Lake County is looking for volunteers to observe the upcoming stateside redistricting vote. The registrar of voters says the panel will watch the process and suggest ways it could be improved. Officials say having observers improves confidence in election integrity. The job involves visiting polling places, watching the count at the registrar’s office, and observing how the county processes mail-in and absentee ballots. If you’d like to take part, you can call, e-mail, or visit the registrar’s office by next Monday.
The National Rifle Association is taking the state to court over a new law that bans certain pistol sales. A bill signed by the governor this week that takes effect January 1st outlaws handguns that can be quickly turned into machine guns. Gun makers who make such weapons can be held liable. The NRA’s lawsuit says that the law violates the Second Amendment–and goes against recent Supreme Court decisions against similar laws in other states. Gun control advocates say that kits converting those Glock-style pistols with a simple modification have been around for years and that certain gun makers haven’t done enough to make sure the firearms are tamper-proof.
A new law will require that California restaurants list items with common food allergens on their menus. The first law of its kind in the U S covers restaurants with at least 20 locations. Those behind it say it will take some of the anxiety out of dining out for millions of people who suffer from food allergies. The California Restaurant Association says it is worried that the requirement could be a costly burden for restaurants and could lead to what it calls predatory lawsuits. The law takes effect January 1st.
Some birders on a day cruise off the Sonoma Coast –getting a rare addition to their lists over the weekend when they sighted a critically endangered albatross thousands of miles north of its usual home in the Galapagos Islands. In fact, a Waved Albatross has never been spotted in the U S before. The 40 or so folks onboard the ship say they were in awe seeing something so unusual, which may never be seen in this part of the world again.
