The state official who oversees California’s elections has given the green light for groups who want to recall Governor Gavin Newsom. Secretary of State Dr. Shirley Weber says signature gathering for a Newsom recall can move forward. This is the latest effort to recall the governor. Last month, Rescue California said it was filing a notice of intent. The group says it can justify removing Newsom because it says he has failed to deal with the state’s growing homelessness problem, high taxes, a large budget deficit, rising crime rates and immigration issues. In 2021, Newsom easily fought off a recall effort. Opponents will have to gather more than 1.3 million verified signatures. They have until September 3rd to put a measure on the ballot.
An update to a story we told you last week, California is extending the deadline to apply for college financial aid. On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that moves the April 2nd deadline to May 2nd. Now, students have an extra month to complete their FAFSA. Many students reported problems this year after a new FAFSA system was rolled out three months late.
Attorney General Rob Bonta is giving tips on how to avoid tax-related scams. Bonta issued a consumer alert on Monday, giving Californians advice on how to prepare and safely file taxes. Officials recommend not answering phone calls, emails or texts from people claiming to be from California’s Franchise Tax Board or the IRS. He also said residents should make sure they have an active Identity Protection PIN for their IRS e-filing account. Officials also advise using a two-factor authentication to help protect tax filing accounts. The deadline to file tax returns is April 15th, but those who need more time can request an extension.
The Lake County Registrar of Voters sent out a reminder about the March 5th Presidential Primary Election. In it they remind residents that election results are still not final. They said they have about 4500 ballots that still need to be counted. Of those, just over 4 thousand are vote-by-mail ballots, 266 are provisional or conditional ballots, and 44 are ballots that require further review. If you’d like more information on the progress of the primary election, click here.
The Lakeport Rotary Club will host it’s 98th annual Easter Egg Hunt this Sunday. It’s a free event being held at a new location this year, That Ranch on Thomas Drive in Lakeport. The easter egg hunt starts at 1:30pm and will happen rain or shine. Kids can hunt for almost 3,000 eggs. 300 of those eggs will have an extra special prize attached. Get all the Easter Egg Hunt Details on the Lakeport Rotary Facebook page.
A new bill is being introduced to help with the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous people in California and across the country. California Representatives Jared Huffman and Adam Schiff introduced the Tribal Community Protection Act on Tuesday. They say the legislation will help address the crisis and bridge the gap between tribal and state and local law enforcement. Among other things, the Act would create a funding incentive for states and localities who agree to share information, like the status of restraining orders, with Tribal law enforcement, and vice versa. The sharing of information can help both tribal and state police enforce those orders and help keep victims safe. Officials said it’s often the complex jurisdictional overlaps at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels that make things worse when working cases of missing or murdered indigenous people.
