Following 33 hours of negotiations held by federal negotiators, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) workers went on strike Friday, October 18, 2013, over pay and work rule changes. Currently, union workers’ average gross pay is $76,500. Although union and management reached agreement on changing worker pension contributions from zero to 4 percent, and increasing monthly… Continue Reading
On October 1, 2013, the United States Congress came to a stalemate and could not pass a budget bill, ultimately leading to the shutdown of the federal government. This shutdown caused many government institutions to cut unnecessary activities and furlough approximately 800,000 “non-essential” government employees. As a result of the shutdown, the housing market faced… Continue Reading
On Friday, October 11, 2013, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer announced that 38 medical marijuana dispensaries will be shut down following a voter-approved crackdown. The dispensaries do not comply with Measure D, a municipal ballot measure passed this May that garnered 63 percent of the vote. Measure D restricts the number of dispensaries in… Continue Reading
On Tuesday, November 19, 2013, the Rose Institute of State and Local Government held a panel discussion on the Voting Rights Act after the Supreme Court struck down key provisions in Shelby County v. Holder. The Institute was fortunate to have two voting rights experts on the panel: Bruce Cain, distinguished political scientist and director… Continue Reading
On October 11, California Governor Jerry Brown signed eleven gun control bills, while vetoing seven others. His veto of SB 374, which would have banned all semi-automatic rifles with detachable magazines, was met with support from the National Rifle Association, which had threatened to file a lawsuit if the bill became law. Senate Pro Tem… Continue Reading
A joint investigative effort by CNN and the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIR) recently revealed fraud in a number of California’s tax-payer-funded drug rehab clinics. The investigation uncovered financial fraud, misreporting, insufficient oversight, and poor hiring practices at some of the clinics, which are funded by Medi-Cal, part of the federal Medicaid health care system.… Continue Reading
On October 31, 2013, Governor Tom Ridge spoke at the Athenaeum to a crowd of well over 130 attendees. The former secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and governor of Pennsylvania addressed the critical role of local governments in the fight against terrorism. As Governor Ridge put it, local governments are on the front… Continue Reading
On Thursday, October 17, 2013 at the Marian Miner Cook Athenaeum, the Rose Institute for State and Local Government commemorated its 40th anniversary. The celebration was scheduled to coincide with the institute’s semi-annual Board of Governors’ meeting. The day started with CMC President Hiram Chodosh addressing students and the board members at a luncheon, followed… Continue Reading
On September 25, 2013, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill to raise California’s minimum wage to $10 per hour by 2016. Assembly Bill 10 raises the current minimum wage of $8/hour in two $1 increments, the first by July 2014 and the second by January 2016. It passed on September 12 in… Continue Reading
Former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Tom Ridge will visit the Athenaeum this Thursday, October 31, as part of the Rose Institute’s speaker series. Secretary Ridge served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, from 1983 to 1995, before his role in the White House, and served as the governor of… Continue Reading
