California wildfire legislation includes PG&E ‘bailout’
Supporters called the bill necessary, if imperfect.
"They say a good compromise makes everyone a bit unhappy and that's me tonight," said Sen.
But Sen.
The vote came in the final hours of legislative session marked by continued resistance to the Trump administration, reaction to the #MeToo movement and hard-fought reforms -- including a wholesale scrapping of the state's cash bail system -- that was punctuated on the final day by the passage of an open internet law to prohibit the throttling of online traffic.
The wildfire bill is a response to the ferocious and deadly wildfires that have roared across the state in the past year, killing more than 40 people and destroying thousands of homes. Included along with the additional funding for underbrush thinning and forest health were provisions that outraged consumer advocates by allowing
If approved and signed by Gov.
The wildfire/
But as was the case last year, national politics have shaped some of the most prominent proposals heading to the governor's desk, from restrictions on offshore drilling to a bill aiming to protect undocumented immigrants from being arrested by immigration agents during court hearings or while doing business in
One such bill on Brown's desk is a direct response to the repeal of federal internet regulations under the Trump administration. The "net neutrality" bill by Sen.
And the #MeToo movement that erupted in
A bill aiming to hold police more accountable for using deadly force -- which took on new relevance after the fatal March shooting of
"
One effort that failed to gain traction was to shore up funding for contaminated drinking water systems through fees on fertilizer mills, dairies and a voluntary tax of
Instead, Assembly Speaker
But perhaps the most passionate debate of the week was over something that hits close to home for millions of families: just how early middle and high school should start.
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Another bill approved by the legislature late Friday would require middle and high schools to start no earlier than
But ultimately the proposal prevailed in the Assembly, despite failing there last fall. It got a boost from Assemblywoman
"You have to decide what is really going to move the children of
For more information about bills and to see how lawmakers voted, visit the California Legislative Information website.
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