Calif. Regulators vs. Uber's New S.F. Deployment; Baltimore Mayor’s Hand-Delivered Letter to Trump
an Uber driverless car waits in traffic during a test drive in San Francisco. Eric Risberg / AP Photo
Connecting state and local government leaders
Also in our State and Local Daily Digest: Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown’s request of Obama before leaving office; a new Trump-inspired civics lesson in Maine school; and casino troubles ahead in South Bend.
DRIVERLESS CARS | First in Pittsburgh, now in San Francisco: Uber’s autonomous vehicles, a fleet of Volvo XC90 SUVs which will have human monitors aboard, are hitting the streets. But the company faces a “tough crowd” not just from the Bay Area’s software engineers, but also from California regulators, including the state's Department of Motor Vehicles, which has demanded that Uber must "cease" its driverless deployment until it is permitted to do so. [YouTube; Wall Street Journal; Slash Gear; San Francisco Chronicle]
INFRASTRUCTURE | At last weekend’s Army-Navy Game, Baltimore’s new mayor, Catherine Pugh, hand delivered a letter to President-elect Trump, urging him to “to use the power of your office to support robust investment” in Maryland’s largest city, including $195 million in badly needed funding to improve CSX’s aging Howard Street Tunnel, a major freight rail chokepoint on the East Coast. [Baltimore Brew]
OFFSHORE DRILLING | California Gov. Jerry Brown wants President Obama to permanently ban new drilling for gas and oil in federal waters off the state’s coast. It’s expected President-elect Trump’s administration will usher in a more pro-drilling agenda than that seen during the Obama years. During the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan and Interior Secretary James Watt pushed to open waters off of Big Sur and other areas to oil production. They met stiff opposition from environmentalists and the fishing and tourism industries. There are 32 offshore oil platforms in Southern California. But they date back to the 1950s and new ones have not been constructed in three decades. [The Mercury News]
STATE LEGISLATURES | A bill in New Jersey would allow Gov. Chris Christie to profit from a book while in office and would also give raises to cabinet officials, state judges, legislative aides and others. The raises would cost state taxpayers at least $10 million a year, and possibly more, as the state deals with serious financial pressures. “I will be voting ‘absolutely not’ on this proposal," said Republican State Sen. Jennifer Beck, who sits on the Budget and Appropriations Committee. "This is just another example of politicians attempting to pass legislation when they feel that people are not paying attention due to the holidays." [The Record / NorthJersey.com]
CIVICS | A school superintendent in Brunswick, Maine, is suggesting the creation of a new civics and government course in the wake of Donald Trump’s election as president. It’s clear, Superintendent Paul Perzanoski wrote in a Dec. 12 letter to parents and staff, “we as a nation can no longer be apathetic about our attention to the politics of the United States and we must have faith in the checks and balances of our government’s structure.” [Bangor Daily News]
CASINOS | Tribal gaming is coming to South Bend, Indiana in the form of the Four Winds casino, the first of its kind, but 13 existing casinos with their declining revenues aren’t thrilled. Those casinos are obligated to pay a 30 cents-on-the-dollar tax tribal casinos won’t be and project $800 million in lost revenue in Four Winds’ first five years. [Lockport Union-Sun & Journal]
WILDLIFE | A Colorado Parks and Wildlife proposal to kill mountain lions and bears to protect declining deer populations is facing criticism from conservationists and scientists. [The Denver Post]
EXTORTION | Chicago Alderman Willie Cochran was indicted on charges he extorted money from a liquor store owner and gambled with government funds he also used to cover his daughter’s college tuition. His 15 counts equal a possible 280 years in prison. The former police officer abruptly left the meeting upon learning the news. [DNAInfo Chicago; Associated Press]
BRIBERY | Norfolk, Virginia’s City Council wants Treasurer Anthony Burfoot to resign now that he’s been convicted of taking bribes from businessmen in exchange for votes as a councilman. Unfortunately, he’s currently an independently elected official who can remain in office while he appeals. Burfoot faces the possibility of prison time if he’s sentenced. [The Virginian-Pilot]
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