Latest news with #MeasureA
CBS News
a day ago
- Business
- CBS News
San Mateo Co. supervisors to decide on starting removal process for Sheriff Christina Corpus
San Mateo County Sheriff fights for her job by releasing new report on independent investigation San Mateo County Sheriff fights for her job by releasing new report on independent investigation San Mateo County Sheriff fights for her job by releasing new report on independent investigation The San Mateo County Board of Supervisors has scheduled a special meeting Thursday afternoon in which they are expected to decide on initiating the process to remove embattled Sheriff Christina Corpus from office. Supervisors gained the power to remove the sheriff after 84% of voters approved Measure A in a special election in March. The measure temporarily amended the County Charter to remove a sheriff from office for cause. Corpus has been facing months of scrutiny following a scathing independent report released last November by retired judge LaDoris Cordell into allegations of abuse of power at the sheriff's office. Cordell's report made multiple accusations against the sheriff, including intimidation, retaliation, the use of racial and homophobic slurs and conflicts of interest. Corpus is also accused of having a personal relationship with Victor Aenelle, her chief of staff. The report concluded that "Sheriff Corpus step down and that Victor Aenlle's employment by the sheriff's office be terminated immediately. Nothing short of new leadership can save this organization." The sheriff has repeatedly denied the allegations and has refused multiple calls to resign from local leaders and Deputy Sheriff's Association, which led to supervisors calling for the special election. In April, Corpus released her own report rebuttting Cordell's investigation. Corpus has also filed a $10 million lawsuit against the county, alleging discrimination and harassment. Under Measure A, removal of Corpus requires a four-fifths majority vote by the board of supervisors and Corpus will have an opportunity to defend her case. The board's authority to remove the sheriff expires at the end of 2028. Corpus, the county's first Latina sheriff, was elected in 2022. Thursday's board meeting is scheduled take place at the Board Chambers in Redwood City at 1 p.m.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Fresno County DA, sheriff get an extra two years in battle over election schedule
Two of Fresno County's top law enforcement officials just got extensions on their services, despite their own reservations and a voter-backed initiative that would have seen them up for re-election in 2026. On Monday, a state court judge ruled to invalidate Fresno County's Measure A, the 2024 ballot initiative that aligned District Attorney and Sheriff elections with the gubernatorial election cycle. The ruling pushes Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp and Sheriff John Zanoni into six-year terms, with their re-elections now set for 2028. Measure A passed in 2024's March primary election with 55% of the vote and immediately put Fresno County at odds with AB 179, a 2022 state law that mandated such elections be synced to the presidential cycle. In July, California's Attorney General and Secretary of State challenged the measure in court, claiming it was preempted by the state law. In a 19-page ruling released Monday, Superior Court Judge Tyler Tharpe agreed. While the county has 'authority to set the terms of its elected officials,' he wrote, 'it is not authorized under the California Constitution to set the dates on which the elections of local officials will be held.' Judge Tharpe acknowledged the change as 'a fairly minor intrusion on the County's power to set the terms of its officials.' It is a one-time extension. 'Any district attorney and sheriff elected from 2028 onward will serve four-year terms as specified by the county's charter.' In a joint statement, Smittcamp and Zanoni said they are prepared to serve the six-year terms and 'remain committed to fulfilling our responsibilities with integrity and dedication for the full duration,' even as the county Board of Supervisors meets to discuss potential next steps, which it will do in closed session June 10. But they also expressed concerns about the legislative process that led to the enactment of AB 759 in the first place. 'After sitting in the Senate Appropriations Committee's suspense file for over a year, the bill advanced rapidly in the final weeks of the legislative session,' they wrote. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law in September 2022 'with little to no opportunity for public review,' Smittcamp and Zanoni said in their statement. 'As a result, local governments and voters were excluded from a policy decision that directly affects the terms of their elected officials.' For his part, Attorney General Rob Bonta claimed Monday's ruling as a win for voters. 'There is nothing more fundamental to American democracy than the right to vote and make your voice heard,' Bonta said in a statement. 'With Measure A, Fresno County threatened to undermine that fundamental right, intentionally seeking to move elections for sheriff and district attorney to off years, when voters are far less likely to show up and cast a ballot,' he wrote. 'Our democracy works best when everyone can participate.'
Epoch Times
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
California Files Appeal After Court Allows Huntington Beach to Require Voter ID in Local Elections
The State of California filed an appeal in its lawsuit against the city of Huntington Beach on May 28, asking a state appellate court to reverse a lower court's decision that allowed the city to require photo ID in its municipal elections. In a lawsuit filed last year challenging Measure A, the city's initiative, Attorney General Ron Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber argued that the policy is invalid because state law takes precedence over local law in matters of statewide concern, including the right to vote.
San Francisco Chronicle
21-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Santa Clara County approves $28.7 million for affordable housing projects
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors approved nearly $29 million in funding for affordable housing projects in San Jose on Tuesday. The $28.7 million authorized by the board will add 612 units, Santa Clara County said in a press release, and includes financing for two projects to be built on land near public transportation stations. The funding will be used for four multifamily affordable housing projects and one affordable homeownership development, the county said. The projects will include 238 units for low-income tenants, 191 units for people considered to have 'very low incomes' and 120 units of supportive housing for previously unhoused seniors and families, the county said. 'As housing costs continue to rise in San Jose and throughout our region, the need for more affordable housing becomes clearer and more urgent by the day,' Santa Clara County Executive James R. Williams said in a statement. 'Unless cities significantly expand our housing supply, we will never be able to combat housing insecurity and unaffordability in our community.' Two of the affordable housing projects will be built in partnership between Santa Clara County and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, which owns the land where the apartments will be located. The projects will be 'transit-oriented affordable housing' built next to the Berryessa and Capitol VTA stations, the county said. The affordable homeownership development that received funding from the county will include 36 units for sale at 'affordable' prices. The development, called East Santa Clara Townhomes, is 'important for the diversity of the local housing ecosystem,' the county said. The county said that Tuesday's authorization brings total funding for the five projects from the board of supervisors up to $48.2 million, with more than $38 million of that coming from funds provided by Measure A, a 2016 affordable housing bond measure. The county credited Measure A with funding more than 5,800 units of affordable housing from the more than $890 million that has been committed from the bond so far. More than 2,700 Measure A-funded units house nearly 6,300 people currently, the county said, and more than 1,100 units are currently under construction. 'Thanks to Measure A, the county has been making and continues to make a difference to address the region's need for housing,' Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Otto Lee said in a statement. 'More than 6,000 people who were unhoused or at risk of homelessness now have the safety and dignity of a home.' The county cited high costs of housing in the area — where the median home price is just over $2 million — and lack of affordable housing, along with rising rents and 'structural inequities,' as contributors to 'housing insecurity and homelessness in the county.'
Los Angeles Times
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Mailbag: Don't be fooled, Huntington Beach
Don't be fooled by the 'protect our kids' signs covering Huntington Beach. There is no porn in the library, no matter what the City Council is saying. There has never been porn in the library. Our chief of police would arrest the library staff if this were true. All the books have been positively reviewed by accredited sources. This is about controlling the library book collection. Council wants an one-sided collection reflecting their point of view — only. The 21 politically appointed review committee is just a way for our Council to get its foot in the door. They have yet to explain how refusing to allow residents to vote before Council can privatize our library protects children at all. This is just another attempt to ensure they can control the book collection should Measure A pass. The Council's fight against Measures A and B is all about limiting access. They will decide what books can and cannot be in the library. Recently, at the City's Easter Egg Hunt, our Council handed out fliers with illustrations taken from young adult books to prove there was 'porn' at the library. If our Council really cared about protecting children from seeing these images, why were they handing out these fliers at an event geared for children 10 years and younger? Young adult books are geared for young adults. These books are shelved within the adult section of the library. They are nowhere near the children's section. Young children had more chances of seeing these pictures on the fliers than they ever did while at the library. This is just political theater. All a ploy. Council's actions speak louder than signs or words. Don't vote away your rights. Let the parents choose what books are best for their children. Let residents have a say in what happens to their library. Vote 'yes' on Measure A and B by June 10. Barbara RichardsonHuntington Beach I would like to applaud all the writers to Mailbag on Sunday, April 27 who were concerned about the current Huntington Beach City Council. The latest horror of seeing their 'porn' political campaign poster near elementary schools is the last straw! I've become irate over the actions against the H.B. Library, which makes absolutely no sense because it is a beautiful facility that is doing a wonderful job for all the children and adults who have enjoyed the library for many years. It would be helpful if the City Council members got back to work on their real job, which should be improving the lives of people who live and work in Huntington Beach. Veronica AllenHuntington Beach Let us begin with one simple fact: It is illegal to have pornographic materials in the library. Still, signs from Chad Williams line every street in Huntington Beach that tell children about 'porn' in big bold red letters. Chad has done more to teach kids about porn in one day than the library has in 50 years. Good Job, Chad! Let's not forget Pat Burns, holding up a sign written like a first grader would create with crayons that says, 'I'm just a kid – Protect Me.' Hey Pat, maybe you can help protect kids by getting Chad to stop making signs. Anyone who thinks that the Huntington Beach City Council cannot possibly do anything more demeaning to our city only has to wait 10 minutes. This Council will find new ways to embarrass Huntington Beach in an effort to divide its citizens through actions like these signs. They lie to us because we let them. However, this rises to an entirely new level. Here's the truly hypocritical thing: Our City Council is raving that they want to protect children from material that, by their own judgment, is inappropriate for kids. They claim to protect these kids by exposing every single child to the very indecency they protest. It is wrong, and they are wrong for doing it. Let me be clear – the fault is not with the City Council; it is with us. Huntington Beach residents voted them in. We have enabled this kind of behavior. It is time for Huntington Beach to wake up and realize that the Council does not have our best interests at heart — they only represent themselves. This election is not simply about libraries. It is about our community, our neighborhood, our kids. It is a referendum on how we want our city to be governed — by reason or by fear mongering. Whether you are on the left or the right, it is time to stand up together and put an end to this type of playground bullying. Let us be the grownups in the room. Vote 'yes' on A and B. Larry HershHuntington Beach Like the late songwriter Cole Porter wrote in his 1934 song, 'I Get a Kick Out of You,' I got a kick from Patrice Apodada's write-up on penguins. Her descriptions of the various personalities and behavior of other animals in her article were nothing less than top-notch reading. For starters on penguins, she declares, 'penguins are awesome.' When talking about otters, she claims that some people say they are 'murderous psychopaths.' Pandas have the moniker of, 'lazy, arrogant jerks.' When describing dolphins which she used to believe they deserved the greatest admiration, now says that some of them treat female dolphins horribly bad. Sea lions whom she calls 'Blubber Blobs' show some questionable behavior like chasing surfers out of the water in Newport Beach. Poor sea lion, maybe he had an off day. But getting back to the penguins, she says that they ooze charisma, are birds that can't fly and swim so fast they make Michael Phelps look like a snail trying to swim. And per Patrice, they are lovers, not fighters who stay true to their mates and are great parents. So any penguins who attended law school for penguins who specialize in divorces, would do well to find clients in other venues not happy with their current spouse. She ends up surmising her take on these flightless birds as 'penguin perfection.' It's too bad that the bulk of penguins are only found in cold weather. Here in Newport we see ample dolphins and too many sea lions, but never any penguins. Well, who knows, maybe if we have another ice age then there will be penguins on the beach. Bill SpitalnickNewport Beach If Measures A and B fail, extremists get a green light to gut our libraries, censor art and rewrite history. What's next — scrubbing slavery from textbooks? Silencing Jim Crow? Erasing civil rights? Ignoring veterans who fought abroad and faced hate at home? This isn't conservative. It's not patriotic. It's un-American. Dodger fans — be outraged. Trump pulled Jackie Robinson books from military libraries. Books about an American icon who faced racism with courage. When the Dodgers visited the White House, they should've handed him a Jackie jersey and asked: 'Why erase that story?' History isn't meant to be comfortable. It's meant to be told. Every chapter, every voice — preserved, not purged. This is not alarmist. Hitler didn't start with ovens. He started with books. First banned. Then burned. Then, people. Huntington Beach must not be the first domino. Stand up for truth. For our kids. For our country. Vote 'yes' on Measures A and B. Because if we don't protect history now, we may not have a future worth saving. Andrew EinhornHuntington Beach 'Mommy, what's porn?' my neighbor's little girl asked on her way to school. Her stimulus was the huge posters referring to pornography near her elementary school. There are 'porn' posters on public streets all over town thanks to Chad Williams, councilman and youth pastor. It is amazing that someone in these positions doesn't have the moral conscience to know this is plain wrong, if not criminal. It created very uncomfortable moments for parents and most certainly caused children with cellphones to search 'porn.' Imagine the chatter on the school playground this week. Was this Chad's intent? If not, Chad needs to remove all his posters and apologize to the parents and children of Huntington Beach. Nora Pedersen Huntington Beach NMUSD candidate support As a Costa Mesa parent, I strongly support Andrea McElroy for the NMUSD School Board. Andrea is the kind of leader our community needs – someone who represents the values of voters and families like mine. I want common-sense leaders who prioritize academic excellence and school safety, Andrea embodies these qualities. Recent shifts on the school board have influenced policies in ways that are deeply concerning to many of us. Andrea is the candidate I trust to join like-minded trustees in halting the behind-the-scenes push for progressive policies that don't align with our community's priorities. She will focus on what matters: ensuring our schools are safe and our students are set up for success. I urge my fellow voters to support Andrea McElroy for school board. Let's elect a leader who will put our students and families first. Tracy RathNewport Beach Change still needed for homeless advocacy It's Leigh the advocate once again, and I just saw on the Fullerton Police Department's Instagram their declaration of anti-camping by the homeless. I've been doing direct homeless outreach in Fullerton for more than 11 years. Let me remind you of pertinent things that this Fullerton declaration deliberately neglects to tell you. When homeless folks get 'camping in public' tickets, they lead to bench warrants, arrests and homeless court. The people do not have the money to pay for the tickets. This cycle from tickets to release from homeless court is chronic and cyclical. This has not changed in years. It's just a revolving door. So tell me how making camping in public illegal is fixing the problem? It's just more paperwork and busy work for the police. There are still no walk-up homeless shelters in Fullerton or in all of Orange County. It is a reservation system only. These reservations need to be made by the police or case management. They are very hard to get. The Fullerton HLO(S) only work shifts Monday through Friday, not at night, and not on weekends. Are they truly available as they could be to help the nearly 300 homeless folks in Fullerton? The last time I checked, homelessness does not stop at night and on weekends. Also, no one audits the police or case management for their so-called work. This declaration by the city is only for optics, once again. The Hope Center case management only works Monday through Friday and not on weekends. Again, this limits the possibilities of homeless folks accessing the shelters and ultimately into case management and housing. Even if you are homeless and on the waiting list — the list is huge — and people have been waiting for years to get connected to services and housing. During my outreach, I engage with these folks all the time. They report that case management is terrible or ghosts them. This is local government once again pretending to care but not caring at all. And need I remind you that six of Fullerton's police officers beat, tazzed, and smothered homeless man Kelly Thomas to death in July 2011. They want you to forget or think they have changed. They have not. Leigh WhiteCosta Mesa
