(Sacramento Bee) // Governor Jerry Brown is quietly moving to cut the number of retirees working for the state, but opponents of his plan say the cuts won't save significant money and will eliminate a pool of affordable and experienced workers...
(Sacramento Bee) // Assembly and Senate Democrat leaders are attempting to block the governor’s proposed cuts to programs that benefit the poor. They met with Brown yesterday to outline a budget plan that has a smaller reserve fund and cuts an obsolete high school scholarship. Since Democrats can pass a budget proposal with a simple majority, they have left Republicans at the periphery of the discussion and expect to present their budget plan to the governor Friday…
(LA Times) // High-Speed Rail construction is facing challenges over its environmental impact on both air quality and endangered species. Concerns include the problematic air quality in the San Joaquin Valley where about 1 out of 7 children have been diagnosed with asthma, and federal biologists say 11 endangered species will be impacted.
(San Jose Mercury News) // There are still 1 million votes left to tally in the vote for Proposition 29, the San Jose Mercury News projects a loss for the proposed cigarette tax hike. A vast majority of the votes left uncounted come from districts in the southern part of the state, where there was less support for the initiative to raise the state tax on packs of cigarettes to $1...
