• Outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown gave a warning about pension costs during an interview with The Sacramento Bee on Dec. 21, saying the state could fall into “fiscal oblivion” if it didn’t do more to address the cost of retirement benefits for government employees. Brown’s comments came weeks after his administration defended the state’s right to adjust pension benefits in the California Supreme Court. After Brown took office, he signed a law that took effect in 2013 that reduced potential retirement earnings for government workers and required them to pay more to fund their pensions. The law also put a stop to retirement plans that Brown called an “overreach.” Cal Fire Local 2881, Cal Fire’s union, sued the state over the law, saying it violated the California Rule, which prohibits governments from reducing retirement benefits without offering compensation. “In order to maintain the defined benefit, there has to be the power of management to make modifications,” Brown told the Bee. “If we do right, people who have a pension and what they’ve earned will never be changed. But you can’t say that five minutes after you sign your employment application, for the next 30 or 35 years that not one benefit can be changed. That’s a one-way ratchet to fiscal oblivion.”
• Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California) issued two statements on Dec. 20 regarding President Donald Trump‘s acting U.S. Attorney General Matthew Whitaker and nominee for the position, William Barr. First, Feinstein responded to reports that Whitaker ignored the advice of U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) officials to recuse himself from any matters involving Special Counsel Robert Mueller investigation into Russian election meddling in 2016 election and possible conspiracy with Trump’s campaign. Feinstein also criticized Whitaker’s reported use of a team of advisors to argue he didn’t need to recuse. “An issue of this significance should be addressed with a formal ethics opinion–not by handpicked political advisors–and advice of career attorneys should be followed,” Feinstein stated. “Recusal is important to ensure confidence in the independence of an investigation. Whitaker’s repeated statements against the special counsel’s investigation, at a minimum, create the appearance of a conflict.” Then, after a 20-page memo authored by Trump’s nominee, Barr, to the DOJ arguing that Trump shouldn’t be recused became public, Feinstein issued another statement, characterizing the news as “troubling.” “The memo presents a thoroughly crafted legal argument against investigating the president,” she stated, “with pointed conclusions that the president is above the law. The president is not above the law.”
• Sen. Kamala Harris (D-California) visited Afghanistan in her capacity as a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee in December, visiting American service members, diplomats, and national security professionals supporting the Afghan government there. “During my time in Afghanistan, I was honored to meet with United States service members, including many from California, who make daily sacrifices on behalf of their country and who are away from home during this holiday season,” Harris stated, adding she received briefings on the fight against ISIS and Al Qaeda. “I remain eager to find a political solution to the ongoing conflict in Afghanistan so we can bring U.S. service members and national security professionals home,” she added.
• Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-Templeton) honored Peacock Cellars in Arroyo Grande as the Assembly District 35 Small Business of the Month on Dec. 20. Owners Logan and Jessica Nichols recently received the Patriot Award from the Department of Defense for their support of Welcome Home Military Heroes, a nonprofit for veterans across the Central Coast. “The Nichols were able to use their Cal Poly education to stay in the area, raise a family, and serve their community,” Cunningham said. “Their work for veterans is truly inspiring, and I hope they can serve as a model for others who want to stay in the area after graduation and give back to the Central Coast.”
This article appears in Dec 27, 2018 – Jan 3, 2019.