Results tagged “bills”

Although the legislature last week approved two bills meant to help California obtain 33 percent renewable energy by 2020--a goal provided in legislation from 2006--Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced that he will instead sign an executive order mandating the same goal that will use different methods.

A Superior Court tentative ruling last week says that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power must pay back $30 million to customers after violating Prop 218, which says "the state Constitution bars municipal utilities from overcharging ratepayers for water and then using the surplus to pay for other city programs," according to the LA Times. The LADWP has been taking money and moving it to the city's general fund, which pays for various programs such as streets and police. If the ruling becomes final, the department will have to give customers refunds or credits on future bills.

The Department of Water & Power yesterday voted to approve new water rates that will go into effect June 1st unless blocked by city council. "Customers will have to use less water to stay within a base rate. If they already are well within that range -- as many low-income customers are -- their bills should not rise," reported the LA Times. "Charges in a second tier above that base level will jump 44% under the plan. Higher overall summer rates will remain in effect year-round." Outdoor sprinkler usage will also be limited to two days a week instead of four. In the last 18 months, the city's water usage has decreased by 5% but officials predict a 12% water shortage later this year.

November's Prop 2 passed, essentially according rights to chickens--a fact pecked upon by 'No on 8' supporters in protest signs and chants in the election aftermath. Well, give a chicken an inch, and the whole animal kingdom is poised to take their mile, thanks to state lawmakers and the be-feathered or be-furred bills that are heading to Sacramento for approval.

Good news for anyone whose home was destroyed or damaged by last weekend's wildfires who also happens to be a Southern California Edison (SCE) customer: You don't have to pay your current bill. According to CalFire's blog, those customers "will not have to pay for electricity used since the last bill they received at those damaged residences," and that SCE is "offering payment arrangements for those who were indirectly affected by the fires, such as customers who lost business income." An SCE Customer Service rep expressed sympathy on behalf of the company to all those who were affected, and gave out phone numbers to help direct inquiries regarding bill forgiveness--(800) 250-7339--and payment arrangement--(800) 950-2356. Crews are still working in some areas to restore full service.

Don't worry (yet), the DWP's overcharging scandal only involves governmental customers such as Metro, LA County and LA Unified School District. “The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power had been imposing illegal and unjustified overcharges on their governmental customers for several years,” said Attorney General Brown in a statement. “The L.A. school district and the other governmental agencies desperately need every available dollar in these hard economic times.” A total of $160 million will be refunded to the agencies.

Schwarzenegger has been signing and vetoing bills all week and has until the end of the day today to finish. Among the bills passed was the transportation sales tax increase proposal on to LA County's ballot and forcing fast food and chain restaurants to post calorie information. Of the bills vetoed, six of them were voter related, something Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who is the state's head election official, is not happy with.

We all get behind in paying bills every once in awhile. But can you imagine around 80,000 unpaid bills laying around the house? That's what California has because the state budget has still not been finished. Tomorrow, day 85 into the fiscal year, Gov. Schwarzenegger will sign the budget putting to rest the madness that has occurred since July 1. The state will spend about $3.6 billion paying some of those bills within two days of the budget's signing.

Today, the LA City Council will be voting to endorse two federal bills. It's only symbolic in nature for the city to do so, but it helps when the bills hit the House and Senate or the differences committees.

In order to get the State Legislature to pass the budget, which was due by July 1st, Schwarzenegger threatened to veto any bill that came across his desk until it passed. But that meant he would have to veto bills that he supported like the bill to update the High Speed Rail proposition (SF to LA in under 3 hours) or his water bond bill. Then today he reversed course... for his pet bills, of course. For those following the Metro sales tax story, Streetsblog LA has some hope that the bill that would allow voters to approve or deny public transit funding will be signed.

This map shows summer average daily temperatures for the microclimates of the City of Los Angeles and was performed by the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at UCLA. The two temperature zones were based on average temperatures less (orange) or greater (red) than 80 degrees.

As reported earlier today, the LA City Council was set to vote and approve rate hikes for the Department of Water and Power over the next four years. Now that all is said and done, the council approved the increases. Rick Orlov of the Daily News blogged updates throughout the meeting with some great talking points:

Today, the city council is doing their second round of approval for the DWP rate hikes. And while politicians have spun it saying it will only go up a little by stating facts within certain contexts, the LA Times today did the math: "electricity bills will go up at least 23% over a four-year period, thanks to the Department of Water and Power's decision to ask ratepayers to absorb the higher cost of natural gas and the switch to other environmentally friendly forms of energy."