A coalition of election reformers want to help San Jose lawmakers switch to a new form of electoral politics—one they say is cheaper, more equitable and might make people more civil. An organization called Better Elections San Jose has been busy trying to educate city officials about the benefits of ranked-choice voting—a system that allows voters...
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The Biz Beat: For 40-plus years, Hicklebee’s in San Jose has brought stories to life
Sitting comfortably in an aisle of Hicklebee’s bookstore, Calvin, 11, shares a book with his 9-year-old brother, Malcolm. The boys look right at home, which isn’t surprising since their mom Emily Liu-Elizabeth has been bringing them there since they were born. Liu-Elizabeth herself has come to the shop since she was a little girl. “Bookstores...
Palo Alto police chief enters race for Santa Clara County sheriff
The top law enforcement officer from Palo Alto is joining the race for Santa Clara County sheriff. A committee to elect Police Chief Robert Jonsen as sheriff filed its organizing paperwork on Tuesday. Jonsen was reluctant to discuss details of his campaign and told San José Spotlight he is planning an official announcement in a...
Silicon Valley candidate ends state campaign, endorses progressive opponent
State Senate hopeful Jaime Raul Zepeda is ending his campaign and instead throwing his support behind fellow candidate Aisha Wahab. Zepeda, who was running for the state Senate District 10 seat, announced the end of his campaign Monday. The state redistricting process—which occurs once every 10 years on the local, state and federal levels—established new...
Santa Clara County politicians want to dramatically expand COVID testing
With COVID-19 infections skyrocketing in Santa Clara County, officials want to make it easier for residents to get tested for the virus. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to have staff drum up ideas for how to expand the acquisition and distribution of at-home COVID-19 tests for the county’s nearly two million...
Former San Jose assistant police chief jumps into sheriff’s race
A former police officer is stepping into the increasingly crowded election for Santa Clara County sheriff. Dave Knopf, former assistant chief of the San Jose Police Department, filed papers last week to run for sheriff. Knopf began his career in law enforcement working for the Morgan Hill Police Department in 1988. He transferred to SJPD in...
San Jose requires COVID boosters for workers, visitors at city facilities
San Jose is now the largest city in the state to require its employees and visitors of events at city-owned venues to show proof of a COVID-19 booster shot. The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to impose a new mandate requiring city workers and visitors of city-owned facilities, such as the SAP Center and San...
UPDATE: Developer drops proposal for 6-story hotel on Winchester Boulevard
A controversial plan for a 6-story hotel on Winchester Boulevard in San Jose will not move forward after strong opposition from nearby residents. On Tuesday, councilmembers unanimously approved rezoning a 0.69-acre parcel at 1212 S. Winchester Blvd. from residential to commercial development, but rejected a plan to build a 119-room hotel on the plot. The...
UPDATE: San Jose to explore extending voting rights to noncitizens
San Jose will explore a proposal to allow immigrants who are not U.S. citizens to participate in local elections. After hours of passionate public testimony, the City Council voted 10-1 Tuesday night to explore a plan proposed by Councilmembers Magdalena Carrasco and Sylvia Arenas to extend voting rights to noncitizen residents. Councilmember Dev Davis casted...
Lawmakers say Santa Clara County is in a mental health crisis
Santa Clara County lawmakers are recognizing that mental illness and substance abuse is contributing to a major public health crisis in the region, and they want to do something about it. The Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday for staff to explore a coordinated response to the mental health and substance use treatment needs...