Esmeralda Soria plans to run for state Assembly. GV Wire has learned the Democratic Fresno City Councilmember has talked with multiple people in the community about her possible run and is putting together a campaign team. Soria is in her second and final term, set to expire in January 2023....
With Board Shake Up and $15 Million, Lawmaker Aims to Expand River Access
As a beaver and children played in the San Joaquin River, a Fresno assemblyman talked about changes he wants to see on the state board that governs access to the local waterway. During a news conference to celebrate a $15 million allocation in the state budget for the San Joaquin...
Mrs. Mims Goes to Washington (Virtually)
Fresno County Sheriff Margaret Mims testified at a U.S. Senate subcommittee on Thursday, talking about police interactions with people experiencing behavioral health issues. Mims participated remotely for the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice and Counterterrorism. She testified that responding to calls can be "very dynamic and, in some cases, dangerous" because deputies...
Bill Would Change Board Overseeing SJ River Access. Is Update Needed?
The San Joaquin River Conservancy Board could expand under proposed legislation from Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula. The 15-member board — its membership comprised of elected officials from Fresno and Madera, along with appointees from state agencies and the public — sets policy and manages lands for the river parkway from Highway...
¡Senador Latino Ahora! Latino Leaders Demand Newsom Pick Latino for Senate Vacancy
A group of local and state Latino leaders gathered at Fresno City Hall calling for Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint one of their own to an expected vacancy in the U.S. Senate. More than two dozen Latino-based organizations are on a five-city tour, with Wednesday's stop in Fresno. They want...
Will Soria Jump on High-Speed Rail Executive Position?
Last week, Caltrans announced it hired Diana Gomez as director for the region covering Fresno County and the Central Valley. Gomez left her position as the Central Valley regional director of the High-Speed Rail project. Multiple sources have told Politics 101 that Fresno councilwoman Esmeralda Soria might be a fit...
Fresno County Spending COVID Funds Faster Than City
In the 1985 movie "Brewster's Millions," Richard Pryor's character had a hard time spending $30 million in 30 days. His reward if he did would be $300 million. The city and county of Fresno are taking a slower approach spending $171 million in federal funds from the CARES Act for COVID-19...
Some Still Not Satisfied After Joint City-County COVID Meeting
A Fresno assemblyman said the county isn't spending COVID funds fast enough, nor being transparent about their decisions. Elected officials from Fresno County disagreed. That dynamic was part of the largest question and answer session held locally since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, with city and county leaders holding...
Radio Ad Slams Arambula Over Run-in with Supervisors
Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula's confrontation last week with members of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors has made him the target of conservative activist and campaign consultant Tal Cloud. Also in Politics 101: Will there be a City-County workshop next week? Groups concerned over access to meeting. Two more candidates running...
Revenge of the Arambulas? Big Donation to Defeat Dyer.
Last December, then-Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer talked openly about the child abuse accusation against Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula. Listen to this article: A jury later acquitted Arambula of the charge, but the residue of that case and Dyer's words are spilling into the 2020 Fresno mayoral race. Arambula's parents, Amy...