KRCB News Feed

: Written by: Marc Albert; Published: 07 June 2022

: Written by: Marc Albert; Published: 07 June 2022

Reforms capable of turning the tide on mass shootings are within reach.

That's according to some elected leaders, including North Bay Representative Mike Thompson and gun control advocates who met for an online town hall Monday.

Returning from a two week vacation, Democrats remain hopeful the increase in public pressure won't dissipate before new regulations are approved.

Legislation introduced by Thompson and others Wednesday would bar those under age-21 from buying a semi-automatic rifle, regulate large capacity magazines, straw purchases, bump stocks and ghost guns among other rules.

At the town hall Monday, Thompson said counter-action shouldn't be so controversial or difficult.

"We know background checks work. Every day 160 felons are stopped from buying a gun through a licensed dealer because of background checks. Fifty domestic abusers a day. This is an easy lift. There is no reason in the world why expanded background checks and closing the 'Charleston loophole' are not the law."

In the wake of repeated massacres, Greg Jackson with the Community Justice Action Fund, a national non-profit urging firearms regulation, shared his frustration.

"I'm honestly exhausted, because we've been having these conversations for years, and the real toll has not been our exhaustion, it's frankly the lives that have been lost along the way."

US Senator Chris Murphy, whose office organized the session, has been at the forefront of lawmakers pushing for gun control since the Sandy Hook attack in his home state of Connecticut. He urged concerned citizens to increase pressure.

"If you care about this, do one thing each day and probably it will take five minutes of your day to do that. If everybody that cares about this does one thing a day over the course of the next thirty days, we'll pass a significant, meaningful anti-gun violence bill in the house and senate and president Biden will sign it."

: Written by: Noah Abrams; Published: 06 June 2022

Sonoma State University president Judy Sakaki has announced she's stepping down. Her resignation takes effect on July 31st. Last month, controversy erupted regarding her alleged role in the handling of a sexual harassment case involving her now-estranged husband.

Her resignation comes following a successful vote of no confidence in her leadership by faculty. Many cited a variety of issues with her leadership, not just the scandal involving her husband, as reasoning for the no confidence vote.

In a statement today, Wenda Fong with the CSU Board of Trustees said, “President Sakaki broke the leadership glass ceiling in academia by being the first Japanese American woman to serve as a university president in the United States." Fong said. The trustees thanked Sakaki for her service.

In the statement Sakaki herself said,

"I am living proof of the power of higher education. I look forward to my continued involvement in opening doors and transforming the lives of individuals, families and communities through education." Sakaki said.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the announcement marks the latest fallout from criticism over how California State University investigates and resolves sexual harassment and workforce retaliation complaints at its 23 campuses. That's a controversy that has shaken CSU’s leadership ranks and led its chancellor to step down in February.

: Written by: Noah Abrams; Published: 06 June 2022

Due to drought and wildfire threats, another Sonoma County city is exploring a total ban on the use of fireworks. Around much of Sonoma County and its cities, fireworks are prohibited, even those deemed “safe and sane." The one exception: the city of Cloverdale.

But now the Cloverdale city council has moved to put the issue before voters on the November ballot.

Alex Mog, an attorney for the city, said voter approval of a firework ban would not necessarily jeopardize professional firework shows.

"And if it's passed by the voters would prohibit the sale of safe and sane fireworks in the City of Cloverdale," Mog said. "It would still allow for the large professional scale fireworks done by licensed professional with a permit issued by the city."

Mog noted the council itself could have unilaterally created a ban, and he said putting the issue to a city-wide vote takes it out of the council’s hands.

"If the voters approve a prohibition on safe and sane fireworks, only the voters would be able to remove that prohibition in the future." Mog said.

Councilmember Melanie Bagby decried the decision to put the issue to voters. She said the council should use their authority to act on the issue.

"The difficulty is that we never took back the police powers governing fireworks." Bagby said. "I'm not happy about putting this item on a ballot and spending $15,000 to do what this council gets elected to do."

A fireworks ban now goes before Cloverdale voters in November.