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El Dorado County Elections & Politics Digest



Newsom Taking New Approach to California’s 10,000 Homeless Veterans

11/05/2023

California’s population of homeless veterans has plateaued despite billions of dollars in state spending to create housing for former service members. Now, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to shift resources to focus on veterans with serious mental health conditions.

Schiff Gets Endorsement From CA Assembly Speaker in U.S. Senate Race

11/02/2023

California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas has endorsed Rep. Adam Schiff in a crowded U.S. Senate race. Other candidates include representatives Barbara Lee and Katie Porter.

Is Honking Free Speech? U.S. Supreme Court to Review CA Woman’s Case

11/01/2023

One of the few areas the Supreme Court has agreed on in recent years is free speech. Now, the high court will decide if protections extend to a woman who sued after being cited in 2017 for honking 14 times as she drove by a political protest.

State Demands Compliance After Voting Rights Groups Warn About Shasta County Election

10/31/2023

California’s Secretary of State has told the Shasta County Board of Supervisors that it cannot hand-count ballots in its Nov. 7 special election. In a letter, Secretary of State Shirley Weber said the county must comply with new legislation that bars the hand-counting of ballots.

Voting Rights Groups Urge Shasta County Elections to be Monitored Due to ‘Misinformation’

10/27/2023

A nonpartisan coalition of voting rights advocates has asked the California Secretary of State’s office to monitor upcoming elections in Shasta County because of concerns about safety and the spread of misinformation.

Despite Newsom Veto, State Takes Steps to Ban Artificial Turf Due to ‘Forever Chemicals’

10/17/2023

California cities can ban synthetic turf under a law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed. He rejected a bill to ban PFAS in fake lawns.

He Bashes Republicans for ‘Rights Regression,’ but in Recent Decisions, Newsom Neglects Protections for Marginalized Californians

10/15/2023

Gov. Newsom vetoed bills to outlaw caste discrimination and to consider gender affirmation in child custody cases. Advocates wonder if he’s thinking about his national political profile.

With Merger Layoffs on the Horizon, Newsom Vetoes Bill to Pay Severance to Laid-Off Grocery Store Workers

10/10/2023

The governor signed two other bills that strengthen protections for grocery workers during grocery store mergers and acquisitions.

Sen. Alvarado-Gil Opens New EDH Office

10/08/2023

Marie Alvarado-Gil and her team recently celebrated the grand opening of the state senator’s El Dorado Hills district office. Events included an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Laphonza Butler’s Career Was Born in the Labor Movement. Will Unions Back Her Senate Bid?

10/08/2023

If California’s new U.S. senator runs in the 2024 election, she would likely have to court labor unions’ support, quickly. But with three other labor-friendly Democrats already winning union backing, time and resources are running out.

Latest Effort to Secede From California Is Happening in Sacramento’s Backyard

10/03/2023

El Dorado County is part of California’s long history of secessionist sentiment. There have been more than 200 efforts to exit, and more than 200 times the movements have come to naught. But some locals are trying again.

Cal State Student Workers to Vote on Joining Union

10/03/2023

Student workers at the 23-campus system say their pay is low, their hours are restricted and they get no sick pay. They are hoping to join the employees union to fix that.

How Laphonza Butler Reshapes California’s Political Landscape

10/02/2023

Gov. Newsom's pick to replace the late Dianne Feinstein is set to be sworn in Tuesday as California's U.S. senator. She isn't saying whether she will run next year, but if she does, it would change the dynamics of the U.S. Senate race.

Labor Leaders Despair But Keep Pushing for Striker Unemployment After Newsom Veto

10/01/2023

Newsom rejected Senate Bill 799, which would have paid striking workers California unemployment benefits after two weeks, and SB 686, which would have extended workplace safety protections to domestic workers, such as housekeepers and nannies.

Antisemitic Comments Phoned In During Supervisors Meeting

09/27/2023

Antisemitic comments engulfed the public forum segment of the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors meeting as individuals expressed their disapproval of the board’s action to rescind its proclamation recognizing July as American Christian Heritage Month.

Will California Republicans Liberalize Platform on Abortion, Trans Rights? This Weekend May Tell

09/27/2023

GOP leaders and activists will hear Friday from Donald Trump and other presidential candidates before deciding whether to change the party platform on abortion and same-sex marriage.

First Tribal Voter Registration Center in Nation Established

09/15/2023

The Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Tribal Council made history on Sept. 12 by designating a voter registration center on tribal land—the first of its kind.

How Democrats in Rural Northern California Are Growing Stronger

09/14/2023

But these days, rural Democrats, in Siskiyou especially, feel surrounded by increasingly empowered conspiracy theorists, separatists, and extremists. They sense that grassroots organizing is more important than ever.

How California Lawmakers Embraced Hot Labor Summer

09/14/2023

Unions won major victories this session on pay for fast food and health care workers, benefits for strikers and bargaining rights. Business groups say that labor has too much power at the Capitol.

Climate Bill Forcing Companies to Reveal Carbon Emissions Passes, Newsom Yet to Say if He’ll Sign it

09/12/2023

About 5,300 companies would file annual emissions reports. The aim is to hold corporations accountable for the role they play in climate change.

New Bill Comes to Rescue When California Public Records Requests Are Denied

09/11/2023

A bipartisan bill would create a state ombudsperson to intervene when public records requests are denied. But an advocacy group is concerned that it will encourage state agencies to go to court.

Sign? Or Veto? What Will Gov. Newsom do With These Controversial Bills?

09/10/2023

The Legislature is approving lots of significant bills in the final days of the session. But the final call is up to the governor, and he isn’t shy about using his veto pen.

California Lawmakers Ban Most Hand-Count Elections, Targeting Shasta County

09/08/2023

"Shasta County is not our own country," said Tim Garman, a Shasta County supervisor who opposed the hand-counting effort. "We don't get to make all of our own laws.”

Board Brainstorms Proclamation Policy

09/08/2023

El Dorado County will form a policy on proclamations following direction from its Board of Supervisors, which passed a proclamation declaring July as American Christian Heritage Month. That proclamation, brought forth by Supervisor John Hidahl, proved to be controversial.

Child Trafficking, Fentanyl Bills Survive 'Suspense File,' Can Still Become Law

09/01/2023

In rapid-fire votes in suspense file hearings, lawmakers determined the fate of hundreds of bills on crime, transgender students and more.

California Ballot Initiative Will Seek to Restrict Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth

08/30/2023

A small group of activists want California voters to decide whether transgender minors should be allowed to receive puberty blockers, hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries.

Margaret Fortune to Run in District 1 Supervisor Race

08/23/2023

Education pioneer and longtime El Dorado Hills resident Margaret Fortune announced her candidacy for the open El Dorado County Board of Supervisors District 1 seat.

Newsom Changes Mind on How ‘Millionaire’s Tax’ Funds Should be Spent

08/16/2023

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants counties to spend some revenue from California’s so-called “millionaire’s tax” on the state’s homeless crisis. That alarms advocates for programs that are getting that money today.

This Democrat, One of California’s Most Powerful Criminal Justice Voices, Says He’s a ‘New Testament Kind of Guy.’

08/13/2023

As the California Legislature reconvenes for the final five weeks of its session, the leader of the Assembly Public Safety Committee is under the spotlight. But Reggie Jones-Sawyer isn’t backing down.

Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff to Speak in Grass Valley

07/28/2023

Congressman Adam Schiff, (D) San Gabriel Valley, and California Senatorial Candidate, will speak at an evening reception in Grass Valley on Tuesday, Aug. 8.

Christian Heritage Proclamation Draws Controversy at BOS Meeting

07/21/2023

El Dorado County leaders’ latest approved proclamation, which makes a declaration that El Dorado County recognizes July as American Christian Heritage Month, was met with controversy during the July 18 Board of Supervisors meeting.

Republican State Attorneys General Warn CEOs About Consequences of Considering Race in Hiring Practices

07/19/2023

Thirteen Republican state attorneys general have sent a cautionary letter to the CEOs of the 100 largest U.S. companies, highlighting the potential legal ramifications of using race as a factor in employment practices.

Featured

California cities switch to more inclusive, district-based elections system.
Voting Rights...the Final Frontier
Pushed by activists, cities move from at-large elections to district races.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
California continues to work on legislation that would make voting easier.
Voting Rites
And more bills are on the way to help you make your mark on Election Day.
The cycle of crime and homelessness is escalating, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Homelessness and Crime in California: Even More Complex Than You Think
What causes the cycle of homelessness and crime, and how to stop it.
The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails
From its beginnings in the Gold Rush, the state Supreme Court continues to define the state today.
Translated from the Greek, “Democracy” means “people power.” How much power do the people have in California?
People Power! What Is Democracy, and How Does It Work in California?
The Goddess of Democracy is alive and well in California, but that hasn’t always been true.
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