Government

Will Peevey go to prison?

Submitted by Jamie Court on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 09:04
When agents from the California Attorney General’s office raided Mike Peevey’s home, the question arose about whether the former Public Utilities Commission chief could land in jail for impropriety. His transgressions against ratepayers include seeking utility contributions to his political causes while bartering secretly with utilities over their desired rulings in pending cases. 
 

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Capitol Watchdog: Upcoming Meetings to Watch

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Wed, 01/06/2016 - 07:07

A few hearings next week might spark some interest. Assembly Health will be taking up Assemblyman David Chiu's timely AB 463, the Pharmaceutical Cost Transparency Act, which would require drug companies to reveal operational costs in order to better understand pricing for ultra-high-priced drugs.

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How Deep Will CA Attorney General Dig Into PUC Scandal?

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Wed, 12/30/2015 - 11:02
Gov. Jerry Brown must release all his emails connected to the Public Utilities Commission's San Onofre Nuclear power plant scandal. Otherwise, Attorney General Kamala Harris needs to dig deeper to see if he was involved in negotiating a horrendous settlement to the detriment of ratepayers.
 

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Oil Prediction: Another Year of Gouging Or a Year of Courage?

Submitted by Cody Rosenfield on Tue, 12/29/2015 - 15:03
For California, 2015 was the year of the price spike. Could 2016 be the year of courage? 
 
A year ago, Consumer Watchdog warned that the oil industry would use 2015 to raise gas prices for huge profits and to push its political agenda. Predictably, the industry obscenely raised prices, making 2015  a record year for California gas prices compared to the national average. In Los Angeles, consumers are still paying over a dollar more than the rest of the nation.

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California's Next Lead Pollution Scandal

Submitted by Liza Tucker on Mon, 12/28/2015 - 08:49
One would think the Exide lead pollution scandal would have taught our top toxics regulator what never to do again. Instead, the agency is poised to repeat the same mistakes; this time with Exide’s rival lead battery recycler, Quemetco. 
 

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California Laws You Should Know That Start Jan. 1, 2016

Submitted by Eddie Barrera on Sat, 12/26/2015 - 14:06
In 2015, Californians wanted bold, progressive action on gas prices, toxics regulation and ratepayer protection against back room dealings with regulated utilities. But instead, the public too often saw meaningful reform watered down or dumped.

Proposals such as reducing the state's petroleum use by 50% by 2030, protecting groundwater from fracking waste, demanding transparency from oil companies manipulating the price and supply of oil, and shutting down polluting facilities operating for decades without permits failed to be approved.

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