North Coast State Sen. Mike McGuire has followed through on his promise to re-introduce legislation that would require presidential candidates to release their tax returns in order to make it onto the primary ballot in California. McGuire vowed to reintroduce the legislation — a prior version of which was vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown last […]
Jerry Brown
North Coast Left Out of Governor’s Pitch to Crack Down on Illegal Cannabis
It’s no secret Humboldt County has many, many of cannabis farms. It’s also no secret that the vast majority of them — between 80 and 90 percent by most estimates — have taken no steps to come into compliance with state or local laws. Not only does this mean that there are upwards of 10,000 […]
Kelly Neel Tapped as Next Superior Court Judge
There’s a new judge in town. Gov. Jerry Brown just announced that he appointed Deputy Public Defender Kelly Neel to the Humboldt County Superior Court judgeship being vacated by Judge Timothy Cissna, who is retiring next month after nearly two decades on the bench. “I’m just speechless,” Neel said when reached by the Journal. “I […]
Trump Tax Return Bill Moves to Governor’s Desk
The California Legislature has passed a bill by North Coast Sen. Mike McGuire requiring presidential candidates to publicly release five years of tax returns before being placed on Golden State ballots, sending it on to Gov. Jerry Brown and, potentially, putting him in an awkward spot. The bill, which McGuire authored in the wake of […]
Gov Taps Elvine-Kreis as Humboldt’s Next Judge
Humboldt County will soon have a new superior court judge. Gov. Jerry Brown announced this afternoon that he has appointed Conflict Counsel Greg Elvine-Kreis to the judicial seat vacated by Bruce Watson’s retirement in January of 2016. While Watson’s term ended at the beginning of this year, Elvine-Kreis’ will run until January of 2019, meaning […]
Update: Names Released in Apparent Murder-Suicide at Caltrans Yard
Update: The Humboldt County Coroner’s Office has released the names of those involved in this morning’s incident. From the press release, “The deceased male subject in this case has been positively identified as Terry Allan Hayse, age 57 of Rio Dell. The female subject has been positively identified as Annette Kaleialoha Brooks, age 61 of […]
Sorry, Kids: Tobacco Buying Age Hiked to 21, Vaping Restricted
Beginning June 9, you’ll have to prove you’re 21 to buy tobacco. Thanks to a bill sponsored by Assemblymember Jim Wood, California is joining Hawaii as the second state in the nation to raise the minimum age for tobacco purchases. Members of the armed services are exempt. The announcement that Gov. Jerry Brown had signed […]
Raised: Local Economists Talk California’s Minimum Wage Increase
Many of Humboldt County’s lowest-earning workers stand to see their lots improve over the next six years, as the California minimum wage increases to $15 per hour. A bill, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown earlier this month, will increase the state minimum wage from $10 to $10.50 on Jan. 1, 2017, to $11 […]
Feds, States Ink Historic Klamath Agreements
Under a cloudless blue sky and with the water of the Klamath River glistening in the sun behind them, a host of federal, state and tribal officials gathered around a fish cleaning table this morning to sign a pair of agreements to remove four dams and chart a new path forward for communities from the […]
Mills Mulls Prison Reform With Gov. Brown, Other Chiefs
Eureka Police Department Chief Andy Mills and police chiefs from around the state met with Governor Jerry Brown on Thursday, March 17 at the 2016 California Police Chiefs Association Symposium to discuss Brown’s November ballot initiative, which would ostensibly streamline the early release of nonviolent offenders from prison. The proposal — allowing corrections officials to […]
Marijuana gets a Czarina
The Bureau of Medical Marijuana Regulation (the BoMM or the BuMMR, depending on who you ask) has a new chief. Lori Ajax, the deputy director of the state department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to head the newly formed agency that will develop and enforce vast medical marijuana reforms […]
So Long, Singleton? Gov. Brown Approves ADA Capital Access Loan Program
Local businesses looking to avoid litigation and make their facilities more ADA accessible may soon have access to some extra cash. Gov. Jerry Brown just approved Assembly Bill 1230, creating the California Americans with Disabilities Capital Access Loan Program. The bill transfers $10 million from the State’s general fund to provide affordable construction loans to […]
