SACRAMENTO – Today, Assembly Republicans held a press conference to announce an amendment to the state constitution. The amendment will reaffirm the voters’ intent to require all local tax increases for a special purpose to receive approval from two-thirds of voters.
                                                                                                                                                                             
“This is a fight to defend a law that has protected Californians for decades,” said Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes (Yucca Valley).  “We are proud to stand with ordinary people who can’t afford higher taxes.”


The need for the amendment became clear following the California Supreme Court’s ruling this week that could allow special purpose tax increases placed on the ballot by initiative to pass with a simple majority vote. The decision opened a loophole in the existing two-thirds threshold, giving an advantage to special interests that can afford to pay signature collectors to get a tax increase on the ballot.


“This ruling empowers special interest groups who want your money for pet projects to do an end-around on taxpayer protections,” said Assemblywoman Catharine Baker (R-San Ramon). “We must protect taxpayers and make sure any proposal to take more money out of the pockets of Californians meets the two-thirds threshold before ever being enacted.”


“We are united in our belief that special-purpose local taxes should require a two-thirds vote regardless of how they are placed on the ballot,” said Assemblyman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia). “All tax increases by definition grow the size of government, and California should not allow special interests to hijack the approval process.”


“It’s already too expensive to live in California,” said Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Visalia). “We’re standing up for the two-thirds requirement to stop special interests from making it even worse.”
                                                                                                                                                                                        
Once the language of the amendment is finalized, Assembly Republicans will push for swift passage through the Legislature, in time for the June 2018 election.

By Dr. Glenn Mollette


Houston and the Texas Gulf Coast are devastated. Never has an area been so blasted by so much rainfall in such a short amount of time. Houston has received more rainfall than other city across the United States receivea in one entire year. So far over 51 inches of rain has fallen with more rainfall to come. Everyone in America and much of the world with a Television or computer knows about the suffering of Houston. Our prayers go out to them as well as our financial support, our manpower and anything we can do to help the millions of people who are homeless and suffering.


Experts are predicting Hurricane Harvey will cost the economy 25 - 30 billion dollars because of the rain. Most of Houston is closed down due to the storm. The oil and gas industry and thousands of jobs tied to other manufacturing such as the food service giant Sysco are closed.  The Port of Houston, several hospitals and both major airports are closed.


Essentially the fifth largest economy in the United States is at a dead stop.


The infrastructure damage to Houston will be in the billions. Reports have come from all the national media outlets on the significant number of people in Houston who do not have flood insurance. Thousands of homes will either be impossible to salvage or will cost upwards of `12-15 billions of dollars to repair according to reports.


Oil refineries on the Gulf of Mexico make up nearly half of the nation's refining capacity. If these refineries are flooded they will be difficult to repair and there will be extensive gasoline shortages in our country. We are already seeing prices go up at the pump and thus our entire economy will be impacted.


Most of us will know of someone directly impacted by Hurricane Harvey. At this moment my wife's aunt and husband are still in their house in Houston and they are not flooded which is a miracle I think. Several times a day we have text messaged or called to see how they are doing. Once her aunt face timed their neighborhood to prove to us that water had not gotten to them yet.


Most likely the number of dead bodies will not be really known until days and maybe even weeks after Houstonians are into their cleanup.


While the devastation of Houston is like a very scary movie it's nothing like what we would face if one nuclear bomb fell on an American City similar to Houston. The loss of life, housing, industry and infrastructure would be far greater. Houston will be repaired and houses will be rebuilt. Rebuilding after a nuclear bomb would be a different story. Such a horrific act would create suffering across our nation like we have never felt before.


Houston is hurting and Americans are pulling together from non-profits, churches and helping hands from across America.


Once again it will be proven that the heart of America is helping each other. Americans do care about each other and want the best for our towns and our country. Media lately has been highlighting all the tension between a few groups of people and hatred displayed by these groups. The vast majority of Americans may disagree and argue quite a bit. However, while Hurricane Harvey Hurts our country, it will demonstrate once again that the majority of Americans want the very best for each other. We will pull together for Houston and the other neighboring towns. This is one reason why we are still The United States of America and the greatest country of all. 


Glenn Mollette is a syndicated columnist and author of twelve books. 
He is read in all fifty states.

​

BAY AREA, Calif. August 29, 2017 - U.S. gas prices will likely rise to their highest prices since 2015 in the wake of Hurricane Harvey pounding the Gulf Coast, and heavy travel demand on the West Coast ahead of Labor Day, according to AAA.

“The near-term combinations of Labor Day, increased demand and the tightened supply levels in the Gulf means U.S. motorists are likely to see gas prices increase 5 to 15 cents in the coming week,” AAA Northern California spokesman Michael Blasky said. “Right now it’s unclear just how long these refineries could be shut down, which will determine how high prices go.”

AAA predicts the largest retail price surge of 2017 over the next 10 days, likely pushing the national price for gasoline to the $2.50 range and keeping California above $3 a gallon. At least eight refineries across Texas were offline as of Tuesday afternoon.

California is unlikely to see the brunt of the nation's price increases because it sources most of its gasoline from refineries within the Golden State and isn’t reliant on Gulf Coast refineries, according to Blasky. Across the state, prices had increased an average of 3 cents since last week.

“California is always susceptible to price spikes, but when it happens it’s normally because of an issue with refineries in our own state,” Blasky said. “California oil won’t likely be redirected to the Gulf Coast or the East Coast because to backfill supply issues.”

Blasky noted that most Californians were already paying more than $3 for gas because of California's strong economy and heavy travel demand, and most refineries have been running at high production levels nearly all summer to offset the demand.

According to AAA surveys, here are the top Labor Day travel trends:

* Should I stay or should I go? The majority of AAA survey respondents (64 percent) plan on traveling over the upcoming holiday weekend.

* Couples retreat! With the school year back in full swing, Labor Day tends to be more popular among parties of two. Lake Tahoe is the most popular driving destination for Northern Californians, and Las Vegas is most popular for air travelers. 

* Burning desire? Burning Man in the Northern Nevada desert will likely cause traffic jams in the region. Plan ahead: Take water, food, maps and emergency equipment to make sure you aren’t stranded.

* The great outdoors is calling. Spending time outdoors tops the list of Labor Day activities (70 percent), followed by dining out (53 percent) and indoor recreation, such as museums and shopping (23 percent).

Tipsy Tow returns for last summer holiday
To help Californians send off summer safely, AAA is offering Labor Day Tipsy Tow service. Service will start at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 4, and will run through 6 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 5. During the service period, drivers, passengers, party hosts, bartenders and/or restaurant managers can:

Call 1-800-AAA-HELP (1-800-222-4357) between 6 p.m. Sept. 4 and 6 a.m. Sept. 5 and state that they need a “Tipsy Tow.” Provide the driver’s name, home address, phone number and vehicle/driver location.

Tipsy Tow provides a free 10-mile tow and ride home for the driver, their vehicle and one passenger. For mileage beyond this, motorists are charged a standard towing rate. The service does not include roadside assistance.
 
“If you’ll be celebrating the last long weekend of summer by consuming alcohol, make sure you have a safe ride home. If those plans fall through, call AAA for a Tipsy Tow and we’ll get you home safely,” Blasky said.

​

California Congressman Doug LaMalfa has signed on to support a bill to delay the requirement for equipping all tractor-trailers with hour-logging software.
This week congress introduced a bill to delay the requirement for equipping all tractor-trailers with hour-logging software. Without it, sleep-deprived truck drivers may put everyone on the roads at risk. It's time to pressure Congress to scrap the bill before more lives are lost.

          HICKORY, NC (August 2017) In 2014, comedian Tracy Morgan was involved in a terrible automobile accident when a tractor-trailer truck plowed into Morgan's limo, killing comedian James McNair and badly injuring Morgan and the other passengers. It soon became clear that the truck driver had not slept in more than 24 hours, and that his exhaustion was the reason for the crash.
          Truckers driving on too little or no sleep have always been a major safety concern for anyone on the road, but this high-profile accident put the issue front and center. For many years, truckers have filled out paper logs to record their hours driving. In some instances, times have been inaccurately reported, allowing sleep-deprived truckers to go undetected. But new ELD (electronic logging device) systems are electronic and can accurately monitor truck driver activity. These devices keep truckers accountable and force them to pull off the road when they reach their federally mandated driving limit.
          However, this week Texas Republican Representative Brian Babin filed a bill to delay the nationwide ELD requirements for truckers for two more years, until December 2019. (Read more about it here.) The previous deadline was December 2017.
          This delay is gravely concerning for all drivers sharing the road with large trucks. Everyone knows that if you're in an accident involving a semi-truck, the odds for survival are stacked against you. For safety's sake, this regulation needs to go into effect sooner rather than later.
          Some truck drivers passionately oppose the idea of using this new software. They cite existing logistical complaints like waiting for hours in lines to load or unload; the daily scramble to find parking spaces; and reaching their driving limit just before the delivery has been made. Many of these drivers also blame the 14-hour rule (how long truckers can work before taking a break) stating that it's impossible to comply.
          "It's true that that truckers deal with difficult driving regulations, but that is a separate issue altogether," says Anthony Brooks, co-owner along with Andrew DeHart of Brooks-DeHart Furniture Xpress, a Hickory, NC based trucking company. "If truckers want to change the number of hours they are allowed to be on the road, then they should focus on that issue. ELog devices simply keep drivers accountable, making the roads a safer place to drive."
          "The bottom line: if Congress manages to delay these new regulations it will keep the roads more dangerous for everyone," adds co-owner Andrew DeHart. "When drivers are held accountable, they will get the rest they need and exhaustion-related accidents will decrease. Additionally, the companies and drivers who have already complied with the new regulations are now getting better insurance rates than those still using paper logs."
          While most people outside of the trucking industry may not be aware of the controversial move from paper logs to more reliable E-devices, this transition is an important safety issue that all automobile drivers—and any citizen concerned about safer driving regulations—should be aware of. Everyone should be concerned about Congress' foot dragging. When truckers are able to bend the rules of operation and get away with it, wrecks happen and people die.
          If you are concerned about worn out truckers driving for days at a time without sleep, take action today. Call your representatives today and tell them not to delay on these regulations. This software has the potential to save a lot of lives.
          Exhausted truckers put themselves and innocent people at risk. ELDs will help save many lives by ensuring that truckers aren't pushed to their limits while operating heavy, dangerous machinery. There is no reason to delay this life-saving mandate. Everyone's safety is on the line, so hopefully Congress will make the right decision.
To contact your representative today, visit this link: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

​

SACRAMENTO – In a major step toward sustainable groundwater management in California, more than 99 percent of the state’s high- and medium-priority groundwater basins have met a key deadline to form local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) under the state’s landmark Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) of 2014.
SGMA required formation of locally controlled GSAs in the state’s 127 high- and medium-priority groundwater basins by June 30, 2017. As of this week, 99 percent of the basins in that category are now covered by a local GSA, a groundwater adjudication, or an alternative sustainability plan.
“This is a signal accomplishment that required the leadership of myriad Californians who care about the future of their communities,” said Felicia Marcus, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board. “The successful formation of so many GSAs doesn’t by any means mean that this was easy. It was really hard--and it’s a great down payment on the hard work to come as GSAs move into developing their management plans.”
For the remaining basins that did not meet the GSA formation deadline, the State Water Board sent letters to property owners late last week to identify if there are active wells drawing groundwater that must be reported to the state. Portions of basins not covered by a GSA, adjudication, or alternative plan are considered unmanaged areas.  Groundwater extractions made from an unmanaged area must be reported to the state. The locations of unmanaged areas can be viewed on the unmanaged area identification map. 
“Groundwater accounts for a third of the state’s water supply on average and serves as a critically important source in dry years,” said Department of Water Resources Director Grant Davis. “It’s encouraging to see such a strong commitment from land owners and communities to manage this critical water source now and for future generations.”
The next step for GSAs is to create and implement groundwater sustainability plans that describe needed actions and implementation measures to bring their basins into balanced levels of pumping and recharge in the timeframe outlined in SGMA. SGMA allows GSAs to tailor plans to the economic and environmental needs of the regions, and provides tools and authorities for developing projects and regulating groundwater use to meet the GSA’s sustainability goals.
Basins identified as critically overdrafted are required to have sustainability plans in place by Jan. 31, 2020. All other high- and medium-priority basins have until Jan. 31, 2022, to adopt plans.
The plans will be reviewed by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and will be continuously updated to ensure sustainable management of the state’s groundwater by the year 2042.
To assist with the development of groundwater sustainability plans, DWR will provide important information and data, technical and non-technical assistance, best practices, guidance publications and grant funding opportunities that may be crucial to a plan’s success. In addition, DWR staff will present sustainability plan workshops for GSAs around the state. The first is scheduled for Sept. 20, 2017 in the Fresno area. Information on all of DWR’s SGMA resources and activities is available at http://www.water.ca.gov/groundwater/sgm/index.cfm


Background on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA)
Signed into law by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in 2014, SGMA is landmark legislation that empowers local agencies to sustainably manage groundwater resources. In areas where groundwater users and local agencies are unable or unwilling to sustainably manage their groundwater, SGMA authorizes State Water Board intervention. California depends on groundwater for a major portion of its annual water supply, particularly during times of drought. The long-term planning required by SGMA will provide a buffer against drought and climate change, and will contribute to reliable water supplies regardless of weather patterns in the state.

​




 
Our Future is Bright
Office of Senator Ted Gaines


To watch the news is to imagine a politically-obsessed America pulling apart at the seams, with opponents mobbing up and attacking each other at every turn and the two parties and their talking head proxies endlessly screaming at each other about the real meaning of President Trump’s tweets. It’s a phony picture. The essence of this country isn’t government at all and you might never see it on the news. It’s everyday people – hardworking people of every creed and age, living their lives the best they can regardless of what the government is doing – who make this state and nation what they are. It’s those people who make me believe that California’s future is bright.


Recently that belief was driven home to me when I met three very different groups of people in the North State. I came away inspired by their stories.


North State Ranchers have lived off this land for more than a century and have experienced every up and down imaginable, but they’ve persevered. Now, as the dry creek beds and barren mountains of years past have disappeared, they look forward to getting more water and getting their businesses back on their feet.


Illegal marijuana cultivation is stealing rancher water and polluting land with indiscriminate pesticide abuse, making it harder for legitimate ranchers to thrive and breaking their hearts at the same time. These men and women are the original conservationists. It’s not just words with them; they depend on clean water and healthy soils for their livelihoods. It’s why they have such a deep connection to the land and are such careful stewards of their property. I know that a solid ranching economy in the north state will secure these lands for generations.


Despite these new challenges, the ranchers were ready to fight for their futures in California, and just asked me to try to get government out of their way. They were eager to roll their sleeves up and get to work! They weren’t looking for government handouts or help, just freedom, so they could continue the agricultural legacy their ancestors built.


In Placerville, I visited with the Executive Director of the privately-supported and volunteer-driven Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). CASA recruits and trains people from the community to serve as advocates for abused or severely neglected children as they seek justice in our court system.


The CASA advocates usually take one case at a time and build a relationship with the child they are representing. They bond with the child, learn about the child’s special, individual circumstances, and they use that knowledge to report to the judges overseeing these cases, so they can make informed, compassionate decisions about the most helpful services and support for each of these children.


The CASA volunteers, donors, and other supporters together serve as a solid foundation for these kids’ futures, helping during their crises and together forging a more successful life path. One child at a time, CASA is creating healthier, more loving communities for us all.


But my favorite visit, one that brings a smile to my face even now as I think of it, was with 11-year old Preston Sharp, the Flag Planter. Starting in 2015, this young man started placing small flags on the graves of local veterans in Redding to honor their service. Since then, Preston has planted an amazing 28,000 flags on gravesites from Redding to Sacramento, and he’s branching out to Reno and wherever else his commitment takes him. I’m proud to know such a young patriot who shows such great empathy for veterans and their families.


I wanted to recognize Preston, and gave him an award from my office to honor his efforts. He appreciated it!  But in the end, he said he was not acting to get an award from the government, but because he wanted to give veterans the respect they had earned. He is a fine young man with the right priorities.


These three stories seem unrelated but they aren’t. They are all, in their way, stitching together a unified state - one child, one ranch, one flag at a time. Like a million little streams feeding into one mighty river, these Californians and others around the state are achieving on their own, with their individual accomplishments all pouring into a single California, robust and full of hope. Sacramento can’t mandate these acts, only get in the way. 


Politicians come and go, and parties come into and fade out of power all the time. But the California spirit and the talents and desires of the builders, the achievers, the doers, is forever.


Our future is bright.


Senator Ted Gaines represents the 1st Senate District, which includes all or parts of Alpine, El Dorado, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, Shasta, Sierra and Siskiyou counties.

DISCUSSION/DIRECTION with respect to creation of an Abandoned Vehicle Abatement (AVA) program was held at the Sierra County Board of Supervisors’ meeting in Loyalton on Tuesday, August 15th.  Supervisor Lee Adams stated this program was proposed to this board 20 years ago and the board declined it. The State gives each county $1 per vehicle. Adams felt this was not a huge hit but would raise some money to help abate abandoned vehicles on public lands. He thought Sierra County could cut and paste another county’s program, so there wouldn’t be a lot of staff time involved. He added adjoining counties all have a similar program. Adams felt the most important hurdle was to ask the City of Loyalton to see if they would be interested. He stated for the program to work, both agencies have to agree and would have to be adopted by a 3/5 vote of both the Board of Supervisors and City Council. He would be more than willing to author a letter to ask City Council to consider this program as well. Supervisor Scott Schlefstein stated this would be for abandoned vehicles on public property, but felt most of the problem was on private property and asked how do they address this. Adams this is only to go after abandoned vehicles on public property, adding they do have code section on private property to go after residents creating blight. Beals told Schlefstein it was a zoning issue if there’s a junk yard on private property. Adams supported trying to clean up private property, but didn’t think the public should be funding it. Supervisor Jim Beard stated he would not support any type of a tax or fee increase. Sergeant Don Peterson of CHP oversees Portola outpost, which includes Loyalton and Sierraville. Peterson handed out vehicle code and said he requested officers out of the Portola office to check Loyalton and Sierraville areas to look for and identify any abandoned vehicles. He said in the last ten days, they have removed three vehicles off highways that have expired registration of 6 months or more. He stated, yesterday alone they issued seven park citations. Peterson stated part of the problem is tow companies that will remove abandoned vehicles at the request of CHP, need some way of getting repaid, so that’s why other counties use the $1 a vehicle abatement program. Sierra County Planning Director Tim Beals encouraged the Board to approve this program.  He said without a viable program and funding source they are often not able to remove vehicles or if they are removed there’s no way to get reimbursement. He felt this program was critical to the county’s right of way. From the audience Eileen Benson asked if the vehicles will be towed out of the trailer park. Beals stated that is private property and would not be under the program.  Motion was made and approved with Supervisor Beard voting no.