In the News

Farmers’ Markets Feature Strawberries, Basil, and Sen. Jerry Hill

June 18, 2013

San Carlos Patch: Senator Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo County/Santa Clara County, will hold “mobile office hours” at farmers’ markets on the Peninsula and in Silicon Valley this summer, including one at Hot Harvest Nights in San Carlos on July 18.

CPUC's Top Lawyer Blasted by Staff During, and After, Keynote Speech

June 18, 2013

The Recorder: For the first time in more than a decade, the California Public Utilities Commission is hosting the three-day annual meeting of the National Conference of Regulatory Attorneys in San Francisco. And attendees got more than they bargained for on Monday.

Limo Fires Spur Safety Bills

June 16, 2013

The Sacaramento Bee: State lawmakers are proposing new safety requirements for limousines after two recent incidents in which limos in Northern California caught fire.

San Bruno Explosion: State Regulatory Attorney Says He Didn't Quit PG&E Case

June 15, 2013

San Mateo County Times: Disputing a previous official explanation, a top regulatory attorney said Friday that he and two colleagues never asked to be taken off a legal team working to determine PG&E's role in the deadly 2010 San Bruno explosion.

Call Kurtis Investigates: Who’s Making Sure Limos Are Safe?

June 14, 2013

CBS Sacramento: After two limo fires and our own investigation catching a driver breaking the law, we ask, who’s keeping an eye on the industry?

Burned Out Limo Towed Away

June 14, 2013

KRON: Nearly a week after a limousine fire scared several women celebrating a friend’s 90th birthday, there’s still no official investigation into the incident and a State Senator wants to know why.

EDITORIAL: Reforming Enterprise Zones Should Be California Priority

June 13, 2013

Fresno Bee: California taxpayers should not be expected to subsidize card rooms and strip joints, legal though these businesses are.

Dan Morain: Even After Gas Blast, PUC Has Other Priorities

June 12, 2013

The Sacramento Bee: Talk about mission creep. The California Public Utilities Commission was created by a citizen initiative in 1911 to regulate railroads. In 1912, it began regulating public utilities, such as the Pacific Gas and Electric Co. As residents of San Bruno and Rancho Cordova know, the commission's record of overseeing utilities' natural gas pipelines is less than stellar.

Mercury News Editorial: PG&E Secrecy, PUC Complicity Leave Public in the Dark

June 11, 2013

Mercury News: Last week brought yet more evidence that the California Legislature needs to remind the Public Utilities Commission that it works for the people. The regulatory agency continues to act as PG&E's guardian, keeping taxpayers and ratepayers in the dark while the utility rakes in hundreds of millions of their dollars -- and does who-knows-what with them.

90-Year-Old Birthday Girl Escapes Limo Fire

June 11, 2013

NBC Bay Area: A Northern California woman celebrating her 90th birthday almost didn't make it to her party on Sunday morning, after the limousine she and her friends were taking burst into smoke and flames.