In the News 2010

Bill would let juvenile offenders seek leniency (San Francisco Chronicle)

August 18, 2010

Marisa Lagos, Chronicle Sacramento Bureau

Sacramento - When Democratic state Sen. Leland Yee talks about SB399, he inevitably points to the case of Sara Kruzan.

In 1994, at age 16, Kruzan killed her alleged pimp three years after she was forced into prostitution. The Riverside girl was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to spend the rest of her life in prison with no possibility of parole.

Governor signs free-speech bill with O.C. roots (Orange County Register)

August 18, 2010

By SCOTT MARTINDALE

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law Tuesday a student free-speech bill that the author says will close a legal loophole that allowed Orange County's largest charter school to censor its student newspaper last year.

State Sen.

Bill Aims To Increase Transparency At UC, CSU (Associated Press)

August 16, 2010

SACRAMENTO ― Foundations and auxiliary organizations linked to California's public colleges and universities would be subject to increased scrutiny under a bill approved Monday by the state Assembly.

Lawmakers voted unanimously to require those organizations to comply with the California Public Records Act.

UC Regents break law barring citizen from public meeting (UC Davis California Aggie)

August 16, 2010

UCOP admits fault, apologizes to filmmaker

Written by Ehsun Forghany and Kyle Sporleder

Last month, campus police at UCSF Mission Bay denied Ric Chavez entry to a public meeting of the Board of Regents in an incident that has flared tension from critics of the UC administration's alleged lack of transparency.

Legislature green lights 6 more months for hybrid owners to use carpool lanes (San Mateo County Times)

August 12, 2010

By Mike Rosenberg
San Mateo County Times

Solo hybrid drivers would get another six months to cruise past traffic in the carpool lane but then would have to buy pricey electric cars to keep the perk, under a bill from a San Mateo legislator approved Wednesday by the state Senate.

After a green light from the Assembly in June, the Senate voted 28-3 to pass a bill from Sen.

Calif. bill would expand access to carpool lanes (Associated Press)

August 11, 2010

Sacramento - California's carpool lanes would welcome a wider variety of low-emission vehicles under a bill heading to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk.

The state Senate voted 28-3 Wednesday to allow the latest generation of low-emission, hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles to use high-occupancy vehicle lanes during commuting hours.

SB535 also would extend California's current HOV program until 2015.

The bill's author, Sen.

Buy a Volt or Leaf, get an HOV sticker (Sacramento Business Journal)

August 11, 2010

Sacramento Business Journal - by Melanie Turner Staff writer

In an effort to help jump-start sales of green vehicles, the state Senate on Wednesday approved legislation that would allow advanced technology vehicles, such as plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, access to carpool lanes during commute hours until 2015.

Authored by Senator Leland Yee of San Francisco, SB 535 passed on a bipartisan vote of 28-3.

The bill would allow up to 40,000 of cutting-edge vehicles access to carpool lanes.

Senator wants review of OC Arts school (Orange County Register)

August 06, 2010

By SCOTT MARTINDALE

SANTA ANA - A state senator is calling on the officials who oversee Orange County's largest public charter school to consider revoking its operating license, after a popular journalism and yearbook teacher who stood up for her students' free-speech rights was abruptly let go last month.

Konnie Krislock, who has been teaching journalism and yearbook at the Orange County High School of the Arts in Santa Ana for the past four years, was dismissed in June via a curt letter from the school that read, in part, "Your services are no lo

Advocates, Elected Officials Respond to Landmark Prop 8 Decision (California Progress Report)

August 05, 2010

U.S. 9th District Court Judge, Vaughn Walker in his ruling yesterday:

"Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license.

Federal judge rules Prop. 8 unconstitutional (Menlo Park Almanac)

August 04, 2010

A federal judge in San Francisco today overturned Proposition 8, California's ban on same-sex marriage.

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker said the voter-approved initiative violated the U.S. Constitution's guarantee of equal protection. Supporters of Proposition 8 have already announced in a filing late Tuesday that they will appeal to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.

Walker ruled in a lawsuit filed last year by two same-sex couples.