EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

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May 8, 2019 (San Diego’s East County) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media. This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:

LOCAL

STATE

For excerpts and links to full stories, click “read more” and scroll down.

LOCAL

Sacramento Report: These State Bills Would Only Impact San Diego (Voice of San Diego)

Often, San Diego lawmakers take lessons learned in their own backyard and use it as inspiration to write bills that would apply across the state. But other times, they use their state positions to seek solutions that would only apply to San Diego. Some of their proposals are attempts to make changes that advocates have tried and failed to secure at the local level.

County Supervisors Reject SANDAG’s Big Move (Voice of San Diego)

The County Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to oppose any attempt by the San Diego Association of Governments to re-allocate remaining funds from TransNet, the sales tax measure for transportation that won’t come close to bringing in enough money for all the projects voters thought they were getting when they extended it in 2004.

Rep. Hunter advocated for a fugitive using language nearly identical to that of a Russian lobbyist, according to government watchdog (San Diego Union-Tribune)

On Friday a government watchdog group reported that Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, advocated on behalf of a fugitive accused of stealing millions of dollars from Kazakhstan. The group said Hunter used language nearly identical to that suggested by a Russian-tied lobbyist who is connected to the infamous Trump Tower meeting.

Alleged victims describe horror of being secretly video recorded at Sharp Grossmont hospital (10 News)

The number of women now suing Sharp Grossmont hospital has climbed to more than 300. They claim the hospital secretly recorded them during their most vulnerable moments. “It hurts,” said Amanda Flores. “I’m in disbelief.”

La Mesa drafts ordinance regulating scooter, bike companies (San Diego Union-Tribune)

There will be no more overnight drop-ins of app-accessible scooters or dockless bicycles in La Mesa, as happened last summer. One August morning, La Mesa residents woke up to see electric scooters scattered throughout the city. Santa Monica-based Bird had dropped about 200 of their products throughout La Mesa without city approval. Since then, Bird has flown La Mesa’s coop, but the city now has an ordinance in place that will speak to Bird or any other company that wants to bring its shared vehicles into the city.

Major project moves along at Santee Lakes (San Diego Union-Tribune)

New dining area and bigger, better general store coming; Teen Center improved

Suspect in Poway synagogue shooting expected to face federal hate crime charges (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Federal prosecutors in San Diego are expected to announce Thursday that John T. Earnest, the 19 year-old accused in the Chabad of Poway shooting on April 29, will face federal hate-crime and other charges that could make him eligible for the death penalty.

La Mesa’s trash rates about to go up  (San Diego Union-Tribune)

City will have a public hearing on June 25 on EDCO’s proposed fee hikes

Six days after shooting, hundreds gather for Shabbat at Chabad of Poway (San Diego Union-Tribune)

The traditional Friday evening prayers at the Chabad of Poway were infused with deeper meaning, six says after a gunman assaulted the synagogue killing one and injuring three others.

After Decades Marked by Sameness, the Board of Supervisors Is Changing Rapidly (Voice of San Diego)

In the last three months, the San Diego County government opened a building to asylum-seekers, dipped into reserves to bankroll affordable housing projects and explored developing a government-run energy program. For a governing body that has for decades been defined by its conservatism, that’s a major shift.

How San Diego Agencies Are Grappling With Domestic Terror Threats (Voice of San Diego)

Much of what local law enforcement is doing to combat the threat of domestic terrorists like the Chabad of Poway shooter — providing free security checks and active shooter preparedness classes — is helpful, but largely reactive

STATE

State reviewing Catholic dioceses’ policies on reporting sex abuse (San Francisco Chronicle)

Attorney General Xavier Becerra sent a letter to all 12 dioceses on Thursday requesting that church officials retain documents relevant to allegations of clergy sex abuse and mandatory reporting, said Kevin Eckery, a California Catholic Conference spokesman.

Census offices are being cut across the country — and California is losing 24 (Sacramento Bee)

The Sacramento region hosted four census offices the last time the decennial Census was conducted. For the 2020 Census, which will be conducted a little less than a year from now, it will have just one.

Medical Cannabis Patients Could Use The Drug At Hospitals Under New California Bill (Capitol Public Radio)

In his final weeks with pancreatic cancer, 42-year-old Ryan Bartell was on hospital-issued painkillers that put him to sleep for long stretches. That’s why his father, Jim Bartell, who lives in San Diego, started looking for a hospital that would allow Ryan to use cannabis. When they found one, it was a game-changer.

California sends bill requiring presidential candidates' tax returns to governor's desk (CNN)

California will send legislation to Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk requiring presidential candidates to submit five years' worth of tax returns in order to appear on the ballot, joining 18 other states in a jab at President Donald Trump's refusal to release his tax returns.

 


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Comments

Medical Cannabis

What about Kaiser Permanente and it's new drug testing policy for chronic pain patients? Now testing chronic pain patients for THC every 6 months and if any amount of THC found, all opiate based pain medications will be immediately discontinued with no treatment or concern for continued pain or severe withdrawal symptoms that could even lead to suicide. This includes long-tern cancer patients that acquired Cannabis on their own for pain and anxiety. Prescribed opiates are sometimes the only medication that will significantly alleviate severe pain making life livable.

I hadn't heard about Kaiser's policy. If true,

that seems unresaonable especially for cancer patients taking THC for nausea, or someone taking it for say, glaucoma control.  While it's one thing to adjust other medication doses to avoid accidental overdosing, taking away pain medication for those with severely painful conditions is not good.  This also discourages someone on prescription opiates from trying to wean themselves off and try medical cannabis instead, something which is far less likely to result in a fatal overdose or render someone a virtual zombie, as some people taking 2 and 3 opiate prescriptions at once can become.  It would not surprise me if someone files a legal challenge against this policy.