Capitol Dispatch: Jerry Brown’s Journey, Cities Fight Broken Parking Meter Law and More

By Alex Gronke/Patch Staff

It’s every 70-somethings dream, the opportunity to return to the battlefields of one’s youth armed with the hard-won wisdom of age. For Gov. Jerry Brown, it’s not just a dream. Listen to Capital Public Radio’s take on how Brown has evolved over the decades and the chief differences between Brown 1.0 and Brown 2.0.  

Governor to Skip Bay Bridge Ribbon Cutting

Speaking of Jerry Brown’s wisdom, what does he know that we don’t know? It’s the second largest public infrastructure project in the history of the nation, but Brown is choosing to attend a family reunion rather than the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new eastern span of the Bay Bridge.

Cities Can’t Give Tickets at Broken Parking Meters

If a motorist parks in a spot with a broken meter, should the city: A) Issue a ticket; B) Allow the driver to park there for the maximum time allowed had the meter been working; or C) Let the driver park in the spot indefinitely?

Until now, the choice has been left to cities. But a new law going into effect next year will require cities to choose option B. Numerous municipalities have argued that the law encroaches on local control, according to an article about AB 61 in Capitol Weekly. It’s interesting how local control becomes an issue when Sacramento is taking money away from cities.

Schools Have More Money, But Many Students Remain Poor

With the passage of Prop. 30, the state’s public schools are in better financial shape than they’ve been in years, but a new report from EdSource looking at California’s 30 largest school districts finds that the Great Recession has left a deep mark on public education. Perhaps the report’s most troubling discovery is that childhood poverty rates rose in 28 of the 30 districts between 2007 and 2011.

Opponents of Transgender Law Begin Work to Repeal It

Its supporters lauded it as a major step forward for civil rights, but opponents of a new law that would allow transgender students to use school bathrooms based on their gender identities have sent the Attorney General referendum language that seeks to undo the law. A spokesperson for the Capitol Resource Institute told the Sacramento Bee that getting rid of AB 1266 “is a privacy issue, a safety issue, and a common sense issue."