Christina Bobb of San Diego and One America News promises in book “the inside story of the 2020 election.” Times of San Diego photo illustration Former San Diegan Christina Bobb is reportedly among 18 people indicted by a grand jury on charges that they took part in an Arizona fake elector scheme to re-elect then-President Donald Trump in 2020. Charges against Arizona “fake electors.” (PDF) The state’s attorney general announced the indictment Wednesday, with court papers listing a “former U.S. president,” presumably Trump, as an unindicted co-conspirator. La Jolla’s Harry Litman said on X: “N ..read more

Abortion rights activist Bonnie Oakes argues with Arizona State Sen. Anthony Kern, outside of the Arizona State Capitol before Arizona State Legislature House Democrats try again to repeal an 1864 law that bans nearly all abortions, before a session in the state legislature in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. April 24, 2024. REUTERS/Rebecca Noble Lawmakers in Arizona’s House of Representatives on Wednesday voted to repeal an 1864 ban on abortion that may go into effect next month. In a 32-28 vote, lawmakers decided that the old abortion ban should be repealed. The Arizona state Senate must now also vote ..read more

A coalition of mayors from the state’s largest cities, including San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, Tuesday visited Sacramento to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom and the legislature to make permanent funding homelessness services across California. The Big City Mayors coalition, chaired by Gloria, requested Newsom and legislators avoid making cuts to the Homelessness Housing, Assistance and Prevention program and commit to funding it at $1 billion a year going forward. “The shelters and service programs that big cities up and down California have created with local and state dollars are getting people off ..read more

Gloria announced he would make only minimal reductions to the budgets of the San Diego Police and Fire-Rescue departments. Photo via @MayorToddGloria X Mayor Todd Gloria‘s proposed $5.65 billion budget for fiscal year 2025 received mixed reviews Monday from the San Diego City Council, following a public presentation at City Hall. The budget, Gloria says, is focused on continuing city improvements and avoiding major service losses amid a difficult economic time. “This proposed budget is on-time, balanced and will continue the business of moving San Diego forward,” Gloria said earlier this month ..read more

People march in Washington, D.C., during a rally with migrant families and immigration advocates. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo The White House is weighing ways to provide temporary legal status and work permits to immigrants in the U.S. illegally who are married to American citizens, three sources familiar with the matter said on Monday, a move that could energize some Democrats ahead of the November elections. Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups have pressured President Joe Biden to take steps to protect immigrants in the country illegally as Biden simultaneously considers ex ..read more

Flanked by legislators, Paris Hilton speaks in support of Senate Bill 1043 during a press conference at the Capitol Annex on April 15. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters It was a somber, and at times tearful, gathering as legislators and advocates promoted a bill to hold behavioral treatment centers for teens more accountable. Most of the attention was focused on one (some might say, unexpected) speaker: The hotel heiress, socialite and media personality Paris Hilton. Hilton is the latest celebrity to utilize their fame (or as she said “shine my spotlight”) to persuade the Legislature ..read more

Rep. Adam Schiff speaks during a public hearing of the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz Vying to become California’s next U.S. senator, Democrat Adam Schiff and Republican Steve Garvey each raised more than $3 million between Feb. 15 and March 31, according to the latest federal campaign finance reports filed today. But Schiff has maintained a fundraising edge, shelling out $12.5 million during those six weeks — almost five times what Garvey spent in the same period. The Burbank member of Congress entered ..read more

A petition. Photo credit: www.sdvote.com A coalition of activists said Thursday that it will submit over 900,000 voter signatures to qualify an anti-theft and drug measure for the November general election. To qualify the measure — a response to 2014’s Proposition 47, which reduced penalties for certain nonviolent crimes with plans to shift the savings from incarceration to rehabilitation programs — for the November ballot, the law requires just 546,651 valid signatures. The Californians for Safer Communities Coalition made the announcement in San Diego and in coordinated press conferences acr ..read more

An ADU complex in the Golden Hill neighborhood of San Diego. Photo by Adriana Heldiz for CalMatters San Diego’s innovative accessory dwelling unit program is drawing national recognition for housing affordability — and the wrath of a neighborhood group seeking “responsible development.” Last week the city was named a top 10 finalist for the annual Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability, which seeks to recognize “ambitious, feasible and scalable solutions” to housing affordability throughout the nation. But Neighbors For A Better San Diego has appealed to the University of Ut ..read more

Plastic grocery bags in a shopping card. Photo via Wikimedia Commons A bill written by Sen. Catherine Blakespear, D-Encinitas, to ban plastic bags at grocery store checkouts passed the Senate Environmental Quality Committee Wednesday. SB 1053 is intended to close a loophole on the original ban passed in 2014 allowing for grocery stores to sell customers thicker plastic bags that could — theoretically — be recycled. But Blakespear said most of those also end up in landfills, subverting the intent of the first law. “Plastic waste is destroying our environment and jeopardizing our planet,” Blakes ..read more