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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
On Thursday, Secretary of State Shirley Weber sent Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis the certification of the petition to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom, with two available dates for the election — Aug. 31 and Sept. 14.
Later in the day, Kounalakis announced Sept. 14 had been selected for the California Gubernatorial Recall Election.
Now, prospective candidates have until July 16 to file their declaration of candidacy, nomination papers and statement of economic interests. Nearly 70 people so far have announced their intention to run.
Newsom is only the second governor, after Gray Davis in 2003, to face a recall election.
Weber reported to Kounalakis that of the 2,161,349 signatures submitted, 1,719,900 were determined to be valid.
The California Department of Finance reported the estimated state and county costs to administer the recall election total $276 million.
The Secretary of State’s Office reported that 3,249 signatures were received in support of the recall from Lake County. Of those, 2,422 were determined valid and 827 invalid.
Statewide, only 43 signatures were withdrawn from the recall petitions during the withdrawal period of April 26 to June 8. None were withdrawn in Lake County, the state reported.
Lake County Registrar of Voters Maria Valadez told Lake County News that her office will be receiving guidance from the Secretary of State’s Office on the recall election, “and I am sure they will address COVID-19.”
“All eligible voters will be mailed a vote-by-mail ballot, but my intention is to follow the same module as that of November and have all 22 polling places available on Election Day. We will continue the use of the ballot drop boxes and we will be adding an additional one in Supervisorial District 5,” Valadez said.
She said as soon as these locations are confirmed she will post a list on her department’s website.
Valadez said the Secretary of State’s Office will have election information on its website as well as a recall election FAQs section.
This isn’t Valadez’s first statewide recall election. She was also in the elections office staff when Davis was recalled in 2003.
The Secretary of State’s Office reported that, since 1913, there have been 179 recall attempts of state officials.
Of those efforts, 55 — the most for any office — focused on the governor.
Only 11 recall efforts have qualified for the ballot and, of those, only six led to the removal of the officials — one governor, three senators and two members of the Assembly.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
This legislation was marked up on Thursday.
“Updated and protected water infrastructure is critical for our district, that’s why I requested $320,000 for the Lake County Full Circle Effluent Pipeline project,” Thompson said. “This funding could increase the use of geothermal power and reduce our dependence on less environmentally friendly power generation, all while making our region more resilient against drought. This is critical for our district and I will work to ensure this funding is included in the final spending package that becomes law.”
“A lack of adequate housing supply is one of the greatest obstacles to Lake County’s long-term recovery and future growth and development. Water and wastewater infrastructure development is critical, as we emerge from seven years of compounding natural disasters,” said Lake County Administrative Officer Carol Huchingson. “Congressman Thompson understands the situation on the ground. His support of the Full Circle Effluent Pipeline project demonstrates that, and we appreciate his working alongside us to build a brighter future for all Lake County residents.”
This project would evaluate which of the existing wastewater treatment facilities in the project area would provide source water for the effluent pipeline the planned project features.
With technological advances made since the completion of the 2004 preliminary design report, this project will review alternatives for the final use of the treated effluent including geothermal energy production and agriculture irrigation.
Thompson’s letter to the committee said the preliminary design report consists of the following:
— Evaluating which of the existing wastewater treatment facilities in the project area would provide source water for the effluent pipeline the planned project features. Evaluation would include general plant design features, treatment schemes, design influent flows and loads, effluent quality, and current plant flows and current waste discharge requirements and permits.
— Reviewing existing data from state, regional and local agencies regarding existing population and land use in the project area as well as land use plans and population projections to assess anticipated wastewater flows to be served by the resulting project.
— Review the 2004 Preliminary Design Report to reevaluate alternatives considered at that time. In light of new technologies consider additional project alternatives for final use of the treated effluent not limited to; connection to existing Southeast Geysers Effluent Pipeline, agricultural irrigation uses in the Big Valley area, alternative effluent pipeline to different geothermal energy producers, etc. Identify and describe features and requirements of the various components of the Effluent Pipeline and develop alternatives, where appropriate, for those components.
— Provide preliminary design for the alternatives.
— Identify the preferred alternative and assess design and construction considerations,
— Development of Preliminary Design Report.
“This project is a good use of taxpayer funds because it will evaluate options for the Full Circle Effluent Pipeline to increase the production of geothermal power to help offset our reliance on less environmentally friendly forms of power generation,” Thompson said in his request letter. “Another studied potential use for the treated and recycled wastewater would be to supply agriculture needs in the Big Valley groundwater basin, which would lessen the demand on groundwater sources and provide greater resiliency against drought.”
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Gary Lee Gard, 63, of Kelseyville was captured near the jail, said Lt. Rich Ward.
Ward said Gard was serving a sentence for misdemeanor possession of methamphetamine.
The investigation determined that at 7:51 a.m. Thursday, Gard walked away from his work assignment in the jail kitchen, Ward said.
Ward said Gard was then seen on surveillance cameras running and throwing away his jail uniform.
As Gard ran away from the jail, sheriff’s Capt. Norm Taylor was driving in the same area of Hill Road, Ward said.
Taylor recognized the white jail uniform pants Gard was wearing. Ward said when Gard saw Taylor he turned and ran up an embankment, which led to a freeway overpass for Highway 29.
Ward said Taylor stopped and gave Gard verbal commands to stop. Gard surrendered without further incident.
Gard’s online booking record shows that he is now facing a felony charge of escaping the jail while charged with a misdemeanor.
There has not been another escape from the Lake County Jail since 2013, Ward said.
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- Written by: Lake County News reports
Comprised of an Appellate Court Mentor Program and a Trial Court Mentor Program, the initiative aims to demystify the appellate and trial court application process and improve transparency and accessibility for all members of the legal community throughout California, fostering the development of a qualified and diverse judicial applicant pool.
“Our state’s remarkable diversity is a point of pride and strength that I am committed to advancing at every level of state government,” said Gov. Newsom. “This mentor program supports our efforts to identify the best and brightest judicial candidates from throughout the state, contributing to a stronger, more inclusive bench to better serve all Californians.”
The California Judicial Mentor Program Executive Committee consists of Judicial Appointments Secretary Luis Cespedes, Chair Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Paul A. Bacigalupo and co-chairs representing the appellate and trial courts. On behalf of the appellate courts, the Executive Committee is co-chaired by California Supreme Court Associate Justice Martin Jenkins, Second District Court of Appeal Presiding Justice Lee Smalley Edmon and First District Court of Appeal Associate Justice Teri L. Jackson.
On behalf of the trial courts, Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Erica Yew represents medium and large counties and Tehama Superior Court Judge C. Todd Bottke represents small and rural counties.
The program co-chairs will utilize working groups of justices and judges to communicate across sectors of the legal community to support and encourage lawyers and judges considering service on the appellate and trial courts.
The program will work to identify and provide judicial mentors for these individuals and deploy informational resources and tool kits about the judicial appointment process.
Participation in the program is not a guarantee of an appointment nor a prerequisite in the application process.
“This program will foster transparency and accessibility to all members of the legal community in our great state who wish to serve as judicial officers,” said Judge Bacigalupo, Executive Committee chair. “In making justices and judges accessible to prospective judicial applicants, we hope to demystify the application process and recruit a wide array of qualified candidates to serve our courts and administer justice fairly, equitably and honorably.”
The Appellate Court Mentor Program has initiated a pilot in the First District Court of Appeal with the goal of implementing the program statewide.
The Trial Court Mentor Program has been implemented in regional collaborations, including between the counties of San Bernardino, Riverside and Imperial; the counties of Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo; and the counties of Sacramento, Yolo and El Dorado.
“I’m pleased to be a part of this program,” said Executive Committee Co-Chair Associate Justice Martin Jenkins, who previously served as Gov. Newsom’s Judicial Appointments Secretary. “I look forward to working with Secretary Cespedes and the other outstanding members of the Executive Committee to build a mentor program throughout our great state to meet the governor’s goal of diversity, equity and inclusion in our judiciary.”
“I’m very pleased that the First District Court of Appeal will serve as the appellate court pilot program with the goal of implementing the Appellate Court Mentor Program statewide,” said First District Court of Appeal Administrative Presiding Justice Jim Humes. “We plan to conduct outreach events and provide mentors for those interested in an appellate court appointment.”
Moving to increase transparency in the judicial nomination process, Gov. Newsom in 2019 made public the state’s eight Judicial Selection Advisory Committees composed of attorneys and judges who live and work in regions across the state. For the first time in California history, the individuals who provide important feedback on judicial candidates for nomination and appointment are known to the public.
The following judges are members of the Trial Court Mentor Program Working Group:
Judge Ana de Alba — Fresno County Superior Court
Presiding Judge Eric Taylor — Los Angeles County Superior Court
Judge Helen Zukin — Los Angeles County Superior Court
Judge Monique Langhorne — Napa County Superior Court
Judge Elizabeth Macias — Orange County Superior Court
Judge Raquel Marquez — Riverside County Superior Court
Judge Shama Mesiwala — Sacramento County Superior Court
Judge Roderick Shelton — San Diego County Superior Court
Judge Russell Roeca — San Francisco County Superior Court
Judge Barbara Kronlund — San Joaquin County Superior Court