SACRAMENTO — Californians will have to undergo at least eight hours of training, including live-fire exercises, before carrying a concealed weapon, under one of several firearms bills acted on by Gov. Jerry Brown. The bill helps standardize the state's current patchwork requirements for obtaining concealed weapons permits. It was among...
Push to End Bullet Train in 2020 Could Signal GOP Strategy
SACRAMENTO — Worried they would lack big-name candidates at the top of the ticket this November, California Republicans turned to a ballot measure that would eliminate a recent gas tax increase in hopes of exciting conservatives and ensuring they show up to support lower-profile legislative and congressional candidates. A potential...
California Ballot Initiative Seeks to End High-Speed Rail
SACRAMENTO — Opponents of the California gas tax increase passed by state legislators last year on Tuesday proposed a new ballot measure for 2020 to provide money for road repairs and eliminate the state's $77 billion high-speed rail project. The backers of the 2020 measure are also behind Proposition 6,...
Gov. Brown Orders DMV Audit After Latest Failure
Gov. Jerry Brown is doing what the California Legislature failed to do — order an audit of the DMV. The state Department of Finance will perform the audit. Brown's order Friday came a day after a computer outage crippled more than a third of DMV offices around the state for...
School Bells Will Keep Ringing Early Thanks to Gov. Brown Veto
SAN FRANCISCO — Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill Thursday requiring that California middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m., saying the decision of when to start classes should be up to schools not the state. Supporters of the bill cited research that says delaying school start...
May I Please Have a Straw for Me & a Soda for the Kid?
SACRAMENTO — If you want a straw with your drink or a soda with a kids' meal at a California restaurant, you'll need to ask for them starting next year. A law signed Thursday by Gov. Jerry Brown makes California the first state to bar full-service restaurants from automatically giving...
California Scraps Helmet Mandate for Motorized Scooters
SACRAMENTO — Californians soon won't have to wear helmets while zipping around on motorized scooters. Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Wednesday requiring helmets only for people under age 18. It's a win for companies such as Bird and Lime that operate the popular scooters in major cities across California and...
Attacks Using Bodily Fluids a Problem at California Lockups
LOS ANGELES — California prisons and jails should do more to protect guards from inmates who fling bodily fluids in so-called "gassing" attacks, according to a new report released Tuesday. The state auditor's office looked at three lockups holding a total of nearly 10,000 prisoners and identified 111 instances of...
Governor Vetoes Plan to Turn San Joaquin River into State Park
Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula’s plan to turn the San Joaquin River Parkway into a state park. AB 3218 would have placed 5,900 acres adjacent to the river between Friant Dam and Highway 99 under the jurisdiction of the Millerton Lake State Recreation Area. It passed both the...
Sidewalk Vendors Get a Boost From Bill Signed by Brown
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill to make it easier for sidewalk vendors to operate legally in the state. It's one of dozens of bills Brown announced signing Monday, including measures to help voters ensure their mail ballots are counted and standardize balcony inspections. Brown also vetoed...