By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 06/30/14, 9:17 PM PDT | Updated: 30 secs ago

SAN BERNARDINO >> The city passed its budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year Monday night, three hours before the year began.

The 5-2 vote — Councilmen John Valdivia and Benito Barrios opposing — came after warnings on one hand of disastrous effects in bankruptcy court if a full budget wasn’t passed by that deadline, and on the other of dire threats to the city from cuts contained in the budget.

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Patrick McGreevy, Tony Perry and Julie Cart
June 30, 2014

A California law barring therapy aimed at converting the sexual orientation of minors from gay to straight withstood a legal challenge as the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an appeal arguing that the statute violates free speech rights.

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There was time when a majority of Americans were confident in their Supreme Court, but those positive feelings have been eroding in the last quarter of a century so that just 30% now say they have confidence in the institution, according to a Gallup poll.

Michael Muskal
June 30, 2014

The poll, released Monday, had good news and bad news for the high court, a unique institution that serves as a check and balance in the United States. People have more confidence in the court than in any other arm of government, but that may not be saying that much when confidence in the presidency stands at 29% and in the Congress at 7%.

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By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Jul. 1, 2014 – 12:00 am
Last Modified: Tuesday, Jul. 1, 2014 – 12:15 am

Eighty years ago, California voters tightened up the state’s weak civil-service system to counter the corrupt practice of politicians padding public payrolls with family members, friends and political supporters.

However, the Legislature was exempted from the ballot measure’s provisions.

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WASHINGTON — Jun 30, 2014, 10:08 AM ET
By SAM HANANEL
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) The Supreme Court dealt a blow to public sector unions Monday, ruling that thousands of home health care workers in Illinois cannot be required to pay fees that help cover a union’s costs of collective bargaining.

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By Jon Ortiz
jortiz@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Jun. 30, 2014 – 10:49 pm
Last Modified: Tuesday, Jul. 1, 2014 – 7:39 am

The U.S. Supreme Court chipped away at government-employee union power on Monday by ruling that Illinois home-support workers paid with public money can reject union membership.

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Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
June 30, 2014

Thanks to high birth and immigration rates over the last several decades, California has one of the nation’s lowest proportions of over-65 residents – but it also has one of its higher elderly growth rates, a new Census Bureau report reveals.

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A Register investigation shows that one in five fatal incidents across region isn’t disclosed.

BY KEEGAN KYLE / STAFF WRITER
Published: June 28, 2014 Updated: June 30, 2014 10:58 a.m.

California’s system for tracking deadly police shootings is plagued by confusion and inadequate oversight, further clouding public knowledge of an officer’s greatest power.

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