[Source: Los Angeles Times Op-Ed] The California Senate recently voted to pass a bill that would establish a single-payer healthcare system for the entire state. The proposal, called the Healthy California Act, will now be taken up by the state Assembly. The plan enjoys widespread support — a recent poll commissioned by the California Nurses Read More…
Category: California News
Gov. Brown tours polluted L.A. neighborhoods to see firsthand where progress lags
[Source: Los Angeles Times] Gov. Jerry Brown slipped quietly into southeast Los Angeles County on Tuesday to tour some of California’s most polluted neighborhoods and meet with activists who have criticized his administration for doing too little to protect the health of the people living there. Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens) took Brown on a Read More…
California Senate leader unveils new proposal to phase out use of fossil fuels to generate electricity
[Source: Los Angeles Times] California would completely phase out the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity under a new proposal detailed by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) on Tuesday. Meeting the goal would require dramatic changes to the state’s electricity infrastructure over the next two decades, including an end to burning natural Read More…
Southern California’s smog clean-up future is far from clear
[Source: Orange County Register] Southern California has once again won the distinction of having the worst summer smog in the nation but earned praised for its long-term efforts to improve air quality. Such were results of this year’s American Lung Association State of the Air report, a national air pollution analysis. The good news was Read More…
Don’t tax family businesses out of California
[Source: Fox & Hounds] Family businesses are the bedrock of our communities and the economy. A recent study showed that the state’s 1.4 million family businesses employ 7 million people. Family businesses tend to pay their employees better, train them better, and provide more generous benefits than non-family companies. We’re also less likely to significantly Read More…
Overtime pay still applies to work meetings scheduled in advance
[Source: CalChamber / Labor Law Corner] My employees normally work Monday through Friday, 8 hours a day, and all are paid hourly for their work. There have been some issues among the employees, and I want to bring them all in for a 1-hour meeting on Saturday morning to discuss the issues. I’ve given everyone Read More…
California drought increased electricity bills and air pollution
[Source: East Bay Times] California’s brutal five-year drought did more than lead to water shortages and dead lawns. It increased electricity bills statewide by $2.45 billion and boosted levels of smog and greenhouse gases, according to a new study released Wednesday. Why? A big drop-off in hydroelectric power. With little rain or snow between 2012 Read More…
How California became the first environmental battleground
[Source: Orange County Register] Earth Day is April 22, so we look at California’s role as an environmental leader and how the state ranks. The first fight The beginning of the national grass-roots environmental movement goes back to a fight by John Muir and the Sierra Club that failed to prevent the construction of the Read More…
Metal finishers among toxin target opponents
[Source: Los Angeles Business Journal] MANUFACTURING: Call for increased facility supervision may yield speedier closures. Manufacturers and metal finishers are concerned about a planned crackdown on toxic emissions by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The crackdown, announced at the April 7 meeting of the district’s governing board, was prompted by recent discoveries of Read More…