EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: LOCAL AND STATEWIDE NEWS

June 25, 2020 (San Diego) -- East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego's inland regions, published in other media.  This week's round-up stories include: 

LOCAL

• Berkshire Hathaway Courts San Diego, Threatens SDG&E Monopoly (Voice of San Diego)
• Court tosses San Diego County climate plan, calls carbon-offset program ‘unlawful’ (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Lemon Grove looking at putting cannabis sales tax on November ballot (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Supervisor Fletcher again casts dissenting vote against seeking more state guidance on reopening planned events (KUSI)
• Sweetwater’s school board puts superintendent on leave after laying off 223 employees (San Diego Union-Tribune)
• Large decreases in mountain lion deaths during coronavirus stay-at-home orders (10
• Man Drowns While Searching for Frogs with Son in Potrero (Times of San Diego)

STATE

• AB 2501 – COVID-19 Homeowner, Tenant, and Consumer Relief Law of 2020 (JD Supra)
• Gov. Newsom Declares Budget Emergency to Help California Respond to COVID-19 (NBC 7)
• As California Seeks Injunction on Gig Workers, Uber Says 158,000 Will Lose Jobs (Times of San Diego)
• California’s vacation industry is open for business. Proceed with caution (CalMatters)
• Disneyland Reopening Delayed Indefinitely (Patch)
• 5 Governors, 1 Message: 'Wear a Mask' (KQED)
• Superintendents, school boards attack ban on layoffs they suspect could be in state budget (Ed Source)
• State, federal officials take different paths trying to stop utilities from causing wildfires (San Diego Union-Tribune)

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

LOCAL

Berkshire Hathaway Courts San Diego, Threatens SDG&E Monopoly (Voice of San Diego)

Two other energy companies are interested in buying out San Diego Gas and Electric’s expansive system of electric poles, gas lines and wires, which could effectively end the utility’s century-long energy monopoly in the region.

Court tosses San Diego County climate plan, calls carbon-offset program ‘unlawful’ (San Diego Union-Tribune)

A state court has struck down a San Diego County plan to allow housing developers to buy their way around restrictions on greenhouse-gas emissions from new vehicle traffic using so-called carbon offsets. The 4th District Court of Appeal in San Diego issued its ruling on Friday in response to a lawsuit brought by the Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity, Climate Action Campaign and other environmental groups.

Lemon Grove looking at putting cannabis sales tax on November ballot (San Diego Union-Tribune)

The Lemon Grove City Council unanimously agreed last week to ask voters to put a sales tax on products sold at cannabis stores. Like many communities hit hard by COVID-19, the East County city is trying to make up for revenue lost during the stay-at-home order that shuttered businesses and schools.

Supervisor Fletcher again casts dissenting vote against seeking more state guidance on reopening planned events (KUSI)

 The San Diego County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to request guidance from the state on allowing resumption of several activities, including private planned events, wedding receptions, hotel conferences, street fairs and team competitions. In a letter to be sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom, the county will also seek guidance on reopening playgrounds.

Sweetwater’s school board puts superintendent on leave after laying off 223 employees (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Moves follow a state audit that found evidence of possible fraud, misstatements in financial records.

Large decreases in mountain lion deaths during coronavirus stay-at-home orders (10 News)

A report released Thursday shows that fewer wild animals have been struck by vehicles in three states during shelter-in-place orders, with the number of mountain lions killed in Southern California and elsewhere in the state declining by more than 50%

Man Drowns While Searching for Frogs with Son in Potrero (Times of San Diego)

A man died after the boat he was on with his son capsized on a small body of water in Potrero, authorities said Thursday. It happened shortly before 9:25 p.m. Wednesday off the 1100 block of Saxon Road, north of state Route 94, San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Glen Twyman said.

STATE

AB 2501 – COVID-19 Homeowner, Tenant, and Consumer Relief Law of 2020 (JD Supra)

A proposed piece of COVID-19 relief legislation could have major implications for California lenders and servicers, particularly in the mortgage lending industry, if passed into law. The assembly bill, entitled “COVID-19 Homeowner, Tenant, and Consumer Relief Law of 2020,” (“AB 2501”) is intended to provide relief to residential and multifamily mortgage borrowers, as well as borrowers under loans secured by a mobile home or motor vehicle, by requiring the loan servicers to provide forbearance to borrowers experiencing a financial hardship during the Covid-19 emergency.   It is also notable that borrowers under certain payday loans, known as deferred deposit transactions, would also benefit from AB 2501 …

Gov. Newsom Declares Budget Emergency to Help California Respond to COVID-19 (NBC 7)

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday declared a state budget emergency, citing California's $54.3 billion budget deficit, clearing the way for more funds to fight the coronavirus pandemic, according to a release from his office. The move ensures the availability of funding for personal protective equipment, medical equipment and other expenditures necessary to support a recent spike in COVID-19 cases and the potential for a hospital surge. The funds also will help provide the necessary services to vulnerable populations, the governor said.

As California Seeks Injunction on Gig Workers, Uber Says 158,000 Will Lose Jobs (Times of San Diego)

California plans to ask a state court judge to force Uber and Lyft to classify their rideshare drivers as employees rather than contractors, ratcheting up the tension over the new gig worker law.

California’s vacation industry is open for business. Proceed with caution (CalMatters)

Three months after the stay-at-home order was issued, Californians are slowly emerging from their homes and traveling for short vacations and road trips. Epidemiologists warn that it could cause infections to spike in some areas.

Disneyland Reopening Delayed Indefinitely (Patch)

The company indicated that the state hasn't issued guidelines for theme parks in time for the planned July 17 reopening.

5 Governors, 1 Message: 'Wear a Mask' (KQED)

 Gavin Newsom, Jerry Brown, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gray Davis and Pete Wilson may not all agree on much but they're teaming up in a new public service campaign with a single message: "Wear a Mask."

Superintendents, school boards attack ban on layoffs they suspect could be in state budget (Ed Source)

 A half-dozen organizations representing school district officials have called on Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders not to agree to a 2020-21 state budget that would ban all employee layoffs in schools for a year. The layoff ban is part of possible deal that would be made in exchange for eliminating the budget cuts Newsom had proposed.

State, federal officials take different paths trying to stop utilities from causing wildfires (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Nearly two years after one of the deadliest corporate crimes in California history — a utility-sparked wildfire that killed scores of people and destroyed the city of Paradise in rural Butte County — state and federal officials have staked out differing positions on how to prevent history from repeating itself.