Huffman: Dems 'Snowball of Unity' on Impeachment Led to Historic Announcement

by Thadeus Greenson on September 24, 2019 at 4:33PM

As one of the first and most vociferous members of Congress to beat the impeachment drum, his frustrations having steadily built in recent weeks, North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman applauded House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s historic announcement this afternoon that the U.S. House of Representatives will launch a formal impeachment inquiry. “It’s been a remarkable snowball of unity in our caucus around the Ukraine scandal,” Huffman told the Journal by phone this afternoon.

McGuire: Judge's Tax Return Law Ruling 'Perplexing, Premature and Unneccesary'

by Kimberly Wear on September 19, 2019 at 4:12PM

A federal judge today granted a temporary injunction to block California’s recently signed legislation that requires presidential and gubernatorial candidates to release their tax returns to appear on the state’s primary ballot. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, U.S. District Judge Morrison England Jr. said a final ruling in the case would be coming in the next few days but there would be “irreparable harm without temporary relief.”

Huffman Calls Congressional Oath to God "Unconstitutional," "Preposterous"

by Thadeus Greenson on September 4, 2019 at 2:08PM

North Coast Congressman Jared Huffman is again making waves as Congress’ only proclaimed “humanist.” During an interview on the Freedom from Religion Foundation’s Freethought Matters program, Huffman, a lawyer by trade, said he believes requiring Congressional witnesses to pledge an oath to God is unconstitutional.

Newsom Signs Landmark Police Use-of-Force Bill

by Dan Morain/CALmatters on August 19, 2019 at 12:25PM

California will soon have a tougher new legal standard for the use of deadly force by police, under legislation Gov. Gavin Newsom signed today that was inspired by last year’s fatal shooting of a young, unarmed man in Sacramento. Newsom signed the legislation amid unusual fanfare, convening numerous legislators, family members of people who have died in police shootings and advocates including civil-rights leader Dolores Huerta in a courtyard at the Secretary of State’s building used in the past for inaugurations and other formal events.

Rollback of Endangered Species' Protections Raising Fears

by Kimberly Wear on August 13, 2019 at 2:53PM

determination solely on the basis of the best scientific and commercial information regarding a species’ status.” The revisions to the regulations clarify that the standards for delisting and reclassification of a species consider the same five statutory factors as the listing of a species in the first place.

UPDATE: Republican Party, Trump Take on Golden State Over Tax Returns

by Kimberly Wear on August 6, 2019 at 12:14PM

UPDATE: Following in the footsteps of Judicial Watch, President Donald Trump and his campaign and the Republican state and national parties filed two separate lawsuits today over the tax return law recently signed by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

With Newsom’s Signature, Presidential Hopefuls Now Have to Show Us Their Taxes

by Kimberly Wear on July 30, 2019 at 1:37PM

politically neutral,” and the State has an important justification for enacting the law. De La Fuente v. Padilla, No. 17-56668, 2019 WL 3242193, at *3 (9th Cir.

McCloskey Out of First District Supes Race

by Thadeus Greenson on April 8, 2019 at 2:19PM

The allegations stem from 2003, when McCloskey was working as a consultant for Kleen Environmental Technologies, which was seeking a biomedical waste disposal permit from the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission. According to transcripts of the commission hearings, it appears McCloskey forged a letter in support of Kleen’s application then lied about it.

Fisticuffs in First District Supes Race

by Thadeus Greenson on April 4, 2019 at 4:40PM

Local progressive mainstay David Cobb told the Journal that he was at the fundraiser and overheard Bohn, who was acting as auctioneer at the event, speaking with Ferndale Rep Artistic Producing Director Leira Satlof, who was walking Bohn through the items up for auction that night. According to Cobb, when Satlof told Bohn of a home-cooked Mexican dinner up for sale — asking that he stress the meal would be authentic — Bohn asked, “Is it so authentic that we’re going to want to go steel hubcaps after we eat?”

Photos from Saturday's March for Our Lives

by Jennifer Fumiko Cahill on March 24, 2019 at 12:52PM