By Miriam Raftery

March 23, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) – The U.S. Justice Department is conducting a criminal probe into allegations that Congressman Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) illegally used campaign finance funds for personal gain, according to a statement issued today by House Committee on Ethics Chairwoman Susan Brooks. (R-Indiana) and Ranking Member Theodore Dutch(D-Florida.)

The statement indicated that the Dept. of Justice has asked  the committee to defer its investigation into potential ethics violations.  The Committee also released  the independent Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE)  report on its findings.  That report reveals that the bipartisan OCE members voted unanimously, 5-0, to recommend that the House Committee on Ethics further review the allegations “because there is  “substantial reason to believe that Rep. Hunter converted campaign funds to personal use to pay expenses that were not legitimate and verifiable campaign expenditures attributable to bona fide campaign or political purposes.”

By Miriam Raftery

March 22, 2017 (Washington D.C.) — A bill in Congress, HR 1313, would allow your employer to order you to under genetic testing and share results with the company.  If you refuse, you could be fined up to $1,000 or made to pay 30% more for your health insurance.

By Miriam Raftery

View video:  This agenda item can be viewed from 1:06:16 through 1:57:45

March 17, 2017 (El Cajon) – El Cajon’s City Council spent a full hour Tuesday debating a proposal by Mayor Bill Wells that aims to save Council time and staff resources by limiting how many items a Council member could place on an agenda single-handedly to just one per quarter, a maximum of four a year.  To bring forth any additional item, a Council member would have to gain support of one additional member. 

But that raises potential Brown Act violations andconcerns over suppressing citizen’s representation, the American CIvil Liberties Union (ACLU) warns in a letter sent to the City's attorney, Mayor and  Council members..

Newly elected Councilman Ben Kalasho strenuously objected to the proposal, leading to a testy exchange in which he threatened to sue Wells and fellow Council members to protect what he views as his right to represent his constituents.  Several members of the public also spoke out,  all opposed to sttifling their representatives’ ability to put items of concern on the agenda.

By Miriam Raftery

March 20, 2017 (Sacramento) – Assemblymembers Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego), Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), and Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) have announced legislation that would require the state’s pension funds to divest from companies involved in the construction of the president’s wall along the United States-Mexico border.

By Miriam Raftery

March 20, 2017 (San Diego) – President Donald Trump’s budget proposes to slash 20% of funding to the National Institute of Health.  California received $3.69 billion in NIH grants in the last fiscal year, so such deep cuts could put key research projects at risk.  Medical research leaders nationally and locally warn that the cuts will eliminate many California jobs and threaten research to find new treatments and cures for medical conditions.

Source:  Assemblyman Randy Voepel

March 19, 2017 (San Diego) - On March 2, Assemblyman Randy Voepel announced that he named Anita Bautista as the 2017 Woman of the Year for the 71st Assembly District.

"Throughout her life, Anita has touched thousands of people with her warmth, kindness, and generosity of spirit," said Voepel. "Whether it's brightening a room with her warm smile, dedicating hundreds of volunteer hours on behalf of our city, or happily cooking for our local first responders, Anita's contribution to this community is invaluable."

By Miriam Raftery

March 18, 2017 (Washington D.C.) — Consumers have long relied on information from Consumers Union regarding testing and rating of products from appliances to cars.  Now, Consumers Union has issued a report card for the new healthcare bill proposed by Congressional Republicans, which scored an “F” in every category rated.

Deep cuts at the agencies responsible for conservation and sportsmen’s access would be felt in every corner of the country

East County News Service

March 18, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- Hunters and anglers would find less healthy habitat and more public access closures under President Trump’s proposed budget, officially released this morning. In fact, the ripple effect of major budget cuts at the agencies that oversee conservation in America would likely be felt most in the rural communities that thrive off outdoor recreation spending related to public lands and other hunting and fishing access.

By Miriam Raftery

March 17, 2017 (El Cajon) – El Cajon Mayor Bill Wells has proposed banning City Council members from using iPads, cell phones or other electronic devices during Council hearings.

They Mayor says his goal in introducing item 6.3 on the agenda during the March 14^th public hearing was to assure that members are giving public hearings their full attention and not engaging in outside communications, assuring transparency.  But Councilman Kalasho claims the move is unconstitutional and targets him.  Members of the public who spoke sided with Kalasho in a testy exchange that can be viewed on video (starting at approximately 52 minutes, 44 seconds):  https://elcajonca.iqm2.com/Citizens/SplitView.aspx?Mode=Video&MeetingID=1049&Format=Agenda

By Miriam Raftery

March 15, 2017 (San Diego) — County Supervisors voted 4-0 on Tuesday to direct staff to come back in 90 days with recommendations on new funding sources to pay for road repairs. 

The latest Pavement Condition Index, or PCI, back in September gave the county a score of just 60, or “fair” – and that was before winter rains and flooding caused cracks and potholes to proliferate.  Supervisors’ set a goal to raise that score to 70, or “very good” within five years.

AB 386 creates legal aid fund for veterans seeking to return to United States

East County News Service

March 14, 2017 (San Diego) — When immigrants signed up to serve in America’s armed forced, they were promised that they would be given expedited citizenship. But now President Trump has begun deporting these veterans.  Now, California’s Assembly Judiciary has approved a bill to establish a legal aid fund to help deported veterans.

By Miriam Raftery

Photos: Protesters hold up red "disagree" signs (left) at town hall hosted by Rep. Duncan Hunter (right).

New! View full video of entire town hall. 

East County News Service

March 10, 2017 (Washington D.C.) -- The Senate introduced a resolution today to overturn a Federal Communications Commission rule that requires internet service providers to get customers’ permission before they sell sensitive consumer data, such as browsing history.

By Miriam Raftery

AARP warns that seniors age 50-64 will pay $8,500 a year more for health insurance premiums each year, on average, under the GOP plan. Read the bill here. 

March 10, 2017 (San Diego’s East County) –Major organizations representing patients, doctors, nurses and senior citizens have come out against the “American Health Care Act” ( AHCA or “Trumpcare”), Congressional Republicans’ plan for replacing the Affordable Care Act (ACA Obamacare) that’s being fast-tracked through Congress. 

The American Medical Association (AMA),  the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and others warn that the plan will weaken benefits and make healthcare much more expensive than many people are paying now, whether you’re on an ACA plan, private health insurance or Medicare/Medicare.   

“As drafted, the AHCA would result in millions of Americans losing coverage and benefits,”  Dr. Andrew Gurman, prseident of the AMA, the nation's largest organization of doctors, said Wednesday. "By replacing income-based premium subsidies with age-based tax credits,  AHCA will also make coverage more expensive—if not out of reach—for poor and sick Americans. For these reasons, the AMA cannot support the AHCA as it is currently written.”

By Ken Stone

Reprinted from Times of San Diego, a member of the San Diego Online News Association.

Photo by Ken Stone:  Rep. Duncan Hunter (left) and Darrell Issa (center) greet Donald Trump in San Diego.

March 9, 2017 (San Diego) -- Rep. Duncan D. Hunter’s deputy chief of staff says the Republican congressman is looking forward to Saturday’s long-awaited Town Hall in Ramona.

 “We anticipate it being a really good event,” said Michael Harrison, the aide. ”And we’re confident and hopeful it’s going to be productive.”