Governor Brown’s Budget Proposal

Yesterday, Gov. Jerry Brown announced his updated budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year. California Public Radio Network reporter Katie Orr filed this comprehensive story.

Fire Season — Dogs Join Manhunt — Land Use Protest — Child Stabbing — Fatal CHP Chase — Foster Care Scandal — Lab Lawsuit — Budget Proposal — Linked Learning

CALIF. PREPARING FOR TOUGH FIRE SEASON

With less than 25 percent of of its annual precipitation, California has already had twice as many fires this year as an average year. At the same time, federal budget constraints are adding an additional squeeze on the U.S. Fire Service. (Click here later for a transcript of the story from California Capitol Network reporter Ben Adler)

DOGS JOIN HUNT FOR CALIF. TRIPLE HOMICIDE SUSPECT

Authorities hunting for a Northern California man wanted in the killing of his wife and two young daughters have brought in dogs trained to search for cadavers. A Humboldt County sheriff’s lieutenant says that while investigators have no indication that Shane Franklin Miller may have taken his own life, the canines are part of a larger search through California’s rugged and remote North Coast terrain. More than 70 law enforcement officers are scouring the area for the 45-year-old suspected of killing his family last Tuesday in the rural community of Shingletown. About 100 people attended a community meeting yesterday (Sunday). And while schools have reopened, authorities are asking people to be cautious in their daily activities and to stay in and lock their doors at night. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

4 ARRESTED AS POLICE MOVE IN ON UC LAND

Four people are in custody following an early morning police raid on protesters occupying land owned by the University of California in the San Francisco Bay area city of Albany. UC Berkley spokesperson Claire Holmes says three men were arrested on suspicion of trespassing and interfering with police department operations yesterday (Monday) after officers warned protesters to leave the so-called Gill Tract. UC Police Lt. Eric Tejada says a woman arrested today (Monday) also faces trespassing charges. All four names have yet to be released. Protesters occupied the land two days earlier and spent the weekend pulling weeds and planting crops. They want to convert the land into an urban farm. UC officials say the land is used for agricultural research and there are plans to develop a grocery store and senior housing there. Protesters occupied adjacent land for weeks last year before police removed them. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

APNEWSBREAK: DAD WANTS EVIDENCE IN GIRL’S STABBING

The father of a 12-year-old boy arrested in the stabbing death of his 8-year-old sister says he believes his son is innocent until he is shown evidence that proves otherwise. Barney Fowler told The Associated Press on Monday that the family is standing behind the boy “until they have the proper evidence to show it’s my son.” Sheriff’s deputies in the Central California foothill community of Valley Springs arrested the 12-year-old on Saturday in the April 27 death of 8-year-old Leila Fowler. The boy had told police he saw a man with long gray hair fleeing the family’s home. The FBI joined investigators from the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office and recently confiscated several knives from the home. Community members were shocked that the boy was implicated but said they’re relieved an arrest was made. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

DRIVER KILLED AFTER LEADING CHP ON MOUNTAIN CHASE

The driver of a BMW has died after leading California Highway Patrol officers on a wild high-speed chase on Interstate 80 that left two roadside workers injured after the car went airborne. CHP Officer Pete Mann says the pursuit began around 1:40 p.m. yesterday (Monday) when an officer tried to pull the driver over for reckless driving on eastbound I-80 near Dutch Flat, in the Sierra Nevada about 63 miles northeast of Sacramento. Mann says the driver of the 1989 BMW accelerated instead, with speeds quickly climbing over 100 mph. After turning around at Truckee and heading westbound, the driver entered a lane closed for construction just west of Donner Summit and lost control of the vehicle. It went airborne and struck two California Conservation Corps workers trying to escape. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

LA COUNTY TO STOP SENDING CHILDREN TO FOSTER FIRM

Los Angeles County officials have decided to stop sending children to a private foster care agency after allegations of abuse and dubious financial practices. The Los Angeles Times says the action involves Teens Happy Homes. Critics also have urged the county to cancel its multimillion-dollar contract. Teens placed more than 1,100 children with families in recent years. However, a Times investigation found that youths made hundreds of abuse allegations and an audit found at least $100,000 in questionable financial dealings. The paper says funds were used to pay the credit card bills of the agency’s chief executive and $70,000 was paid to her daughter and other associates who did little or no agency work. The paper says Teens officials declined to comment. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press and The Los Angeles Times)

LIVERMORE LAB JURY AWARDS $2.7M

A jury has awarded more than $2.7 million to five former Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory workers in an ongoing wrongful-termination case. The San Francisco Chronicle says jurors awarded the workers reimbursement for their lost wages after finding that the lab had violated a contractual promise to terminate them only for “reasonable cause.” Individual damages ranged from $242,000 to $853,000. An attorney for the plaintiffs said the employees chosen were picked for layoff ahead of others with less seniority. Lawyers for the lab contended that managers had followed Department of Energy personnel standards. A new jury will now consider their claims of age discrimination, which could bring additional damages for emotional distress and punitive damages. The newspaper says another 125 laid-off employees are awaiting their own trials on similar claims. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press and The San Francisco Chronicle)

From The California Report

Extra Cash? A New Problem for State Lawmakers

The business of passing a state budget begins in earnest on Tuesday, when Gov. Brown rolls out his updated spending plan. This is the first time in years that lawmakers will negotiate what to do with extra money, not how to cut billions of dollars in spending. Reporter: Scott Detrow.

Linked Learning Pilot To Expand in Next School Year

The school year’s almost over for California’s students. For kids in some 60 districts across the state, it’ll mean goodbye to traditional classes. Next fall, these students will be part of a new approach to education called Linked Learning. Some state lawmakers are endorsing the strategy as a way to help students not only graduate but do so ready for college and careers. Reporter: Charla Bear.

NorCal Homicide — Realigment — Spending Plan — Fire Season — Grad Fees — Bay Bridge — City Carbon — Sacramento-China Connection — Evangelical Radio — Background Checks — Amgen Kicks Off

N. CALIF. OFFICERS SEEK TRIPLE HOMICIDE SUSPECT

More than 70 law enforcement officers are part of the hunt for a Northern California man wanted in the killing of his wife and two young daughters. The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Department says SWAT teams from three counties, federal officials and local police continued Sunday to search through the rugged terrain of California’s remote North Coast for Shane Franklin Miller. On Saturday two helicopters and an armored vehicle joined the effort. The 45-year-old Miller is suspected of slaying his family Tuesday night in Shingletown, then fleeing to Humboldt County. Authorities say Miller — who is considered armed and extremely dangerous — grew up in the area and knows the thick forests of the region very well. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

CALIF. STRUGGLES WITH EXPERIMENT TO SHIFT INMATES

Gov. Jerry Brown pushed a novel approach through the Legislature two years ago to dramatically reduce California’s prison population in response to a federal court order. Under the law, people convicted of lesser felonies are now serving their sentences in county jails rather than state prisons. The shift is one of the nation’s largest criminal justice experiments. The prison population has dropped so much that California now ranks second to Texas, though Texas has 12 million fewer residents. But many law enforcement officials, victims’ rights groups and Republican lawmakers say crime has increased. Even some Democrats say portions should be revised. And for all the upheaval, the frustration for Brown is that the shift of tens of thousands of prisoners still has not been enough to satisfy the federal courts. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

GOVERNOR’S SPENDING PLAN OUT TOMORROW

Governor Brown will release his budget proposal tomorrow. The plan, known as the “May Revise,” will come at a time when the state’s revenues are high above expectations. That money should not be expected to restore cuts already made. (Click here for a transcript of the story from California Capitol Network reporter Ben Adler)

VILSACK, JEWELL TOUR FIRE CENTER AMID 2013 FEARS

With another extreme Western fire season predicted, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior Secretary Sally Jewell are visiting the National Interagency Fire Center to discuss what their agencies are doing to prepare. Even before today’s (Monday’s) visit, weather forecasters at the center in Boise already laid out a grim scenario for 2013. That’s because a dry winter and signs of a warming trend have them concluding the fire activity will be above normal in West Coast states, as well as Idaho, Montana, Colorado and Arizona. There was a record-setting fire year for some regions during the summer of 2012. Last year, 9.3 million acres of private, state, and federal land burned in wildfires, along with more than 4,400 structures. That was the third-highest acreage burned in 50 years. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

15 OF 23 CAL STATE CAPMUSES CHARGE GRADUATION FEES

Graduating students at more than a dozen California public universities will have to hand over money before they are handed their diplomas. The Oakland Tribune reports across the state, 15 of Cal State’s 23 campuses have quietly instituted graduation fees. Cal State East Bay charges $45 to graduate. At San Francisco State, the fee is $100 — $60 more than it was two years ago. The newspaper says UC Berkeley graduates don’t pay a separate fee to get their diplomas, but commencement tickets cost $10 a head — even for graduates themselves. Cal State spokesperson Mike Uhlenkamp said because tuition money can only be used for instruction costs, campuses must look elsewhere to pay for graduations. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press and The Oakland Tribune)

REPORT: BRIDGE BASE RODS CAN’T BE EASILY INSPECTED

More than 400 seismic safety rods that may be vulnerable to cracking or breaking are embedded in the base of the new Bay Bridge and may be difficult to inspect, remove or replace. The San Francisco Chronicle reports the 424 threaded rods are among more than 2,000 that the California Department of Transportation recently realized are vulnerable to being invaded by hydrogen that could cause them to become brittle. Caltrans spokesperson Will Shuck tells the newspaper the tower rods will get added scrutiny as the agency makes repairs to the new bridge, which is already years late in opening and billions of dollars over budget. Caltrans officials say the rods are not being subjected to a high stress load, which they say reduces the risk they could crack. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press and The San Francisco Chronicle)

PROJECT AIMS TO TRACK BIG CITY CARBON FOOTPRINTS

Scientists are on a mission to track the carbon footprints of large cities that are increasingly responsible for human-caused global warming. Instruments perched in the mountains above Los Angeles monitor carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases spewing from factories and freeways. Similar contraptions atop the Eiffel Tower and elsewhere around Paris keep a pulse on emissions from smokestacks and automobile tailpipes. There’s also talk of outfitting Sao Paulo, Brazil, with sensors that sniff the byproducts of burning fossil fuels. For years, greenhouse pollutants have been closely monitored around the planet by stations on the ground and in space. Now, scientists are eyeing megacities, aiming to observe emissions in the atmosphere as a first step toward independently verifying whether local — and often lofty — climate goals are being met. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

SACRAMENTO SEEKS TRADE TIES CHINESE CITY

A delegation from Sacramento is heading overseas this week, hoping to cement lucrative trade ties with a Chinese city of nearly 30 million people. The Sacramento Bee reports nearly three dozen officials from the city of Sacramento, local food and agricultural companies, and clean technology firms will travel to Chongqing, China, to take part in an annual trade and commerce show. Last summer, Sacramento signed a memorandum of understanding to develop business and educational ties between the cities. On April 16, the city opened a trade office in Chongqing — believed to be its first foreign trade consulate. The newspaper says the trade office is funded by $96,688 from Sacramento’s general fund budget. The city is also paying for two employees to attend the trade show this week. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press and The Sacramento Bee)

END MAY NEAR FOR CALIF. EVANGELICAL RADIO NETWORK

The end may be near for a California evangelical radio network used by a preacher to predict — incorrectly — the apocalypse. The Contra Costa Times reports Oakland-based Family Radio has sold its three largest radio stations and laid off longtime staff members. Tax records show Harold Camping’s nonprofit network saw its net assets drop to $29.2 million by the end of 2011, from a net worth of $135 million four years earlier. Former and current insiders tell the newspaper donations have dropped almost 70 percent since Camping’s Rapture prediction proved incorrect last year. Camping convinced thousands of followers that the world would end, only to later post an online letter conceding he had no evidence of an impending apocalypse and will no longer predict global doom. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press and The Contra Costa Times)

From The California Report

Some Want Even Tougher Gun Background Checks in Calif.

California has one of the toughest gun background check systems in the country, but that’s not stopping people from buying more firearms. Some lawmakers want to make the screening process for buying a gun even tougher. Reporter: Scott Detrow.

Cyclists Take the Road in Amgen Tour

Cyclists crested Palomar Mountain in San Diego County on Sunday in Stage One of the Amgen Tour of California. This is the first year the race is going from south to north in California. From San Diego, 16 of the world’s top pro cycling teams head to Murrieta. The eight day race ends on May 19th in Santa Rosa. Reporter: Rachael Myrow.

Local Marijuana — Inmate Fever — Lawmaker Cleared — Whooping Cough — CalPERS Errors — PG&E May Pay — Rain Forecast — Living Underground

CITIES TO DECIDE OWN RULES FOR MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES

The State Supreme Court ruled that cities and counties will be able to decide the fate of medical marijuana dispensaries. So, local governments will decide whether have one or more dispensaries — or none at all. (Click here for a transcript of the story from California Capitol Network reporter Ben Adler)

CALIF. OBJECTS TO MOVING INMATES BECAUSE OF FUNGUS

California officials say it’s premature to move more than 3,000 inmates out of two state prisons until more is known about an airborne fungus that is being blamed for nearly three-dozen inmate deaths. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention agreed last week to study problems with valley fever at Avenal and Pleasant Valley state prisons. The state said in a court filing yesterday (Monday) night that a federal judge should wait for the centers’ recommendations before enforcing an order last week by the federal official who controls prison medical care. The federal receiver says more black, Filipino and medically risky inmates have contracted the illness, and that has led to orders that the state exclude them from the prisons. That would mean moving about 40 percent of the 8,200 inmates at the two prisons. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

FORMER LAWMAKER’S REAL ESTATE DEALS NOT A GIFT

A former lawmaker who resigned to take a job in the oil industry did not violate political gifting laws when he entered real estate transactions with a campaign donor who owns an oil-refining business. The California Fair Political Practices Commission announced the finding Monday in its investigation of former Democratic Sen. Michael Rubio of Bakersfield, who now works for Chevron. Shortly after Rubio resigned in February, The Sacramento Bee reported that he sold his Bakersfield home to businessman Majid Mojibi, a contributor. Mojibi also loaned Rubio money to buy a $681,000 house in the El Dorado Hills, east of Sacramento. The commission says the transactions were at fair market value and do not trigger gift laws. The agency proposes fining Rubio $200 for not disclosing the sale of his house. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

CALIF. BRACING FOR WHOOPING COUGH RESURGENCE

California health officials are urging residents, especially pregnant women or families with new babies, to get vaccinated against whooping cough. The San Francisco Chronicle says the highly contagious respiratory illness tends to come in three- to five-year cycles, and California’s last big outbreak was in 2010. Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, can seem like a bad cold in adults but can be deadly in infants. The 2010 outbreak was the worst in more than half a century, with more than 9,000 cases statewide. Since then, health officials have become more aggressive in getting the vaccination to as many people as possible. Officials say so far there are no signs that whooping cough will peak again. But if there is another outbreak, it may not become apparent until summer. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press and The San Francisco Chronicle)

CALPERS SEEKS ERRORS, FRAUD IN HEALTH ENROLLMENT

Tens of thousands of Californians believed to be mistakenly or fraudulently receiving benefits could soon be stricken from state health care rolls. The Sacramento Bee reports the California Public Employees’ Retirement System estimated last year that removing an estimated 29,000 wrongly listed children, spouses and domestic partners of government employees would save approximately $40 million annually. But CalPERS now says it may have underestimated the number of people wrongly receiving benefits. The newspaper says early returns from an amnesty program launched last month indicate the savings may approach $80 million. Experts say most ineligible dependents wind up on insurance rolls because of honest mistakes. About 739,000 dependents get benefits from CalPERS, the second-largest health care purchaser in the nation after the federal government. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press and The Sacramento Bee)

CALIF. AGENCY SAYS PG&E SHOULD PAY $2.25B FOR BLAST

The California agency investigating the deadly 2010 gas pipeline explosion in a San Francisco Bay Area neighborhood says Pacific Gas & Electric Co. should pay a $2.25 billion fine for its negligence leading up to the blast. Officials say the penalty would be the largest ever assessed by a state regulator. The California Public Utilities Commission recommended the fine yesterday (Monday) and said the company’s shareholders should shoulder it. The blast in San Bruno sparked a fireball that killed eight people, injured dozens and destroyed 38 homes. Commission investigators and consumer advocates filed a range of proposals for fines yesterday (Monday). PG&E will file its proposal later this month. A judge from the utilities commission is expected to make a final decision about how much to fine PG&E later this year. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

HEAVY RAIN IN THE FORECAST FOR SACRAMENTO AREA

With heavy rain in the forecast for parts of Northern California, forecasters are urging drivers to be careful on Sacramento-area roadways. The National Weather Service says after rain during a good part of Monday, more rain — including thunderstorms — is expected in Sacramento, Yolo and Placer counties late Monday and into Tuesday. Because of runoff from all the precipitation “ponding” is expected roads and highways. Forecasters are also warning drivers to be careful near underpasses and other areas with poor drainage. To the south, thunderstorms are expected across the San Joaquin Valley into Tuesday. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

From The California Report

Living Underground: Deported From the U.S., Some in Mexico Are Making Homes in Holes

As Congress debates immigration reform, nearly 11 million people who call the United States home are living an underground existence to avoid detection by the authorities. But what happens when people are deported? Quite a few Mexicans who’ve been sent back across the border are now living underground — literally — in the border city of Tijuana. Reporter: Amy Isackson.

Prison Overcrowding — Valley Fever — Medicaid Expansion — Gas Prices Picking Up — Low Truckee River — Rainy California — GOP Rape Comments — Fire Protection — Fire Season

NEW PLAN TO REDUCE PRISON OVERCROWDING

The Department of Corrections is calling a new plan to reduce California’s prison overcrowding “the best of the bad options.” The plan would call for some inmates to be sent to fire camps, some to be paroled early, and some to be sent to county jails. (Click here for a transcript of the story from California Capitol Network reporter Jenny O’Mara)

FEVER HITS THOUSANDS IN PARCHED WEST FARM REGION

California and federal public health officials say valley fever, a potentially lethal disease, has been on the rise as warming climates and drought have kicked up the dust that spreads it. The disease can be contracted by simply breathing in fungus-laced spores from dust disturbed by wind as well as human or animal activity. Data show the number of valley fever cases rose by more than 850 percent nationwide over the past 13 years, with most cases reported in California and Arizona. Experts say rainfall followed by hotter, drier weather makes more spores airborne, increasing the number of cases. Improved reporting methods and better diagnosis also partially explain the increase. A federal health official last week ordered the transfer of more than 3,000 vulnerable inmates from two Central California prisons where several dozen have died of the disease. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

BROWN, DEMOCRATS WRANGLE OVER MEDICAID EXPANSION

California was an early booster of President Barack Obama’s health care law and its Democratic political leadership was quick to commit to the optional Medicaid expansion. But it turns out that saying yes was the easy part. It’s been months since Gov. Jerry Brown agreed to expand health care to some 1.4 million residents under the Medicaid expansion, but he and Democratic lawmakers are still wrangling over the details. Brown is wary of incurring additional health care costs in the future and wants budget savings by reducing county support for indigent care. Democratic lawmakers and health advocates fear that even a short delay on the Medicaid expansion will cost California hundreds of millions of dollars in federal support. The state is scheduled to launch its insurance marketplace on Oct. 1. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

US GAS PRICES UP A PENNY OVER PAST 2 WEEKS

The average U.S. price of a gallon of gasoline has gone up one penny over the past two weeks. It is the first increase after eight straight weeks of decline. The Camarillo-based Lundberg Survey of fuel prices released Sunday says the price of a gallon of regular unleaded is $3.54. Midgrade costs an average of $3.73 a gallon, and premium is $3.87. Diesel was down a nickel to $3.93 gallon. Of the cities surveyed in the lower 48 states, Baton Rouge, La. has the nation’s lowest average price for gas at $3.20. Chicago has the highest at $4.28. In California, the lowest average price was $3.75 in Stockton. The highest was in San Francisco at $3.93. The average statewide for a gallon of regular was $3.85, down six cents. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

TRUCKEE RIVER FLOWS PEAK, 3^RD LOWEST IN 4 DECADES

Some of the lowest season flows in the Truckee River in four decades are raising concerns about Nevada’s lingering drought. The water trickling down from the melting mountain snowpack apparently reached its peak this week, both sooner and smaller than normal. Federal Water Master Chad Blanchard tells the Reno Gazette-Journal it’s the third lowest peak for runoff since detailed records were kept starting about 40 years ago. The lowest were 1977 and 1988. The second dry winter in a row produced only about half the normal snowpack. Blanchard says Lake Tahoe’s level may only rise three-tenths of a foot by June instead of the originally projected half-foot. Tahoe could dip to near its natural rim by fall, cutting off the flow of water into the Truckee River. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

RAINY WEATHER HITS CENTRAL, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Rainy weather in Central and Southern California is making roads slick and proving a mixed blessing for crews fighting a huge wildfire. A storm dumped less than a tenth of an inch of rain to around a quarter-inch overnight in most areas. The weather helped firefighters battling a 44-square-mile wildfire which, at its peak, threatened thousands of homes in Ventura County. However, officials say it also created slippery mud that’s slowed fire crews. Containment’s been pushed back from today to tomorrow. The National Weather Service says an offshore low-pressure system will continue to bring cool, cloudy weather with a chance of showers through Tuesday. Coastal areas will likely see about a quarter-inch of rain, foothills could get a half-inch or more and a few spots could get an inch. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

CALIF. GOP ACTIVIST OUSTED AFTER RAPE COMMENTS

The leader of a conservative faction within the California Republican Party has been ousted after dismissing pregnancy as a risk from rape in comments earlier this year. The San Jose Mercury News reports the California Republican Assembly voted to unseat Celeste Greig as president in an 84-78 vote at its convention. She was replaced by John Briscoe, a 63-year-old accountant from Fountain Valley. In March Greig stirred controversy after telling the Mercury News that pregnancies by rape are rare because a woman’s body is traumatized by the violence, recalling remarks that derailed Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin’s campaign last year. Briscoe’s campaign manager, Aaron Park, tells the newspaper that Greig’s comment comments were “embarrassing” and led to a collapse of her support by CRA members. Greig did not comment. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press and The San Jose Mercury News)

From The California Report

Planning Ahead Saves Homes from Fire

The brush fires that raged in Southern California could have been a lot worse. Some residents of Glendale are giving thanks that neighbors heeded warnings for good brush clearance this spring. One canyon ten miles north of downtown LA was spared from catastrophe. Reporter: Deepa Fernandes.

Is California Ready for Fire Season?

High temperatures, low humidity, dry terrain and gusty winds look set to strain our state’s fire resources across California. In a time when local governments are cutting back on firefighting manpower, it’s worth asking whether we’re ready for the summer. Reporter: Rachael Myrow.

Workers Remembered — Dept. of Fish and Wildlife Owes — Limited Snowpack — Inmates Could Be Released — New Tribal Casino — Malpractice Limits — Doctor Shortage

CAL-TRANS WORKERS REMEMBERED

Two Cal-Trans employees who were killed in a rock slide in Siskiyou County eight days ago were honored today in Sacramento as part of the 23rd annual Workers Memorial Celebration.  The department remembers 180 employees who have lost their lives while on duty.  Last week Shawn Baker of Weed, and Joseph Robert Jones of Montague were killed while trying to stabilize a hillside along highway 96 west of Yreka.  A third worker, Kevin Skillen sustained moderate injuries and is recovering. (Story by Northstate Public Radio News Reporter Kelly Frost)

DEPT. OF FISH AND WILDLIFE ASKED TO PAY UP

The California Association of Rural Counties has asked that the Department of Fish and Wildlife pay up on its obligation to local counties where it owns property.  The payments known as “payment in lieu of taxes” are intended to offset the amount counties would otherwise be able to levy a private property owner.  Assembly Member Brian Dahle who co-authored the letter says the pat due amount owed is now well over twenty two point seven million dollars. “That money would have been used to put deputies on the street, fund fire suppression, to fund road maintenance, and the ongoing obligations that the counties have to supply services to their constituents.” Dahle, a former Lassen County Supervisor, has asked the Chair of the Senate and Assembly Subcommittees to look into the matter and to report back as to why the money has not been paid. (Story by Northstate Public Radio News Reporter Kelly Frost)

STATE’S SNOWPACK LIMITED

The season’s final snow survey showed that the state’s water content is only 17 percent of normal. Reservoir levels are near normal, and will be what we rely on to get through the year. (Click here for a transcript of the story from California Capitol Network reporter Amy Quinton)

CALIF. COULD SPEED INMATE RELEASES TO EASE CROWDING

California may speed up the release of inmates while allowing inmates with a violent history to become firefighters in order to cut crowding in state prisons. Gov. Jerry Brown filed the plan under protest late yesterday (Thursday), warning that the options he presented to federal judges would undermine public safety. The judges required the state to outline how it will meet a court-ordered population cap by the end of the year. Brown’s plan calls for increasing early release credits for inmates and paroling elderly and incapacitated prisoners, while slowing the return of thousands of inmates who are being held in private prisons in other states. The Democratic governor intends to seek a delay while he appeals the ruling on overcrowding, which already has been upheld once by the U.S. Supreme Court. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

ASSEMBLY APPROVES TRIBAL CASINO IN MADERA COUNTY

The state Assembly has narrowly approved a compact authorizing the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians to build an off-reservation casino north of Fresno. The 1,900-member tribe and its supporters say the Madera County casino will create 5,000 jobs and generate millions of dollars in economic activity in the Central Valley. AB277 also ratifies an agreement between the state and the Wiyot tribe. It agreed not to open a casino on its land in Humboldt County in exchange for some of the revenue from the Madera County casino. Other tribes lobbied against the casino compact, which was approved previously by Gov. Jerry Brown and the U.S. Department of Interior. It took several rounds of voting yesterday (Thursday) before the bill eventually passed 41-12, sending it to the Senate. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

The California Report

An Effort to Lift the $250,000 Limit on Medical Malpractice Awards

State lawmakers are being lobbied to take a harder line on prescription drug abuse and the doctors who enable it. A number of bills attempt to address the problem but not the $250,000 cap on jury awards to victims of medical malpractice for pain and suffering. That was etched in stone as part of a landmark act in 1975. Reform advocates are mobilizing to attack that on next year’s ballot. Reporter: Scott Detrow.

Reform Creates Bigger Role for Those Without an MD

There is a turf war going on over who’s going to deliver health care as federal reform unfolds. Doctors? There aren’t enough of them to meet the expanding need, especially in the Central Valley and the Inland Empire. Senator Ed Hernanadez of West Covina, an optometrist himself, is pushing three bills that would expand the medical mandate of optometrists, pharmacists and nurse practitioners. Physician groups are against the measures. Here?s a look at community clinics in South Los Angeles, a preview of what is likely to come around the state. Reporter: José Martinez.

Health Bills — Fracking — Immigration Overhaul — Forest Protection — Realignment — Drone Privacy — Banned Bolts — Border Meeting — Student Health

 NEW BILLS WOULD EXPAND THE ROLES OF HEALTH CARE WORKERS

A package of bills before state lawmakers today would shift health care roles, expanding the duties of non-physicians in order to cope with a shortage of primary care doctors. (Click here for a transcript of the story from California Capitol Network reporter Pauline Bartolone)

EPA METHANE REPORT FURTHER DIVIDES FRACKING CAMPS

A new report from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has dramatically lowered estimates of how much of a potent greenhouse gas is being leaked by the natural gas industry despite rapid growth in production. The EPA now estimates that from 1990 to 2010, the U.S. natural gas industry released about 20 percent less methane into the atmosphere than previously thought, even though production increased by about 38 percent during that period. Last year, the EPA had estimated that the methane emissions were rising sharply, not declining. EPA says it revised the data after new information showed that the industry makes more widespread use of emissions controls. Some environmental groups and scientists claim that methane leaks have been seriously underestimated. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

SOME OVERLOOKED IN US IMMIGRATION OVERHAUL

A Senate bill would bring many of the estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. illegally out of the shadows — but not everyone would benefit. They include anyone who arrived after December 2011, gay partners of anyone legally in the U.S., siblings of U.S. citizens, and most deportees. Deportations topped 400,000 in fiscal 2012, more than double from seven years earlier. The bill allows some with spouses or children legally in the U.S. to apply for permission to return, but most are out of luck. Advocates on the left have shown limited appetite to fight for expanded coverage as they brace for a tough battle in Congress. Some take aim at other provisions of the sweeping legislation, like a 13-year track to citizenship, which they consider too long. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

COURT TOSSES AGREEMENT OVER RARE FOREST SPECIES

A federal appeals court has thrown out an agreement between environmentalists and the federal government that restored protections for rare species in old growth forests. The Thursday ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was a victory for the timber industry, which was shut out of talks leading to the agreement. The appeals court found that such a significant change in forest management has to go through a public process. The ruling is the latest in long-running court battles over the Northwest Forest Plan, which cut logging by 90 percent on Northwest national forests to protect fish and wildlife. Federal agencies had proposed throwing out a provision known as Survey and Manage, which required them to look for 400 species of rare plants and animals before logging. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

REALIGNMENT LAW JEOPARDIZES VICTIM COMPENSATION

A 2011 California law that sends thousands of lower-level felons to do their time in county jail instead of state prison is making it much harder for crime victims to collect restitution from their offenders. So-called prison realignment was intended to reduce overcrowding at the state’s 33 prisons. But housing offenders in local jails has created problems for some victims, who relied on the state prison system to collect court-ordered restitution from inmates. Counties only recently got the legal authority to do similar collections at the jail level and most counties are still sorting out who will collect the money from inmates — and how it will be done. In the meantime, many victims are not receiving restitution. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

BILLS AIM TO PROTECT PRIVACY AS DRONE AGE DAWNS

California lawmakers are attempting to address privacy concerns as pilotless aircraft are being considered for a wide range of uses. Drones make it faster and cheaper to gather information, like when tracking fleeing suspects or monitoring crowds. But some lawmakers say the increased access they provide could be exploited without proper regulations. Several bills in the Legislature would set penalties for privacy violations and require law enforcement agencies to obtain a warrant in non-emergency situations before deploying drone aircraft. One bill is scheduled for a Senate Public Safety Committee hearing tomorrow (Tuesday). FAA officials estimate that as many as 30,000 unmanned aircraft could be buzzing through the country’s sky by 2030. Law enforcement officials and other supporters say demand for the aircraft has been misunderstood. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press)

REPORT: BRIDGE HAS BOLTS SIMILAR TO BANNED BOLTS

A newspaper is reporting that the new eastern span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge has more than 1,200 bolts made from galvanized steel that is virtually identical to a high-strength alloy that a nationwide group of transportation officials banned for use on bridges because the bolts can crack. Caltrans said last week that it was testing 192 bolts on the bridge that are similar to 32 galvanized bolts that cracked when workers tightened them in March. The San Francisco Chronicle says in its Sunday edition that the failed bolts were among 96 supplied in 2008 by Ohio-based Dyson Corp., the same firm that delivered the batch of 192 bolts two years later. Documents examined by The Chronicle show that state has purchased 932 other fasteners for the bridge in the past five years that — like the failed bolts — were made of high-strength, galvanized steel. (Copyright 2013 The Associated Press and The San Francisco Chronicle)

The California Report

At San Diego-Tijuana Border, a Small Gate Opens for the First Time

The U.S. Olympic Committee is considering 10 bids for the 2024 Summer Games, but the one that’s appeared to capture global attention is the joint proposal from San Diego and Tijuana. For all the political tension and increased fortification of the border, there’s a lot of affection and affinity between the two cities. That point was driven home on Sunday. Reporter: Adrian Florido.

School Health Centers Are Not Just for Students

Lack of access to health care is a national problem, but it’s a particular problem in poor neighborhoods like South Los Angeles. That has negative effects on the readiness of students to learn at school, but there simply aren’t enough clinics and hospitals to meet the local need. Chris Richard has more on a novel program to provide health care to students and their families, on school campuses in the LAUSD. Reporter: Chris Richard.