Santa Clara County officials want their largest city’s support in hiking sales taxes to keep their public hospital system alive against federal cuts. But San Jose leaders have conditions. Congressman and former San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo suggested the city could tie its support for the sales tax measure — now known as “Measure A”...
Silicon Valley lawmakers to take part in town hall on federal cuts
Federal and state lawmakers will converge in San Jose this weekend for an emergency town hall with the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors about how massive federal spending cuts will derail the public hospital system and social safety net services. The community meeting, hosted by District 2 Supervisor Betty Duong, will bring the elected...
Santa Clara County leaders show support for Little Saigon Freeway
A sign telling motorists they’re entering Little Saigon in San Jose is close to being installed — with a fresh stamp of approval from local leaders. But it still needs a final sign-off from lawmakers in Sacramento. The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a resolution in support of a state...
Silicon Valley lawmakers want to decriminalize homelessness
As cities across California ban homeless encampments and Gov. Gavin Newsom encourages more sweeps, San Jose lawmakers are standing up against criminalizing homelessness. State Sen. Sasha Perez along with Assemblymembers Ash Kalra, Alex Lee and Matt Haney have co-authored a bill that would make it illegal for cities to prohibit organizations or people from helping...
San Jose highway could be named to honor Vietnamese community
A bipartisan effort to honor San Jose’s Vietnamese American community at the state level has passed a key milestone. The state Assembly has unanimously approved a bill authored by Assemblymember Ash Kalra to rename a stretch of Highway 101 in San Jose between the Story Road exit and Interstate 280/680 junction “Little Saigon Freeway.” Supporters say...
Santa Clara County education layoffs unfounded, state lawmakers say
A handful of state lawmakers and Silicon Valley leaders are calling on the Santa Clara County Office of Education to reverse the layoffs of hundreds of teachers serving low-income preschoolers, migrants and special education students. The Monday letter — signed by state Sen. Dave Cortese and Assemblymembers Ash Kalra and Patrick Ahrens — questions the layoffs...
San Jose lawmaker withdraws bill to lower state rent caps
Politically-active landlords are coordinating a campaign to stop a proposal from California lawmakers to slash yearly rent control caps — and it appears to have worked. While Assemblymember Ash Kalra successfully advocated for his “Affordable Rent Act” proposal Thursday at the state Housing and Community Development Committee, further discussions with the Judiciary Committee led Kalra...
UPDATE: VTA’s legal request to stop strike denied
VTA’s request for the courts to immediately intervene in a weeklong strike has been denied, delaying the potential return of bus and light rail public transit service in the region. Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Daniel Nishigaya denied VTA’s request for an injunction Monday afternoon. Nishigaya also ordered representatives from Amalgamated Transit Union Local...
San Jose protest against President Trump draws hundreds
Hundreds of protesters from around Silicon Valley marched through downtown San Jose Monday as part of demonstrations taking place across the country over President Donald Trump and his policies. Holding signs that read “Not my President” and “Fight the Fascists,” roughly 1,500 people gathered outside the San Jose Museum of Art on Presidents Day. More...
San Jose ‘responsible landlord’ initiative could return
San Jose residents want a neighborhood improvement initiative to restart after it sunsetted last June due to lack of funding. Community organizer Jaime Angulo created the Responsible Landlord Engagement Initiative (RLEI) in 2010 to help neighbors resolve issues they faced on their block — whether it was an unruly tenant, a group home where neighbors...