State Sen. Mark Leno’s reasonable proposal to let cities extend their bar hours until 4 a.m. was killed without even making it out of committee. His critics had levied dire warnings about waves of drunkards all hitting the streets at 4 a.m. But that’s precisely what Leno’s proposal would help prevent.
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In early February, state Sen. Mark Leno of San Francisco quietly opened a campaign account called Mark Leno for Lieutenant Governor 2018. He told me he wouldn’t run when the position is next up for election in 2014 because he plans to serve out his current and final term as state senator, which ends in 2016.
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The last call for drinks is 2 a.m. in California, but one lawmaker believes that's just too early to set down the shot glasses and beer steins.State Sen. Mark Leno's proposal to let the liquor flow until 4 a.m. as a way to draw more tourists — and with them more revenue and jobs — is already spawning a sharp debate from Sacramento to watering holes in San Francisco and Los Angeles.
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Extending the hours during which alcohol could be sold makes sense in a city like San Francisco, which has a dynamic and diverse nightlife scene that draws people from around the Bay Area, country and world.
But state Sen. Mark Leno’s legislation to allow municipalities to decide whether they want to extend the current alcohol-sales cutoff time from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. instantly created opposing sides and nothing in between.
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State Sen. Mark Leno is on a tear against gun violence. While he was never exactly pro-gun, he’s using his final term in Sacramento to spearhead a number of initiatives.
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The “war on drugs” is one of the greatest ongoing governmental failures of our lifetime. This policy with roots in the Nixon administration has swollen U.S. prison populations without decreasing criminal activity. It is long past time to reform the prosecution and sentencing of low-level drug offenses.
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It was heartening to hear Gov. Jerry Brown talk about fiscal prudence at his State of the State speech Thursday. Lawmakers, he said, must be committed to “living within our means and not spending what we don’t have.” No standing ovation for that one.
Later, he singled out higher education for protection, insisting, “Tuition increases are not the answer. I will not let the students become the default financiers of our colleges and universities.”
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In 2012, a secretive group out of Arizona made the largest anonymous political donation in recent California history when it funneled $11 million into an effort to defeat Proposition 30, a tax measure backed by Gov. Jerry Brown. The group, Americans for Responsible Leadership, also spent money trying to encourage voters to pass Proposition 32, which would have limited unions’ political fundraising.
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When I was in high school, both of my older brothers played soccer. To kill time after school while they practiced, I became the “soccer manager.” This was a strange title, because I didn’t “manage” anything or anyone. All I did was fill Gatorade bottles and make sure the equipment was on the bus.
This experience reminds me of the presidency of the Board of Supervisors. Because being the president of the board comes with about as much authority as being the soccer manager.
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With the new year comes the new laws. Here are some of those going into effect in 2013.
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