The holiday travel rush is starting today across California. And that means the roads will be busier than ever. Triple-A predicts a record number of people will pack up for a long Memorial Day weekend getaway. Here in the state, that comes out to just over five-and-a-half million, with 80-percent driving. The good news is that while gas prices are the highest in the nation, they are down nine-cents from last week.
California is promising shorter lines at the DMV. Starting June 3rd, customers will be required to do some transactions online or at self-serve kiosks. This includes renewing vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses, replacing a license, and requesting copies of certain records. The change could cut office visits by 200,000 people a month. The DMV director says to expect faster service as well, with items mailed in less than two weeks.
Prepare to say goodbye to more plastic bags. California lawmakers are closer to closing a loophole in a state ban that began years ago. It allows stores to use thicker, reusable bags made out of plastic film. But CalRecycle says they aren’t actually recyclable and reports an increase in those bags ending up as waste. Two bills aim to end this exception, and both are advancing after one passed the Senate and the other made it through the Assembly.
A bill banning legacy admissions at all California colleges is moving on. It passed the state Assembly and now heads to the Senate. Only some schools still consider donor or alumni ties in admitting students. The lawmaker behind the bill says “If you work hard, get good grades and have a well-rounded background, your spot should not be taken by someone else just because their family can write a big check or is a graduate of that school.”
Nearly four-dozen inmates are staging a hunger strike to protest conditions at Sonoma County Jail. Officials say 45 men incarcerated in the jail’s J module announced yesterday they’ll be participating in a hunger strike over a number of different grievances. The Press Democrat reports those grievances include current COVID-19-related practices and high commissary costs. Inmates are reportedly upset over the jail’s practice of housing inmate transfers in the J module before they’ve tested negative for COVID-19. The Sheriff’s Office says the practice is allowed under the current COVID-19 protocol.
There will be consequences for the printing service that botched the ballots in Mendocino County. Integrated Voting Systems has lost its certification as the official ballot printer in California, the Secretary of State announced this month. The printer sent out over 52 thousand ballots to Mendocino County voters that were incorrect for the primary election in March. They issued replacement ballots, but even some of those were wrong. Some people in the county received 3 separate ballots as officials tried to get it right. As a result, only 45.5% of eligible voters in Mendocino County cast a ballot. Mendo Fever reports Integrated Voting Systems maintains they did not violate state code, and they are preparing to litigate.
Fire destroyed several buildings near Willits yesterday. Fire Crews responded to fires at multiple structures along Sherwood Road in the Longvale area between Willits and Laytonville, around 12:30pm Wednesday. Fire fighters were able to knock the fires down, but some of the structures were a total loss.
