The California Coastal Commission is objecting to a plan to rehabilitate part of the Mendocino Railway line between Willits and Fort Bragg without an environmental review. The commission says the law doesn’t allow for an exemption from environmental review and calls the Department of Transportation’s decision to approve a loan for the project–unusual. The DOT approved a 31.4 million dollar loan for the work, saying the plan to fix the railbed and a collapsed tunnel was good for the economy. The Coastal Commission says the project could hurt the environment, especially the Noyo River, which runs about 30 miles along the 40-mile length of the railway.
It is deadline day for county boards of elections. If you voted by mail in last week’s primary and your ballot isn’t in the office by now, it won’t count. Now, workers will start the canvas of all votes and put out a final total that must be submitted to the state by April 4th. There are still some very close races in Mendocino County that could turn on today’s mail delivery. There is also one statewide question about spending 6.38 Billion dollars on mental health services that is still close; however opponents concede they’ll likely come up short by less than 1 percent when all the votes are in. The Secretary of State’s office estimates the turnout for the primary will end up around 33 percent. That’s low by historical standards but not the record low predicted before the election. With the November election now less than six months away, the state says 83 percent of people who CAN vote are registered.
A new report says California’s $ 16.00-an-hour minimum wage isn’t nearly enough to keep people out of poverty. The state legislative analyst’s office says half of those making the minimum or barely above are over 35, suggesting state policy to move people to higher paying jobs as they get older isn’t working. The report also says the problem is made worse by California’s shortage of affordable housing, meaning many people have to work several jobs just to afford a place to live. The report says lawmakers may need to get more involved by setting different minimum wages in places where the cost of living is higher or by coordinating with local governments on minimum wage policy.
