety inspections on illegally converted warehouses, even those that were well known. Without the inspections, the city could not require owners to bring the building up to code or force the residents out.” The Los Angeles Times has more.  

• Water: “The Sierra Nevada snowpack remains almost 30 percent below average for this time of year despite a boost from the weekend storm, state water officials reported Tuesday, as agencies begin snow surveys by hand throughout the mountain range.” The San Jose Mercury News has more. 

Legislature:

• Gone till January. 

Gov. Brown:

• No public events announced. 

Tips: matt@calwatchdog.com

Follow us: @calwatchdog @mflemingterp

New follower: @JakeSaltzman1

Good morning. TGIF. A new poll out this morning suggests that voters will likely approve many of the 17 measures on the ballot. Of the 10 polled by the Field Poll/UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, voters appear ready to approve at least seven.

Included among those poised to pass is recreational marijuana. CalWatchdog has more.

In other news:

• Important election data point: “The U.S. economy added a less-than-expected 161,000 jobs in October and the unemployment rate stood at 4.9 percent as investors got to digest the final payrolls report before Tuesday’s presidential election.” CNBC has more.

• Drought improving? “A rainy October in Northern California has lifted about a quarter of the state out of drought conditions, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday. It’s the rosiest picture released by federal officials since the spring of 2013, when about 64% of the state was considered to be in “moderate drought” — or worse.” The Los Angeles Times has more. 

• Two top Assembly races: “Millions of dollars in outside money is pouring into two high-profile Assembly races in San Bernardino County, state records show.” The San Bernardino County Sun has more. 

• Just in time: “Congressman Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, says he will repay $49,000 to his campaign account after months of revelations that he used the fund for personal expenses.” The San Diego Union-Tribune has more. 

Legislature:

• Gone till December. 

Gov. Brown:

• No public events announced. 

Tips: matt@calwatchdog.com

Follow us: @calwatchdog @mflemingterp

New follower: @sseekatz

City College of SF ballot measure shows financial woes not gone yet

Good morning. TGIF. We’ve heard plenty recently about statewide ballot measures, but there’s a seemingly endless amount of local measures.

In fact, the City College of San Francisco is hoping to double down on a measure passed just a few years ago. In 2012, CCSF persuaded voters to adopt a $79 parcel tax to stave off bankruptcy.

Now the school — the largest based on enrollment in the California Community College system — is once again coming to voters for help, seeking to increase the annual parcel tax to $99 and move back its sunset from 2021 to 2032.

Measure B requires two-thirds’ voter support. If adopted, it would provide $19 million a year, up from the present $15 million.

The selling points for the measure build off the idea that the community college has turned the corner from its recent problems with the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, which has voiced concerns since 2011 that the college has few internal financial controls, has spent money in unfocused ways and has provided inadequate student services.

But Measure B critics offer evidence that undercuts the assertion that the college’s biggest problems are mostly behind it.

CalWatchdog has more.

In other news:

• “In a move that foreshadows sweeping statewide reductions in the amount of river water available for human needs, California regulators on Thursday proposed a stark set of cutbacks to cities and farms that receive water from the San Joaquin River and its tributaries. To protect endangered fish at critical parts of their life cycle, regulators proposed leaving hundreds of thousands of additional acre-feet of water in the San Joaquin River system.” The Sacramento Bee has more. 
• “If marijuana is legalized, where would $1 billion in pot money go?” The Orange County Register has the answer. 
• The Los Angeles Times has a decent deep dive into the debate over the impacts of the new law giving additional overtime pay for farmworkers. One report estimates that in “the worst-case scenarios … farmworker wages could fall by about $1.5 billion, jobs could decrease by 35,000 to 78,000 and agricultural production could see an almost $8 billion drop in a one-year period, assuming full implementation of the new law. In its best-case scenario, which assumes all farm operations are profitable and competitive enough to absorb the overtime costs, wage earnings could increase by about $2,200 per worker.”
• “The Fair Political Practices Commission approved a $55,000 settlement deal Thursday with Tina Baca Del Rio, a Commerce councilwoman who failed to file numerous financial disclosure forms with the state and used her campaign fund to cover expenses for her kitchen remodel,” reports The Sacramento Bee.

Legislature:

• Gone ’til December.

Gov. Brown:

• No public events announced. 

Tips: matt@calwatchdog.com

Follow us: @calwatchdog @mflemingterp

New follower: @PeterDeMarco22

What to watch for in Sacramento this month

Good morning, and welcome to August, which is sure to be a busy month in Sacramento as legislators fight to get their priorities passed before the legislative session ends on August 31. 

While a large number of bills will be debated, there are four major things to watch for: Environment, transportation, affordable housing and overtime for farmworkers.

CalWatchdog has more. 

In other news:

• The Los Angeles city attorney is warning three area (crisis pregnancy centers) that they’re breaking a new state reproductive disclosure law and could face fines of $500 if they don’t comply,” which represents the first time steps have been taken to enforce the seven-month-old Reproductive Freedom, Accountability, Comprehensive Care, and Transparency Act. Rewire has more. 

• A bill in Sacramento looks to cap environmental lawsuits against large development projects at nine months, which supporters see as a big boost for development around the state, reports the Los Angeles Times.

• Why experts say drone education isn’t working, reports the San Bernardino County Sun.  

• Oops: “A half century after building the largest water-delivery system in America, California officials say they now realize they put their giant straws to capture Delta water in the wrong place.” The San Jose Mercury News has more. 

Assembly:

• In at 1 p.m.

Senate: 

• In at 2 p.m.

Gov. Brown: 

• No public events announced.

Tips: matt@calwatchdog.com

Follow us: @calwatchdog @mflemingterp

New followers: @LABJnews

Good morning! 

His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will speak to the Legislature today about ethical leadership, the environment and compassion.

His address starts at 1 p.m. and can be streamed here.

In other news:

• One of the most surprising stories from the primary election earlier this month is that Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, is in the race of his 15-year career. While he’s expected to retain his seat against an underfunded and unknown candidate, “who knows” is the only way to describe this presidential cycle. The San Diego Union-Tribune has more. 
• “Two weeks after lawmakers rejected the proposal, an effort to create new overtime pay rules for California farmworkers has reappeared in the Legislature,” writes the Los Angeles Times. The Times also looks at where the budget, passed last week, addressed and failed to address certain issues. 

• “The El Niño-fueled storms that coated the Sierra with nearly normal snow this winter brought blasts of hope to drought-weary California,” but “after the flurries stopped and the seasons changed, the melt-off from the high country has been swift and disappointingly scant,” reports SF Gate. 

• “Did bullet train officials ignore warning about need for taxpayer money,” asks the Los Angeles Times.

Assembly:

• Joint session with Dalai Lama at 1 p.m. Multiple committee hearings. 

Senate: 

• Joint session with Dalai Lama at 1 p.m. Several committee hearings. 

Gov. Brown:

• No public events scheduled.

Tips: matt@calwatchdog.com

Follow us: @calwatchdog @mflemingterp

New followers: @LauraLiterally @civilmeasure

Despite substantial labors on both sides of the aisle, legislators in the House and the Senate alike have failed to agree on a drought relief package for California, deepening a dispute over where water should flow that seems to have no end in sight.

Dueling bills

In Washington, D.C., Golden State lawmakers have struggled to push a bill through Congress. Last month, Rep. John Garamendi, “whose district abuts 200 miles of the Sacramento River,” had introduced legislation “that would specifically align with Proposition 1, the water bond recently passed by California voters,” the Woodland Daily Democrat reported. “This would allow federal, state and local agencies to coordinate on the implementation of the projects funded and authorized by the bill.” 

Previously, the paper noted, Sen. Dianne Feinstein had “proposed legislation to provide drought relief, but faced so much opposition that she pulled her support.” But Garamendi’s bill in the House, which was identical to Feinstein’s latest effort, drew immediate fire from within his own party; “eight Bay Area Democrats, along with members from Oregon and Washington, released a statement saying they have major concerns with the bills,” the Los Angeles Times reported. House Republicans had passed a bill written by GOP Rep. David Valadao, but, as Feinstein suggested, that piece of legislation would fare poorly in the Senate. Unfortunately for Feinstein, however, the Members attacking the Garamendi bill also announced their opposition to reconciling the House Valadao bill with Feinstein’s in the Senate: “any legislation that emerges from a conference would not be acceptable to many of the diverse stakeholders in our home states,” they concluded, according to the Times. 

Different approaches

The Valadao bill would not go down to defeat for lack of trying. Republicans “successfully put key pieces of Valadao’s bill into an energy bill, to get it into conference negotiations with the Senate — over the objections of nearly all of the state’s Democrats,” as The Hill observed. Valadao’s bill would set “minimum pumping volumes and new standards for when endangered species concerns can override pumping — something the Democrats say amounts to gutting the law.” By contrast, “Feinstein’s bill doesn’t dictate volumes, but gives federal officials more flexibility in how they make water and species decisions.”

Nevertheless, Feinstein did fill the legislation with big budget items. “It authorizes $1.3 billion for desalination, water recycling, storage and grants,” as McClatchy noted. “The money provided includes $600 million for projects that could include constructing Temperance Flat or Sites Reservoir, in the Sacramento Valley, and raising Shasta Dam.”

But the first hearing her bill encountered largely served only to spotlight the intractable differences between water’s opposing camps. “The Senate subcommittee hearing itself, while laying the procedural foundation for legislation to advance, did nothing to resolve any of the conflicts,” McClatchy went on. “No more than one or two senators on the 13-member committee were generally present during the hearing, and of some 18 questions asked of the witnesses, only two touched on California.”

Presidential posturing

While Donald Trump flatly declared “there is no drought” at a recent Fresno rally, the Democrats’ own presidential contenders have failed to do much better on the California campaign trail. “Bernie Sanders’ campaign did not respond to repeated requests for the candidate’s position on California water issues,” as the San Francisco Chronicle reported, while Hillary Clinton’s camp merely referred to a prior response she had “made to a Southern California television reporter asking whether she thinks more water should be sent from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to farms and cities in the south.”

Neither Democrat, however, has shied away from making broad promises. “Both Sanders and Clinton have proposed hundreds of billions of dollars in new infrastructure spending that could update the West’s water systems, as well as aggressive plans to battle climate change, which intensifies Western droughts,” the paper added.