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San Benito County Government Digest



San Benito Supervisors Approve Public Defender Contract

04/10/2024

In a unanimous vote the Board approved a two-year contract to hire attorney Harry Damkar for public defense services beginning May 1 as they study the feasibility of establishing a public defender’s office.

California Fails to Track Its Homelessness Spending or Results, a New Audit Says

04/09/2024

There’s so little data available, it’s impossible to even tell if several of California’s largest homelessness programs are working, according to a statewide audit released Tuesday.

San Benito County Women Honored by Senator Caballero

04/06/2024

Elaine Klauer and Krystal Lomanto are among Woman of the Year and Woman of Distinction in Education honorees, respectively, for Senate District 14.

CA Budget Deal Gets Early Start on Deficit

04/05/2024

Not filling open positions in state government, cutting a school facilities program and several climate initiatives, delaying funding for public transit — these are some of the first steps that California officials plan to take to deal with a looming multibillion-dollar budget deficit.

These Californians Just Got Protection From Big Rent Hikes

04/05/2024

Tenants in many new privately owned, low-income units will be protected from double-digit increases. So will some in existing units, after a state committee on affordable housing imposed a rent cap.

CA Fast Food Workers Get Higher Wages, but Which Ones?

03/29/2024

According to emails obtained by CalMatters Capitol reporter Jeanne Kuang in response to a public records request, a range of employers have been trying to figure out if they must pay $20 ever since the law was signed late last September.

Homeless Infants and Toddlers Largely Unenrolled in Early Ed Programs

03/28/2024

Evictions have exacerbated homelessness nationwide, increasing the rate of homeless infants and toddlers. Most of those children are not enrolled in early education programs.

Your Doctor or Your Insurer? Little-Known Rules May Ease the Choice in Medicare Advantage

03/28/2024

Disputes between insurers and providers can lead to entire hospital systems suddenly leaving the plans.

California Unlikely to Meet Landmark Goals for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions

03/15/2024

California will miss its goals unless it can increase emission reductions threefold, according to a new study.

State Report Cites 'Inadequate' Public Defender Services in San Benito County

02/29/2024

County’s public defense system lack of structured leadership, transparency, accountability and funds, and frequent attorney turnover, high caseloads and low litigation noted.

Border Patrol Is Dropping Off Hundreds of Migrants at San Diego Trolley Station

02/27/2024

“Street releases” have resumed after the nonprofit that operated a migrant welcome center announced its “finite resources have been stretched to the limit.”

With State Approval, Rancho Palos Verdes to Fast-Track Landslide Mitigation

02/26/2024

State officials determined that Rancho Palos Verdes can utilize an already-established state of emergency to expedite landslide stabilization efforts as the crisis escalates.

California’s Polluted Communities Could Miss Out on Billions Under Flawed System

02/22/2024

The state’s environmental tool skews which communities are designated as disadvantaged, researchers say. Some immigrant neighborhoods could be left out, while other groups are overrepresented.

Conservation Groups Initiate Legal Action Against Feds for Failing to Protect Wolves

02/07/2024

Ten conservation groups filed an intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for its failure to list western wolves under the Endangered Species Act.

How a City Is Organized Can Create Less-Biased Citizens

02/07/2024

A study in the latest issue of Nature Communications helps explain why there is more unconscious, or implicit, racial bias in some cities than others.

California Gave Fast Food Workers a Seat at the Table. What Comes Next?

01/28/2024

A first-in-the-nation council will set work rules in the state’s fast food industry, but can labor and business agree?

L.A. Is Being ‘Stripped for Parts.’ Here’s What the City Council Wants to Do About It

01/26/2024

Among growing concern over copper wire thefts, L.A. City Councilmembers Kevin de León and Traci Park proposed a task force anchored by the LAPD.

A Guide to License Plates

01/23/2024

The numbers and letters on your car can reveal more than you think.

Will $20 Minimum Wage Crush Fast Food in California?

01/22/2024

Fast food lives in a consumer sweet spot: demand, convenience and relative affordability. And this pay hike—equal to minimum wage increases during the past five years—will create grand economic unknowns.

How California Budget Rules Can Prevent Saving for a Rainy Day—and Why Newsom Wants to Change That

01/21/2024

The swing from a $100 billion surplus to a deficit somewhere between $38 and $68 billion in just two years illustrates the volatility of California’s tax system.

California Court Ruling Could Threaten Key Source of Funding for Disputed Delta Water Tunnel Project

01/19/2024

A California judge says a nearly 65-year-old law does not give the state permission to borrow the billions of dollars it would need to build a large water project.

Newsom Blocks Proposed Ban on Youth Tackle Football

01/17/2024

Proposed California legislation that would ban tackle football for kids under 12 had gained momentum until Gov. Gavin Newsom made it clear he’d veto the bill.

Program to Clear Encampments Shows Signs of Success, But Housing Remains Elusive

01/16/2024

A multi-year, $750 million California program aimed at doing away with homeless encampments has had mixed results. Local leaders say ongoing funding is needed.

Fourth Graders Might Lose Free Access to California State Parks

01/12/2024

California’s projected budget deficit of close to $38 billion likely means some cuts are coming. Among them, Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed ending the California State Park Adventure Pass, which offers free access to some state parks for fourth graders.

LAPD Chief Announces Departure at End of February

01/12/2024

Michel Moore, chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, announced he will resign. The departure of Moore, who has been in the job since 2018, will spur the appointment of an interim chief and a nationwide search for his replacement, according to Mayor Karen Bass.

Newsom Pitches Spending $22M to Fight Fruit Flies

01/10/2024

California farmers face challenges posed by multiple types of fruit flies. Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed spending just over $22 million to combat the spread of these flies.

Cal State Faculty Reject 'Final' Pay Offer, Set Strike For Jan. 22

01/09/2024

After months of negotiations, university officials offer a 5% pay raise. The union is seeking 12 percent and plans to strike at the end of January.

Gaza Ceasefire Resolution Advances in San Francisco

01/08/2024

A committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 2-1 to advance a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. The vote came following a tense public hearing.

State Trying to Use Generative AI to Reduce Traffic

01/08/2024

Caltrans has set a Jan. 25 deadline for tech companies to show how generative artificial intelligence might reduce traffic congestion in the state. This follows an executive order that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in September related to this type of AI.

Newsom Sets March 19 Special Election to Fill McCarthy’s Seat

01/08/2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom has called for a March 19 primary to elect a replacement for Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who resigned from Congress in December. If a candidate doesn’t win outright, a runoff will be held on May 21.

Kinder, Gentler Prison Guards Key to Newsom San Quentin Reform Plan

01/05/2024

California correctional officers train like ‘they are going to war’ to work in state prisons. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to transform San Quentin could require a kinder approach.

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