SACRAMENTO
Crunch time on California ballot measures
It's make-or-break month for which ballot measures will actually go before California voters in November.
The Legislature has until June 27 to make deals with proponents to pull initiatives off the Nov. 5 ballot. One measure that is the subject of intense negotiations is a business-backed push to repeal the California law allowing workers to sue their bosses, using private lawyers on the state's behalf.
Business and labor agree that more money should be spent to beef up the Labor Commissioner's office to hire more staff and help clear that backlog.
These kinds of legislative deals came about in 2014, when lawmakers responded to very long ballots full of often very technical measures by giving proponents the chance to revise or remove their initiatives later in the process. The goal was compromise via the Legislature to avoid costly campaign battles, but critics complain it leads to political extortion.
- Retail theft: Another measure on the November ballot, at least for now, is already provoking a huge fight. It would overhaul Proposition 47, approved by voters in 2014 and blamed by some for retail thefts.
Democratic leaders in the Legislature plan to push ahead this week on a 14-bill bipartisan package to combat retail theft. But there's a huge catch, as first reported by the Los Angeles Times: Some of the bills will be changed so they would take effect immediately if signed into law — but be automatically repealed if the ballot measure passes.
Senate GOP leader Brian Jones of San Diego and Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher of Chico fired off a letter to Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas of Salinas and Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire of Santa Rosa, arguing that Californians shouldn't be forced into "a false choice between legislative reforms and necessary modifications to Proposition 47."
- Gallagher, in a statement: "These poison pills show that Democrats aren't serious about ending the crime wave — they just want to look like they're doing something."
The Democratic leaders hit back: In a statement, McGuire said Republicans are "intent on setting California back decades with policies of mass incarceration that devastated Black and Brown communities and cost taxpayers billions of dollars."
And Rivas spokesperson Nick Miller accused Republicans of "political grandstanding" themselves.
- Miller, in a statement: "The amendments to the package will ensure that there are no conflicts and inconsistencies in policies that move forward."
Gov. Gavin Newsom isn't saying whether he would sign the bills with the Democratic amendments, but did tell KCRA on Friday he opposes the ballot measure: "Why have something on the ballot that doesn't actually achieve the goals that are intended? Why do something that can be done legislatively, with more flexibility?"
—Lynn La, CALMatters
ST HELENA
CAL FIRE suspends burn permits for North Bay Counties
After another wet winter and above average snowpack, warming temperatures and winds are quickly drying out the abundant annual grass crop. The increasing fire danger posed by the high volume of dead grass and hotter, drier conditions in the region is prompting CAL FIRE to suspend all burn permits for outdoor residential burning within the State Responsibility Areas of Colusa, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties.
This suspension takes effect Monday, June 17 at 8 a.m., and suspends all residential outdoor burning of landscape debris such as branches and leaves.
For Lake County, an annual burn ban is implemented each year by the Lake County Air Quality Management District beginning on May 1.
Since Jan. 1, the CAL FIRE Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit has responded to 68 wildfires. Over half of those fires have occurred within the last three weeks.
While outdoor burning of landscape debris by homeowners is no longer allowed, CAL FIRE is asking residents to take that extra time to ensure that they are prepared for wildfires by maintaining a minimum of 100 feet of defensible space around every home and buildings on their property and being prepared to evacuate if the time comes.
Here are some tips to help prepare homes and property:
• Clear all dead and or dying vegetation 100 feet from around all structures.
• Landscape with fire resistant plants and non-flammable ground cover.
• Find alternative ways to dispose of landscape debris like chipping or hauling it to a biomass energy or green waste facility.
A campfire permit can be obtained at local fire stations or online at PreventWildfireCA.org.
For additional information on how to create Defensible Space, on how to be prepared for wildfires, as well as tips to prevent wildfires, visit www.ReadyForWildfire.org.
—Submitted
LAKE COUNTY
Lake County Integrated Waste Management facilities closure
The Eastlake Landfill and the Public Services Office will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, in observance the Juneteenth holiday. The Eastlake Landfill and the Public Services office will re-open on Thursday, June 20, 2024.
Regular operating hours at the landfill are 7:30am to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The Public Services Office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. If you have any questions regarding this subject or any solid waste topics in Lake County, please call (707) 262-1618.
—Submitted
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