Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
Wednesday, August 31, 2016 – 09:00 a.m.
Players in the Democrat party, talking heads and the so-called GOP establishment (What remains of it!) are starting to up their chorus and pitch as Democrat Nominee Hillary Clinton’s lead rapidly evaporates.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 08/30/16 – 9:36 AM PDT |
SAN BERNARDINO >> A committee opposed to the ballot measure that would change the city charter asked Monday that City Clerk Gigi Hanna recuse herself and her employees from any decisions related to that measure.
John Myers
Aug. 30, 2016 – 7:28 p.m.
Reporting from Sacramento–
Lawmakers on Tuesday narrowly rejected an effort to create new disclosure rules for California political mailers and money gathered from several donors into a single contribution.
John Myers
Aug. 30, 2016 – 7:39 p.m.
Reporting from Sacramento–
California election officials would have until 2019 to repair or replace the state’s antiquated campaign finance database under a bill sent to Gov. Jerry Brown on Tuesday.
By Shea Johnson, Staff Writer
Posted Aug. 29, 2016 at 5:56 PM
San Bernardino County 1st District Supervisor candidate Angela Valles’ lawsuit against a local wastewater agency promises to hang over head well past the November election, likely to stay active through the first half of her term should she defeat incumbent Robert Lovingood.
Capitol Alert
By Alexei Koseff
akoseff@sacbee.com
August 29, 2016 – 5:31 PM
California is on the verge of sweeping changes to its election system intended to boost plummeting voter turnout.
John Myers
Aug. 29, 2016 – 5:47 p.m.
State lawmakers rejected a plan on Monday to place limits on individual campaign donations for city and county offices, races where in some California communities there are no restrictions on the size of a legal donation.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
August 29, 2016 – 2:43 PM
A large coalition of “goo-goos” – Capitol jargon for reform groups such as Common Cause and the League of Women Voters – wants the Legislature to shine the light of disclosure on those who provide “dark money” for political campaigns.
Natalie Kitroeff
August 29, 2016
Southern California is losing another manufacturing stalwart.
By Melody Gutierrez
Published: August 28, 2016
Updated: August 28, 2016 – 8:37pm
SACRAMENTO — The fate of hundreds of bills will be decided by Wednesday, when state lawmakers wrap up their two-year session.
Liam Dillon
August 28, 2016
For years, state lawmakers have been trying to crack down on private meetings between utility companies and members of the California Public Utilities Commission after revelations that top officials and industry executives had frequent dinner dates, shared talking points and even sketched out details of the multibillion-dollar closure of a Southern California nuclear power plant during a secret rendezvous in a luxury hotel in Poland.
Adam Elmahrek
August 29, 2016
Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey has accepted more than $10,000 worth of gifts over the last four years from criminal defense attorneys, police unions, business owners, prosecutors in her office and others who could have an interest in influencing her decisions as one of the most powerful law enforcement officials in the county, according to state records.
By Carolyn Y. Johnson
August 27, 2016 at 8:10 PM
Enrollment in the insurance exchanges for President Obama’s signature health-care law is at less than half the initial forecast, pushing several major insurance companies to stop offering health plans in certain markets because of significant financial losses.
Saturday, August 27, 2016 – 10:00 a.m.
A bill imposing criminal penalties on prosecutors who withhold or hide evidence in criminal cases cleared the California Senate this week and is already headed to Governor Jerry Brown for his consideration.
By Jeff Horseman / Staff Writer
Published: Aug. 26, 2016 – Updated: 6:06 p.m.
Inland Rep. Pete Aguilar’s campaign took aim at his GOP opponent’s recordkeeping as the first-term Democratic incumbent went on the attack in the race for a San Bernardino County congressional seat.
By Neil Nisperos, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 08/26/16 – 12:33 PM PDT |
COLTON >> About 840 employees at an Ashley Furniture HomeStore factory/warehouse in Colton were laid off Friday.
Shobhana Chandra
August 26, 2016 — 5:30 AM PDT
The U.S. economy grew less than previously reported last quarter on lower government outlays and a bigger depletion of inventories, capping a sluggish first-half performance propped up mainly by consumer spending.
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 08/25/16 – 10:35 PM PDT |
SAN BERNARDINO >> James Penman and Tim Prince don’t agree on much, but they agree that changing the city charter is a bad idea and they represent groups that both submitted ballot arguments against the charter change proposal.
By Jim Miller
jmiller@sacbee.com
August 25, 2016 – 7:07 PM
There’s nothing like a deadline to focus the mind.
That chestnut of time management holds particularly true for the California Legislature. In session for about eight months each year, the Legislature goes into overdrive in the days leading up to committee and floor deadlines.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
August 25, 2016 – 4:27 PM
As the Legislature begins the last few days of its biennial session, hundreds of measures are pending – not counting, of course, “mushroom bills” that will sprout in the dead of night and pass before anyone outside the Capitol can react.
By Brian Rokos / Staff Writer
Published: Aug. 24, 2016
Updated: Aug. 25, 2016 6:24 a.m.
A warrant was issued for the arrest of former Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach after he did not show up in court Tuesday, Aug. 23, to testify about the approval of a wiretap that prompted authorities to charge a man with possessing illegal drugs.
By Liset Márquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 08/23/16, 1:49 PM PDT |
ONTARIO >> Some responsibilities for LA/Ontario International Airport’s future success will be shouldered by aviation expert Bruce E. Atlas.
By David Danelski / Staff Reporter
Published: Aug. 23, 2016
Updated: Aug. 24, 2016 – 6:17 a.m.
As the state criminal case against seven former Beaumont officials moves through Riverside County Superior Court, a more secretive federal probe of the city’s troubled finances also is advancing.
By Stephen Braun and Eileen Sullivan, The Associated Press
Posted: 08/23/16, 8:23 PM PDT |
WASHINGTON >> More than half the people outside the government who met with Hillary Clinton while she was secretary of state gave money — either personally or through companies or groups — to the Clinton Foundation. It’s an extraordinary proportion indicating her possible ethics challenges if elected president.
Patrick McGreevy
Aug. 22, 2016 – 4:43 p.m.
In the continuing fallout from the city of Bell’s financial scandal, Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed a bill requiring city councils and county boards of supervisors to publicly announce pay and benefit increases for government executives before they are approved by a vote.
By Rosalind S. Helderman, Spencer S. Hsu and Tom Hamburger
August 22, 2016 at 7:18 PM
A sports executive who was a major donor to the Clinton Foundation and whose firm paid Bill Clinton millions of dollars in consulting fees wanted help getting a visa for a British soccer player with a criminal past.
Howard Blume and Joy Resmovits
August 23, 2016
Monday was the end of the line for a landmark California case challenging tenure and other traditional job protections for teachers — and the teachers won.
Ed Mendel
August 22, 2016
The one thing some pension reformers say is needed to cut the cost of unaffordable public pensions: give current workers a less costly retirement benefit for work done in the future, while protecting pension amounts already earned.
Brian Bennett and
David Lauter
August 21, 2016 – 3:17 P.M.
Reporting from Washington–
Donald Trump has gained ground against Hillary Clinton, according to the latest findings from the USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times national tracking poll of the presidential race.
By Alicia Robinson / Staff Writer
Published: Aug. 19, 2016
Updated: Aug. 21, 2016 12:24 a.m.
Several Riverside County cities are hoping to cut through the election season noise and convince residents to support tax increases to pay for police, fire and other key services.
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By Katy O’Donnell
08/20/16 – 07:42 AM EDT
Hundreds of corporate executives, foreign dignitaries and celebrities will pile into a Manhattan ballroom to hobnob with Bill and Chelsea Clinton next month at their charity’s keynote annual event — just days before Hillary Clinton defends herself against pay-to-play accusations from Donald Trump in their first debate.
By David Danelski and and Gail Wesson, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 08/19/16 – 11:20 PM PDT |
The seven former Beaumont city officials charged in May with 94 felony corruption counts, including embezzlement and misappropriation of public funds, each pleaded not guilty to all charges against them Friday.
By Susan Abram, Los Angeles Daily News
Posted: 08/19/16 – 2:15 PM PDT |
California health officials on Friday urged travelers returning home from the Olympics as well as countries where Zika is spreading to continue to wear insect repellent and to practice safe sex for several more weeks, to help prevent the spread of the virus in the Golden State.
Friday, August 19, 2016 – 08:45 a.m.
The California legislature is set to forward legislation targeting prosecutor misconduct to Governor Jerry Brown.
By Joe Nelson, The Sun
Posted: 08/18/16 – 7:56 PM PDT |
The California Supreme Court has rejected a petition by a defense attorney in a San Bernardino County public corruption case to consider dismissing the indictment on grounds of alleged prosecutorial misconduct, paving the way for trial in October.
By Imran Ghori / Staff Writer
Published: Aug. 18, 2016 – Updated: 8:55 p.m.
A judge has denied a request by opponents of the World Logistics Center to block two initiatives aimed at shielding the 40.6 million-square-foot warehouse complex from legal challenges.
Associated Press
Posted: 08/18/2016 – 02:07:36 PM PDT
Updated: 08/18/2016 – 02:10:22 PM PDT
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — New data show nearly 18.1 million Californians are registered to vote, the second-highest statewide voter registration total ever.
By Louis Nelson
Published: 08/18/16 – 05:24 PM EDT
Updated: 08/18/16 – 08:04 PM EDT
Republicans are claiming vindication after the State Department confirmed on Thursday that the United States conditioned the release of a $400 million cash payment to Iran on the departure of American prisoners from Tehran.
By JEFF HORSEMAN / STAFF WRITER
Published: Aug. 17, 2016 Updated: 4:05 p.m.
Unless it’s an ultra-competitive toss-up race, there’s typically not a lot of publicly available polling for congressional elections.
By Sean Emery / Staff Writer
Aug. 17, 2016 – Updated 10:08 p.m.
SANTA ANA – An Orange County judge offered to remove himself from a murder trial Wednesday, only to learn that attorneys on both sides want him to stay on a case that involves allegations of prosecutors falsifying evidence.
Jim Puzzanghera
August 17, 2016
Some Federal Reserve policymakers said at their most recent meeting that the economy appeared ready for another small increase in a key interest rate, according to an account released Wednesday.
Wednesday, August 17, 2016 – 09:00 a.m.
We said it more than a year ago and it’s coming true.
Obamacare is melting down right in the middle of the U.S. presidential election.
By Liset Márquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 08/16/16 – 8:26 PM PDT |
ONTARIO >> Local ownership of the beleaguered LA/Ontario International Airport will have to wait another month until Nov. 1.
By Suzanne Hurt, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 08/16/16 – 10:14 PM PDT |
California water suppliers have painted a glowing picture of their ability to supply customers even if they get three more dry years — and state water officials said Tuesday they have no plans to investigate those claims.
Published: Aug. 16, 2016
Updated: Aug. 17, 2016 – 7:50 a.m.
Amid an ongoing jailhouse informants scandal that suggests Orange County sheriff’s deputies may have violated defendants’ civil liberties, Sheriff Sandra Hutchens has hired a full-time adviser to review her department’s practices to ensure they are constitutionally sound.
By Rachael Bade and Josh Gerstein
Published: 08/16/16 – 02:59 PM EDT
Updated: 08/16/16 – 08:10 PM EDT
The FBI on Tuesday handed over to Congress classified records from its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server, the latest development in the scandal that the Democratic nominee just can’t shake.
Capitol Alert
By Alexei Koseff
akoseff@sacbee.com
August 16, 2016 – 12:44 PM
California could soon restore voting rights for tens of thousands of felons who are not serving their sentences in the state prison system.
Maura Dolan
August 17, 2016
A U.S. appeals court decided unanimously Tuesday that the federal government may not prosecute people who grow and distribute medical marijuana if they are complying with state laws.
By David R. Baker
August 15, 2016
Updated: August 15, 2016 – 4:47pm
Gasoline is cheap in California compared to a year ago.
But it’s nowhere near as cheap as it could be.
By Tony Saavedra / Staff Writer
Aug. 15, 2016
Updated Aug. 16, 2016 – 7:25 a.m.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Thomas Goethals threw a curve Monday to lawyers seeking removal of the District Attorney’s Office from a murder case following allegations of falsifying and withholding evidence.
By Cassie MacDuff, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 08/14/16 – 2:11 PM PDT |
Baffling. That’s all that can be said about the state Senate Appropriations Committee killing a bill last week that would have addressed a critical shortage of judges in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
By Sandra Emerson, Redlands Daily Facts
Posted: 08/14/16 – 2:13 PM PDT |
REDLANDS >> A lot is happening in downtown Redlands.
Several long-anticipated development projects are getting underway, all of them set to bring in more business and activity to the city’s historic core.
Ed Mendel
August 15, 2016
Two actuarial associations did not publish a controversial paper by their joint task force, reflecting a split in the profession over whether public pension debt should be measured with risk-free bonds or the earnings forecast for stock-laden investment funds.
By Jeff Horseman / Staff Writer
Published: Aug. 13, 2016 – Updated: 10:04 p.m.
For the first time in recent memory and perhaps history, the number of registered Democratic voters in Riverside County outnumbers the ranks of registered Republican voters.
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By Josh Gerstein
08/13/16 – 07:46 AM EDT
The Obama administration is urgently debating how to respond to congressional demands for the official report on Hillary Clinton’s three-and-a-half-hour interview at FBI headquarters, as some inside and outside government raise concerns about giving lawmakers access to politically sensitive records of the FBI’s investigation into Hillary Clinton’s private email system.
Joel Rubin
August 12, 2016
Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca pleaded not guilty Friday afternoon to felony charges arising from an FBI probe into county jails.
Capitol Alert
By Christopher Cadelago
ccadelago@sacbee.com
August 11, 2016 – 10:42 AM
The Obama administration’s decision Thursday to keep marijuana classified among the nation’s most dangerous drugs divided campaign operatives in California’s cannabis legalization debate.
By Kevin Smith, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Posted: 08/10/16 – 10:54 AM PDT |
Twenty-six energy companies with business before the state donated nearly $10 million to Gov. Jerry Brown and the California Democratic Party over the past eight years — donations that often were made within days or weeks of winning favors.
By John Myers and Sophia Bollag
August 10, 2016
Political professionals who run California ballot measure campaigns always worry about how to get the attention of voters. And it all starts with a lot of money.
By Greg Moran |
Aug. 10, 2016 – 12:47 p.m. |
District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has been subpoenaed to testify at the trial of a Mexican tycoon facing federal charges he illegally contributed $600,000 in cash and services into campaigns for San Diego mayor in 2012 — including Dumanis’ unsuccessful bid.
By Liset Márquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 08/09/16 – 11:25 AM PDT |
UPLAND >> The city will pay fired city manager Rod Butler nearly $23,000 a month — or $206,997 over a nine-month period — not to show up to work.
By Kevin Smith, San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Posted: 08/09/16 – 1:54 PM PDT |
California’s costly tax and regulatory policies prompted more than 10,000 businesses to leave the state, reduce their operations or curtail plans to locate here between 2008 and 2015, according to a report from Spectrum Location Solutions.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016 – 12:00 p.m.
I just sent an email to Staff Writer Teri Sforza at The Orange County Register regarding her article on the “Top 25 Public Pensions” in California, published Tuesday.
Her story mysteriously omitted San Bernardino County pension data.
By Alicia Robinson, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 08/08/16 – 7:54 PM PDT |
High-earning state and local government retirees are scattered around the state, with no one city or agency dominating the list of the biggest pension payouts in 2015, data from an open records advocacy group show.
By Liset Márquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 08/09/16 – 6:47 AM PDT |
UPLAND >> Mayor Ray Musser announced Monday night he would not seek another term after serving 18 years in office.
By Liset Márquez, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 08/09/16 – 6:30 AM PDT | U
UPLAND >> Fire Chief Paul Segalla has been placed on administrative leave.
Maura Dolan
August 8, 2016
The California Supreme Court decided Monday that the votes of elected officials are protected free speech.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
August 7, 2016 – 4:46 PM
When Kevin de León talks about creating pensions for low-income workers, he cites his aunt, a housekeeper for many years, as an example.
By Jacqueline Klimas (@jacqklimas)
8/7/16 – 12:30 PM
Hillary Clinton recklessly discussed, in emails hosted on her private server, an Iranian nuclear scientist who was executed by Iran for treason, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Sunday.
Paul Pringle and Rong-Gong Lin II
August 6, 2016
The alleged bribes and kickbacks that prosecutors said flowed like honey between government officials at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and people who did business at the venerable stadium exceeded $2 million — cash that belonged to the taxpayers.
Saturday, August 6, 2016 – 10:30 a.m.
It’s been a rough two weeks for Republican Donald Trump.
But he’s far from out of the contest. Especially when Hillary Clinton is the opponent.
By Jordan Graham / Staff Writer
Updated Aug. 6, 2016 – 8:25 a.m.
The state’s political watchdog has launched an investigation into whether Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas violated the Political Reform Act by failing to report charitable donations he used his influence to solicit, and by approving public funds to be spent promoting his chief of staff’s business partner.
By Alma Fausto / Staff Writer
Updated Aug. 6, 2016 8:25 a.m.
The 4th District Court of Appeal rejected a request Friday by the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for a rehearing on a ruling that was mainly in the office’s favor.
Cindy Chang
August 5, 2016
Days after withdrawing a guilty plea for lying during an FBI investigation into widespread abuses at the county jails, former Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca was indicted Friday on more serious charges that could bring up to 20 years in prison.
Saturday, August 6, 2016 – 10:00 a.m.
Former Congressman has changed his voter registration once again.
Friday, August 5, 2016 – 09:00 a.m.
The race between incumbent democrat Pete Aguilar and republican challenger Paul Chabot in the 31st Congressional District has taken on a little bit of a sharp tone.
A new campaign sign has surfaced that is humorous to say the least.
Hopefully the Chabot campaign, or someone, has some untruth to attribute to the first-term congressman.
By Jeff Horseman / Staff Writer
Published: Aug. 4, 2016 – Updated: 7:01 p.m.
An Inland Republican Party official resigned from his state government job Thursday, Aug. 4, a day after he sent tweets from the party’s official Twitter account that featured a menacing hangman and the words “I’m Ready for Hillary.”
By Ryan Hagen, The Sun
Posted: 08/04/16 – 8:41 PM PDT |
SAN BERNARDINO >> Years of efforts to change the governing document that many blame for the city’s dysfunction will culminate with voters deciding whether to replace it in November, the City Council decided Thursday.
Ivan Penn
August 4, 2016
A consumer advocacy group accused oil refiners of intentionally keeping California’s gasoline prices higher than in the rest of the nation to bolster profits, despite growing inventories and falling wholesale prices.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
August 4, 2016 – 4:00 PM
California’s political cognoscenti took notice this week when state Treasurer John Chiang reported raising $2.3 million in the first 45 days of his campaign for governor.
Rong-Gong Lin II, Paul Pringle and Marisa Gerber
August 4, 2016
Two concert promoters accused in a bribery-and-embezzlement scheme involving raves at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will avoid serving any jail time under a plea bargain with prosecutors who acknowledged, for the second time, that they mishandled evidence in the high-profile corruption case.
Joel Rubin
August 4, 2016
A federal appeals court Thursday upheld the convictions of seven former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies on charges they tried to thwart an FBI investigation into county jails.
By Jeff Horseman / Staff Writer
Published: Aug. 3, 2016
Updated: Aug. 4, 2016 – 10:02 a.m.
UPDATE (Thursday, Aug. 4):� How the “I’m Ready for Hillary” hangman tweet happened
Two tweets from the official Twitter account for the Riverside County Republican Party featured illustrations of a hangman holding a noose with the words, “I’m Ready for Hillary,” below.
By Jay Solomon and Carol E. Lee
Updated: Aug. 3, 2016 – 12:01 a.m. ET
WASHINGTON—The Obama administration secretly organized an airlift of $400 million worth of cash to Iran that coincided with the January release of four Americans detained in Tehran, according to U.S. and European officials and congressional staff briefed on the operation afterward.
Wednesday, August 3, 2016 – 08:30 a.m.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Deputies and District Attorney Investigators have given their approval to a new three-year collective bargaining agreement.