Latest news with #KCRA3
New York Post
30-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Calif. lawmakers block bid to make paying for sex with 16- and 17-year-olds a felony
California lawmakers gutted a bill Tuesday that would have made paying for sex with 16- and 17-year-olds a felony charge. Under current state law, creeps who buy sex from minors under 16 face extra fines, jail time, and either a misdemeanor or felony charge. A new bill meant to protect sex trafficking victims, AB 379, would have upped that age to 18, but Democratic committee members demanded the clause be cut before they let the bill move forward in the California State Assembly. Advertisement Nick Schultz is chairman of the Assembly Public Safety Committee, which blocked a key piece of AB 379. Facebook / Nick Schultz The bill's author, Democrat Maggy Krell, who spent two decades overseeing human trafficking cases for the state, called the move a 'disgrace.' 'I've been doing this for 20 years, and I'm not going to quit now. And I am going to bring this part of this bill back every year until I get the books to protect children. That's what I'm going to do,' she told KCRA 3. Krell added that she still supports the current version AB 379, which imposes harsher penalties on 'loitering with intent to purchase sex' — i.e., prowling street corners for hookups — and establishes a fund for sex trafficking victims. Democrat Assemblymember Maggy Krell wrote the bill. Assemblymember Maggy Krell Advertisement Last year, Republican lawmakers pushed for a similar bill to crack down on Johns prowling for underage streetwalkers. They managed to cut a deal with Democrats to lower the felony age cutoff from 18 to 16. Democrat Nick Shultz, chairman of the Public Safety Committee, said the watering-down of AB 379 was a direct result of that previous deal. 'My perspective as chair, there was a carefully crafted deal last year,' Shultz told KCRA 3. 'We're not saying 'no,' but what we're saying is, if we're going to be thoughtful policy makers, we really need to dive deep into this issue.'
Daily Mail
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
$1.1B California Capitol to include hidden corridors for lawmakers
A new $1.1 billion capitol building in California will have secret corridors for lawmakers to use to avoid the press, according to a state senator. The construction of the massive building, known as the Capitol Annex Project, was first introduced in 2018 with an estimated cost of $543.2 million to complete. Now, the building will cost more than a billion dollars, and that price tag will be footed by Golden State taxpayers, KCRA 3 reported. The structure will house 120 lawmakers, including the governor, lieutenant governor and other staff members. Newsom did not commission the project, which was started before he even took office. He and several other lawmakers will not be housed there as they will be out of office by its completion date in the second half of 2027. It will also house committee hearing rooms for lawmakers to meet and debate on pressing issues related to the liberal state. Although details about the project have remained under wraps, Pro Tempore State Senator Mike McGuire confirmed there will be private hallways in the building for lawmakers to access so they can avoid the public and the media. 'Secure corridors have always been included in plans for the new annex (as they already exist in the swing space) and are designed to help ensure the safety and security of lawmakers, which is even more important today given the events that unfolded on January 6th at our nation's capital building and the active threats public officials continue to face,' McGuire told the outlet. Despite the hidden tunnels, he said all legislators 'will continue to be accessible and responsive.' 'Regardless, legislators will continue to be accessible and responsive to the public, staff, and reporters no matter what hallway, elevator or stairwell they choose to use. The same is true when they're working in their communities or at events around town,' the Democrat said. Presently, lawmakers have their own private entrances to elevators and hearing rooms, but they still have to walk through a public hallway to get from one to the other - something McGuire called their 'swing space.' With the new corridors, the space in between will be no more - ultimately blocking journalists and lobbyists from getting to lawmakers after a hearing or vote. The new addition has sparked anger in many Californians, including local lawmakers like Assemblyman Josh Hoover (pictured). He referred to the corridors as 'the height of hypocrisy,' adding: 'You are using taxpayer dollars for a taxpayer-funded facility and yet you are going to design it in a way that shields you from the public and shields you from accountability.' The project has long caused trouble, as it just got past a lawsuit that was filed by Cowan, the ex-chairman of the Historic State Capitol Commission, environmentalists and project opponents who claimed lawmakers did not get enough feedback from the public to move forward with the west side construction of the building. The group also voiced concerns about the uprooting of several palm trees and the all-glass façade for the building. The lawsuit was recently settled after the California Supreme Court ruled last fall that lawmakers could exempt the project from the California Environmental Quality Act, which was passed and signed by former President Ronald Regan in 1970. With news of the new passageways, Cowan (pictured) said extra security expenses were made after the January 6 US capitol attack - when a mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the building. 'The Capitol police in Washington D.C., were able to escort our nation's legislators safely through some corridors into safe rooms at the Capitol while the rioters were occupying the Capitol,' Cowan said. 'Shortly after that, managers for the Capitol annex project announced the project was 5 percent to 10 percent over budget.' Following the attack, former Joint Rules Committee Chairman Ken Cooley said the budget for the Annex Project needed 10 percent more money for security purposes. He then lost his seat in the Assembly to Hoover in 2022, leaving many critics to think he was ousted for the handling of the project. 'We are just guessing, but if one were to say, "Yeah, we had to invest an additional $100,000,000 to create these potential escape corridors," that would make sense,' Cowan explained. It is unclear how much money will actually be spent on security features for the project as these conversations took place in 2021, the outlet reported. The costly price tag of the building aside, many have been left frustrated for barely knowing any details about the new structure. In fact, lawmakers had to sign non-disclosure agreements that legally force them to keep all details of the project a secret. 'At this time, our priority is to complete the Annex. There is no discussion or construction occurring on the West side,' Lia Lopez, the chief administrative officer for the Joint Rules Committee, told KCRA 3. Despite that, Cowan is skeptical if the legislature will actually not build on the west side of the building, which would save about $100,000 for taxpayers. The hefty price tag is said to also go toward a new visitor's center and parking garage on the west side, per the outlet. Meanwhile, Hoover is frustrated with his lack of knowledge on the project as a whole. 'What frustrates me is, as a lawmaker that is going to potentially be in this building some day, we have almost zero information about what's going on there and I think we deserve that information, and so do our taxpayers and constituents,' he said. contacted Lopez for comment.
Daily Mail
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Gavin Newsom's $1.1bn new California capitol will have secret corridors to help lawmakers avoid press
Gavin Newsom 's new $1.1 billion capitol building in California will have secret corridors for lawmakers to use to avoid the press, according to a state senator. The construction of the massive building, known as the Capitol Annex Project, was first introduced in 2018 with an estimated cost of $543.2 million to complete. Now, the building will cost more than a billion dollars, and that price tag will be footed by Golden State taxpayers, KCRA 3 reported. The structure will house 120 lawmakers, including Governor Newsom, Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis and other staff members. It will also house committee hearing rooms for lawmakers to meet and debate on pressing issues related to the liberal state. Although details about the project have remained under wraps, Pro Tempore State Senator Mike McGuire confirmed there will be private hallways in the building for lawmakers to access so they can avoid the public and the media. 'Secure corridors have always been included in plans for the new annex (as they already exist in the swing space) and are designed to help ensure the safety and security of lawmakers, which is even more important today given the events that unfolded on January 6th at our nation's capital building and the active threats public officials continue to face,' McGuire told the outlet. Despite the hidden tunnels, he said all legislators 'will continue to be accessible and responsive.' 'Regardless, legislators will continue to be accessible and responsive to the public, staff, and reporters no matter what hallway, elevator or stairwell they choose to use. The same is true when they're working in their communities or at events around town,' the Democrat said. Presently, lawmakers have their own private entrances to elevators and hearing rooms, but they still have to walk through a public hallway to get from one to the other - something McGuire called their 'swing space.' With the new corridors, the space in between will be no more - ultimately blocking journalists and lobbyists from getting to lawmakers after a hearing or vote. The new addition has sparked anger in many Californians, including local lawmakers like Assemblyman Josh Hoover. He referred to the corridors as 'the height of hypocrisy,' adding: 'You are using taxpayer dollars for a taxpayer-funded facility and yet you are going to design it in a way that shields you from the public and shields you from accountability.' The project has long caused trouble, as it just got past a lawsuit that was filed by Dick Cowan, the ex-chairman of the Historic State Capitol Commission, environmentalists and project opponents who claimed lawmakers did not get enough feedback from the public to move forward with the west side construction of the building. The group also voiced concerns about the uprooting of several palm trees and the all-glass façade for the building. The lawsuit was recently settled after the California Supreme Court ruled last fall that lawmakers could exempt the project from the California Environmental Quality Act, which was passed and signed by former President Ronald Regan in 1970. Assemblyman Josh Hoover (pictured) referred to the corridors as 'the height of hypocrisy,' adding: 'You are using taxpayer dollars for a taxpayer-funded facility and yet you are going to design it in a way that shields you from the public and shields you from accountability' With news of the new passageways, Cowan said extra security expenses were made after the January 6 US capitol attack - when a mob of Donald Trump supporters stormed the building. 'The Capitol police in Washington D.C., were able to escort our nation's legislators safely through some corridors into safe rooms at the Capitol while the rioters were occupying the Capitol,' Cowan said. 'Shortly after that, managers for the Capitol annex project announced the project was 5 percent to 10 percent over budget.' Following the attack, former Joint Rules Committee Chairman Ken Cooley said the budget for the Annex Project needed 10 percent more money for security purposes. He then lost his seat in the Assembly to Hoover in 2022, leaving many critics to think he was ousted for the handling of the project. 'We are just guessing, but if one were to say, "Yeah, we had to invest an additional $100,000,000 to create these potential escape corridors," that would make sense,' Cowan explained. It is unclear how much money will actually be spent on security features for the project as these conversations took place in 2021, the outlet reported. The costly price tag of the building aside, many have been left frustrated for barely knowing any details about the new structure. In fact, lawmakers had to sign non-disclosure agreements that legally force them to keep all details of the project a secret. 'At this time, our priority is to complete the Annex. There is no discussion or construction occurring on the West side,' Lia Lopez, the chief administrative officer for the Joint Rules Committee, told KCRA 3. Despite that, Cowan is skeptical if the legislature will actually not build on the west side of the building, which would save about $100,000 for taxpayers. The hefty price tag is said to also go toward a new visitor's center and parking garage on the west side, per the outlet. Meanwhile, Hoover is frustrated with his lack of knowledge on the project as a whole. 'What frustrates me is, as a lawmaker that is going to potentially be in this building some day, we have almost zero information about what's going on there and I think we deserve that information, and so do our taxpayers and constituents,' he said.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
California bill prohibiting lawmakers using NDAs in government moves forward
A California bill that would prohibit state lawmakers from using non-disclosure agreements when crafting new laws has moved forward in the legislature. The bill seeks to update California's Political Reform Act of 1974 to prohibit lawmakers from signing NDAs or asking other people to enter into one. However, an exception will be made for NDAs that specifically shield private business information. 'A violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 is punishable as a misdemeanor,' according to the bill's text. Newsom now says Panera Bread is not exempt from California's minimum wage hike AB 1370, introduced by Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin), is the third attempt to prohibit the use of NDAs in state government. Investigations by KCRA 3 found that state lawmakers utilized NDAs about a new $1.2 billion office building for lawmakers and during the negotiation process of California's fast-food wage law. 'Gov. Gavin Newsom's office oversaw the negotiations and allowed NDAs to cover the conversations at the insistence of a major labor organization. Newsom's office has said neither the governor nor his staff signed them. Since then, no one has been able to explain the bakery exemption, but multiple sources have told KCRA 3 it was for one of the governor's billionaire donors who is also a Panera franchisee,' the publication reported. Experts have also noted that their use in government is a violation of the First Amendment by limiting free speech and the freedom of the press. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Northern California rain and snow
Difficult travel conditions are expected to continue Tuesday in the Sierra as a snowstorm continues to pile on in the area. The KCRA 3 weather team issued an Impact Day on Tuesday because of how rain and snow are expected to affect travel and outdoor activities.
