Governor Suspends Use Of Death Penalty In California; Cites Moral Reasons And Support Of Citizenry
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his decision to suspend capital punishment in California Wednesday, saying the system has been a failure and granting a reprieve for the 737 people currently on Death Row. State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, praised Newsom’s decision and said she “deeply respected” the governor’s moral courage in making the decision. “Our criminal…
Lafayette Council Seeks Applicants, Conducting Interviews To Fill Vacant Council Seat
LAFAYETTE, CALIF., Dec. 20, 2018 — In keeping with past practice, the Lafayette City Council last night voted to seek applications and conduct interviews to fill a seat on the Council made vacant with the passing of Councilmember Mark Mitchell in November. The vote was unanimous. The Council will accept applications starting today through 5:00 p.m.…
Updated Election Results: Voter Turnout At 62.2 Percent For This Election
Results from the November 6th General Election have been updated on the Contra Costa Elections website. You can view them here. Voter turnout is now at 62.2 percent for this election. Also, the Contra Costa Elections Division has processed nearly 2.3 million ballot cards to this point. The Elections Division estimates that there are about 10,000 Vote-By-Mail…
With Tragedy In The News, Lafayette Reminds Residents Of Its Evacuation Plans
From the City of Lafayette: With the continued tragic news concerning the Camp Fire that destroyed Paradise, a city similar in size to Lafayette, it is good to be reminded that we have a wildfire evacuation plan for the City of Lafayette. You can find the plan HERE. It is particularly important to note the evacuation…
Contra Costa’s Marijuana Tax Passes
On Tuesday, voters of Contra Costa County approved Measure R – which provides for the taxation of marijuana businesses similar to those businesses engaged in the sale of alcohol and tobacco. Measure R passed with 71.73% support (158,898 votes) to 28.27% who opposed (62,623 votes). Voters said the county should be able to impose a…
Regional Early Voting Program Underway Thursday
Just a quick reminder that Contra Costa Elections Division’s Regional Early Voting program starts this morning. This is a good opportunity for residents who missed the Voter Registration Deadline to conditionally register and vote on the same day, or beat the rush of having to make it to their local polling place on Election Day.…
Firearm Storage Ordinance Adopted In Orinda
Securely storing firearms when not in use is an essential element of responsible gun ownership and the #1 way to help prevent firearm accidents, theft, and misuse. To this effect, the Orinda City Council voted unanimously on October 16, 2018 to approve a safe storage ordinance requiring that “except when carried on his or her…
Lafayette City Manager Steven Falk Announces Resignation Monday
Lafayette City Manager Steven Falk announced his resignation at a City Council meeting Monday night. In a brief farewell note he wrote: Friends, colleagues, co-workers— There’s a country music lyric for everything so, to quote the late Hank Snow, “I’m movin’ on!” At the beginning of this evening’s City Council meeting I announced that: It…
One Opioid Fatality Per Week In Contra Costa County In 2016 – Supervisors Promise Litigation Against Manufacturers/Distributors
At yesterday’s Board of Supervisors meeting, it was announced that Contra Costa County plans to join a consortium of more than 25 California counties, as well as hundreds of other municipalities throughout the United States, to initiate litigation against the drug manufacturers and distributors responsible for the opioid epidemic that has destroyed so many lives…
Lafayette’s Planning Commission Gutted After Council Adopts New Conflict Of Interest Policy
A Lafayette City Council vote adopting a revised conflict of interest policy for Planning and Design Review Commissioners triggered the mass resignation of five of seven serving planning commissioners this week – making it impossible for the commission to achieve a quorum and leaving the city scrambling for a way to field a replacing body.…