June 21, 2011, 12:05 AM
As millions of California schoolchildren embark on a months-long summer vacation, low-income students are likely to lose substantial ground academically during the summer, while higher-income students will gain, according to a new report. Most disturbing, according to a report titled "...
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June 16, 2011, 4:21 PM
Gov. Jerry Brown wasted little time today when he vetoed the budget package California legislators presented him less than 24 hours prior. Brown said in a statement that the budget – which lawmakers passed with a simple majority yesterday and without any Republican support – was...
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June 16, 2011, 12:05 AM
Never let it be said that state legislators are all that different from the rest of us. Sure, they have some perks that many Californians will never enjoy, like all-expenses-paid junkets and a generous per diem. And they often spend their evenings watching strangers shower money...
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June 16, 2011, 12:05 AM
UPDATE: Gov. Jerry Brown this morning vetoed the state budget, blaming Republican lawmakers for failing to compromise with Democrats on extending tax increases in order to balance a $9.6 billion shortfall without accounting maneuvers. "Unfortunately, the budget I have received is not a...
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June 13, 2011, 3:40 PM
Gov. Jerry Brown reaffirmed his call to enact temporary tax extensions when he met with dozens of state leaders today, just two days before the June 15 budget deadline. Lawmakers continued negotiations over the weekend, as Republicans remained staunchly opposed to pushing the expiration date...
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June 13, 2011, 12:05 AM
California nursing homes dodged the 10 percent rate cut hitting doctors and most other Medi-Cal providers approved by the Senate on Friday, angering advocates who hoped to see funding aligned to reward top-notch care. Nursing homes carved out a deal carried by Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield...
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June 10, 2011, 12:05 AM
If the room full of likely voters who gathered yesterday in San Francisco for the California Budget Challenge had their way, California's current budget deficit would be morphed into a $7.9 billion surplus. More than 150 people participated in the interactive challenge yesterday, put on by...
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June 10, 2011, 12:05 AM
Mono Lake is the second-largest lake in California – a gorgeous, otherworldly expanse of aquamarine saltwater in the high desert east of Yosemite National Park. Its very existence is a modern environmental success story. As late as 1984, the lake was condemned to become a 65-square-mile...
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June 7, 2011, 12:05 AM
When it comes to protecting California watershed habitats, environmentalists rarely embrace budget cuts. But that is exactly what they are doing in response to a recent proposal to slash funding for gold mining permits. Last month, legislators amended the proposed state budget to prohibit the...
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June 3, 2011, 12:05 AM
In a notable display of bipartisan support, the state Assembly approved potentially landmark school financing legislation by a 74-2 vote this week. The vote reflected an overwhelming consensus on the need to reform the way schools are funded. The fact that Republicans unanimously voted...
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June 2, 2011, 12:05 AM
More than three in four Californians buy into Gov. Jerry Brown's notion that voters should have a say in deciding which cuts and taxes will be used to plug the state's budget gap, according to a Public Policy Institute of California poll released last night. Since his campaign last...
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June 1, 2011, 12:05 AM
Calling the move "long overdue," Gov. Jerry Brown yesterday ordered more than 400 administrative positions permanently cut at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation – a move the governor's office said would save taxpayers $30 million. Brown said that...
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May 26, 2011, 12:05 AM
A new competitive bidding program meant to save Medicare billions is shaking up medical suppliers across the U.S., including in Riverside and San Bernardino counties where the new system is already in place. Medicare revolutionized the way it pays for items such as oxygen tanks and...
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May 20, 2011, 12:05 AM
When Gov. Jerry Brown unveiled his revised budget Monday, he sent a mixed message to First 5 commissions throughout the state: On one hand, the budget would no longer include taking $1 billion from them. On the other, the state would still pursue those funds. Any relief commissions felt...
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May 20, 2011, 12:05 AM
Deep in Gov. Jerry Brown's May revision of his January budget is a possible solution to a major conflict over funding mental health services for special education students. Brown this week proposed that schools, not counties, be responsible for paying for mental health services,...
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