When It Comes To Police Shootings, There Aren’t Many Laws On The Books In California
Following the death of Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man, a light has been shined on the dearth of guidelines on what police departments should do in response to such incidents.
Capital Public Radio:
There Are Few Police Shooting Laws In California And Major Restrictions On What Officer Info Can Go Public
California has few laws on the books when it comes to how police departments respond to officer shootings. There are major restrictions on what type of police information can be made public. (Bradford, 3/28)
In other news from across the state —
Sacramento Bee:
Sacramento Lags The State In Embracing Recycled Drinking Water
Though the Sacramento area traditionally has among the highest per capita water use in California, there has been little interest among local water districts in using recycled water to augment local drinking water supplies. The reason? Local waterways such as the Sacramento and American rivers and Folsom Lake provide abundant and comparatively cheap water supplies. (Sabalow, 3/29)
KPCC:
ACLU Alleges Pregnancy Discrimination At West Coast Ports
A Los Angeles dockworker says she was penalized on the job for having a child — and attorneys with the American Civil Liberties Union are now seeking workplace policy changes and monetary compensation for pregnant workers at 29 ports along the West Coast. Los Angeles port worker Tracy Plummer filed pregnancy discrimination charges Thursday with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (Wagner, 3/29)
Long Beach Press-Telegram:
How 139 Flocks Of Sentinel Chickens Help Keep Californians Safe From Deadly Diseases
For decades, vector-control agencies in California, responsible for fighting insidious disease-carrying pests and rodents, have relied on the domesticated fowl as a surveillance tool to predict when human cases of West Nile Virus and St. Louis Encephalitis are likely to occur. They are, in a way, the perfect canary in the coal mine for such a task: They sit in coops throughout Southern California 24 hours a day, seven days a week, waiting to get bit. (Haire, 3/29)
KPBS:
Oceanside Council Votes Against Medical Marijuana Dispensaries
Following a nearly four-hour public hearing Wednesday night, the Oceanside City Council voted against an ordinance that would allow medical marijuana dispensaries in the city. The deciding vote against allowing dispensaries was cast by the city's newly appointed mayor, Peter Weiss. (St John, Ruth and Lipkin, 3/29)