Two statewide propositions to legalize and expand sports betting are coming to voters in November—and San Jose officials oppose both of them. The city council unanimously voted earlier this week to oppose Props. 26 and 27, viewing them as having a negative impact on San Jose casinos and reducing revenue gambling generates for the city. Prop. 26...
East San Jose council candidates speak on homelessness, police
Candidates vying to represent San Jose’s East and Central districts gathered downtown to sound off on their priorities at a recent forum. The Friday morning forum, hosted by the San Jose Downtown Association, featured District 5 city council candidates Nora Campos, a former state assemblymember, and Santa Clara County Board of Education President Peter Ortiz, as...
San Jose gets sued for ignoring its billboard rules
A billboard advertising giant is suing San Jose over a decision to allow a competitor to erect two digital billboards on airport property. Outfront Media alleges in its lawsuit filed last month that the San Jose City Council “abused their discretion” and violated city policies by authorizing billboards from Clear Channel Outdoor, according to court...
Santa Clara expects increase in homeless residents
Santa Clara wants to address homelessness throughout the city, as officials expect the number of unhoused residents has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advocates and residents discussed the prevalence of homelessness in Santa Clara during a Tuesday meeting of the city’s eight-member homelessness task force, which launched at the end of April and meets monthly...
Santa Clara County to study public contract disparities
Santa Clara County wants to level the playing field for minority-owned businesses that have no skin in the public contractor game. The county plans to conduct a vendor diversity study to examine how the process can be improved. It will collect data to review how businesses are selected for county contractor jobs and analyze it...
San Jose expected to lose hundreds of cops
The San Jose Police Department should expect a mass exodus of officers in the next three years, union leaders said. A survey conducted by The San Jose Police Officers’ Association shows more than 200 officers are planning to resign—with more than 150 wishing to do so in the next 36 months. Among those planning to leave, four out of...
Silicon Valley law to end unruly behavior on Newsom’s desk
A California bill that would allow public officials to remove disruptive individuals from meetings is poised to become law after gaining bipartisan support. State Sen. Dave Cortese and Assemblymember Evan Low introduced a bill earlier this year to update and strengthen the 69-year-old Ralph M. Brown Act, California’s open meeting law. The state legislators say...
49ers offer millions to settle Santa Clara lawsuit
One of the biggest legal battles between Santa Clara and the San Francisco 49ers could be coming to an end. The football team sued the city in 2019 after councilmembers voted to remove the team as the manager of Levi’s Stadium during non-NFL events—a controversial decision that marked the latest blow in a contentious, high-profile fight....
School bells ring later for San Jose students
Mornings will start later for San Jose high school and middle school students this year due to a new, first-in-the-nation state law. California has moved back the clocks to an 8:30 a.m. or later start time for high schoolers and an 8 a.m. or later time for middle schoolers. The decision went into effect July 1,...
Famous bookstore in San Jose up for sale
After 40 years, a beloved bookstore that many view as San Jose’s heartbeat of children’s literature is being sold. Hicklebee’s, located on Lincoln Avenue in Willow Glen, is a family-owned business run by two sisters, Valerie Lewis and Monica Holmes. The pair are ready to retire and spend time traveling and being with friends and...