Cal Senate OKs bill that would reduce deportations for minor crimes - LA Times

SACRAMENTO — The state Senate on Thursday approved a bill that would reduce the maximum possible misdemeanor sentence from one year to 364 days,  to reduce deportations of legal residents for minor crimes.

The bill addresses concern that federal law allows legal immigrants to be deported if they are convicted of a crime and given a one-year sentence.
Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) said his bill would prevent families from being torn apart if one member commits a crime that is not a felony, such as writing a bad check.
“Many legal residents face deportation for committing minor crimes,” Lara told his colleagues.
SB 1310 was approved by a 31-4 bipartisan vote.
Sen. Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) said his concern is that people accused of crimes including identity theft, cruelty to animals and child neglect are being deported rather than punished through incarceration.
“Many times these people get deported and then they return to our country to re-offend again,” Anderson said.

http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-cal-senate-votes-to-reduce-maximum-misdemeanor-sentences-20140403,0,2935286.story#ixzz2xwo5OfLp

U.S. imposes new sanctions on 7 Russians, several Ukrainians

WASHINGTON -- President Obama has signed an order that imposes sanctions on seven Russian government officials, including a deputy prime minister and one of President Vladimir Putin's closest advisers.

In a statement, the White House said Russia's incursion in Crimea undermined "democratic processes and institutions in Ukraine; threaten its peace, security, stability, sovereignty, and territorial integrity."
The sanctions are intended to "impose costs on named individuals who wield influence in the Russian government and those responsible for the deteriorating situation in Ukraine," the White House added. "We stand ready to use these authorities in a direct and targeted fashion as events warrant."

http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-us-sanctions-russia-20140317,0,3932302.story#ixzz2wFxvpcX9

Assembly Democrats block prison realignment reforms - LA Times

Assembly Democrats continued Tuesday to bat down legislation they see as weakening Gov. Jerry Brown's prison realignment program, including a bill that would return sex offenders who violate parole to state prison.

"We are tweaking a flawed program," said Assemblyman Eric Linder (R-Corona), whose bill mirrored a similar measure already voted down by the Public Safety Committee that would have allowed judges to return to prison sex offenders who violate parole.

"I do think it's a little early in the game. I'm not saying there couldn't be real tweaks," said committee Chairman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco), before leading a 2-4 vote to block Linder's bill. He noted that California is giving counties money to address the local impacts of prison realignment.

The 2011 realignment bill gave counties responsibility for jailing low-level felons who formerly went to prison, and as well required them to house state parole violators. Judges in some counties with overcrowded jails have adopted policies to release those parole violators from jail early, including sex offenders who increasingly are removing their state-issued GPS trackers.

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Initiative would make Legislature part time, slash its pay

A proposal by Assemblywoman Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) probably won't make her many friends among her colleagues. She wants to reduce the Legislature to part-time status and cut its pay from $95,000 annually to $1,500 a month.

Grove is one of the organizers of an initiative that was approved Monday to begin circulating petitions toward qualifying for the ballot. The constitutional amendment would limit regular legislative sessions to 30 days each January and 60 days starting each May. In odd-numbered years, the legislative sessions would be devoted to budget issues.
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