California The Next Battleground In Marijuana Legalization Fight
Marijuana activists who have longed for decades to end America's drug war pocketed more major victories Tuesday, with Oregon and the nation's capital approving recreational pot use.
Watch CBS News
Marijuana activists who have longed for decades to end America's drug war pocketed more major victories Tuesday, with Oregon and the nation's capital approving recreational pot use.
Berkeley voters became the first in the country to approve taxing sodas to curb consumption, after costly campaigns by the soda industry helped defeat similar taxes in more than 30 other cities and states in recent years.
Republicans capitalized on Democrats' recent corruption scandals and successfully blocked them from regaining two-thirds control of the state Senate and picked up seats in the Assembly.
As controller, the termed-out Chiang was responsible for overseeing government audits and disbursements of state funds when California and its cities were in fiscal peril.
The measure on Tuesday's ballot to levy the two-cents an ounce tax on soft drinks fell short of the two-thirds support needed to pass.
The measure asked voters to approve or reject a law passed by the state Legislature and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown that would allow the North Fork Rancheria Band of Mono Indians to build a Las Vegas-style casino with up to 2,000 slot machines nearly 40 miles from its reservation. The casino was proposed about 30 miles from Fresno and 25 miles from a casino operated by the Table Mountain Rancheria tribe.
Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, a Democrat, was one of its main proponents. He argued the measure would force health insurers to justify rate hikes for individual and small group plans.
Under Proposition 47, shoplifting, forgery, fraud and petty theft are among the crimes that will be treated as misdemeanors rather than felonies. Misdemeanors carry a maximum penalty of less than a year in custody.
California Gov. Jerry Brown is returning to Sacramento for a record fourth term.
Both men running for lieutenant governor campaigned on the idea that the low-visibility job with little power can still be a platform for change - and voters had to decide whose message they preferred.
But the reason the contest lured more than $60 million in donations was its proposal to lift the cap on damages for pain and suffering caused by doctor negligence to $1.1 million, up from $250,000.
Proposition 1 would invest $2.7 billion in additional water storage, including two new reservoirs, along with billions more for conservation, water recycling and cleaning up contaminated groundwater.
California would overhaul its rainy day fund to pay down more debt and provide a bigger buffer against future state budget shortfalls under a measure on Tuesday's ballot.
During his campaign, Jones said he helped save businesses and consumers $1.4 billion by rejecting excessive premium increases for auto, home and other insurance.
Jaquinn Bell, 31, was charged with three felony counts of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
