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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The enthusiasm both parties say exists in the electorate hasn't yet translated into early voting in California, where the percentage of people who have voted so far is similar to this time four years ago.Voters who are Republican, white and older are sending in their ballots early at a higher rate, which is typical in California elections, said Paul Mitchell of Political Data Inc., a firm that collects voter data from the counties.About 570,000 Californians had cast ballots as of early Monday. That's about 100,000 more than voted at this point in the 2014 election. About 12.5 million people received mail-in ballots, compared to 9.2 million four years ago.RELATED: What you need to know about voting this NovemberThe early numbers are just a fraction of the total voters expected to cast ballots by mail. California voters can send in their ballots through Election Day, on Nov. 6, and ballots are counted as long as they are received by the Friday after the election.In 2014 roughly 4.5 million people cast mail ballots."Right now it's hard to tell exactly how much we're measuring enthusiasm and how much we're measuring changes in the mechanics of the elections," Mitchell said.Monday is the deadline to register to vote, although people can register conditionally through Election Day. Their ballots will be treated like provisional ballots that are counted after the voter information is verified.Statewide, Republicans count for just a quarter of registered voters. But they make up 34 percent of early voters.RELATED: See your sample ballot for the November 2018 electionEighty percent of already returned mail ballots are from voters older than 50, even though they make up only about half of the electorate.Democrats need strong turnout to win U.S. House seats in Orange County and the Central Valley that have long been held by Republicans. They're banking on increased enthusiasm among voters angry at President Donald Trump or concerned about issues such as health care and immigration to drive turnout."For Democrats to win these competitive congressional races they need atypical," Mitchell said.Drew Godinich, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said Latinos and young voters are "outpacing expectations" in key districts and that it's too early to jump to conclusions about turnout."In these tight races, every vote counts — and Democrats have been organizing since last year to turn out our voters in these crucial midterms," he said in a statement.More than 19 million people registered to vote as of early September, a record in a California gubernatorial election.Mitchell predicts a 56 percent voter turnout. That would be higher than the 2014 election but lower than 2010. 2774

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A former Democratic California lawmaker was fined 0,000 Thursday after an audit found he spent political contributions on a vacation in Asia, personal plane tickets and remodeling his vacation home in Hawaii.The Mercury News of San Jose reports that the Fair Political Practices Commission found Joe Canciamilla violated campaign finance laws at least 30 times, used 0,529 in campaign funds from 2011 to 2015, and falsified state filings to cover it up.Canciamilla, 64, resigned as Contra Costa elections chief last month. He was the youngest public official in state history when he was elected at age 17 to the Pittsburg school board. He later served on the Pittsburg City Council and Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors before winning three terms in the state Assembly as Democrat in 2000.He opened a campaign account for a county judge seat in 2011 but ultimately did not run. He was appointed clerk-recorder in 2013 and won election to the office twice.An investigation by the commission’s enforcement staff found that Canciamilla repeatedly mixed campaign contributions with his personal funds starting in 2011. He spent ,000 from campaign funds on a vacation to Asia and bought plane tickets for a trip to London and Washington, D.C. for him and his spouse and used campaign money to pay off credit card charges incurred from remodeling his house in Hawaii.The commission’s enforcement staff recommended a maximum fine of ,000 per count, or a total of 0,000 for 30 counts. Canciamilla agreed to the settlement earlier this month, which the commission formally approved Thursday.Canciamilla’s lawyer Andy Rockas said in a statement that Canciamilla has paid back the disputed amounts and the fine, takes full responsibility for his actions and hopes the fines won’t severely overshadow his 46 years of public service.The commission has also referred the matter to the county district attorney’s office, which is conducting a review and could bring criminal charges. 2024

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A ballot initiative led by business giants Uber, Lyft and Doordash is now set to go before California voters in November. It is a multimillion-dollar attempt to shield app-based drivers in the state from a labor law, known as AB5, that makes companies give more benefits and wage protections to their workers. California approved the labor law last year, the strictest in the country on when employers can classify workers as independent contractors. The law, while praised by many labor groups, set off lawsuits from independent contractors who said it put them out of work.All three companies plan to spend at least million each promoting the measure to keep their drivers as independent contractors. “At a time when California’s economy is in crisis with 4 million people out of work, we need to make it easier, not harder, for people to quickly start earning,” a statement from Uber said.The result could set a national precedent if successful. 986

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — As the political battle to overturn California's gas tax increase intensified, the state transportation agency coordinated frequently with the public affairs firm working to block the repeal on behalf of unions, construction companies and local government groups, emails obtained by The Associated Press show.The California State Transportation Agency and Sacramento-based Bicker, Castillo & Fairbanks organized news conferences and other efforts to promote legislation to raise the tax to fund road and bridge repairs, which passed the Legislature in April 2017. After Gov. Jerry Brown signed it, the agency and firm continued planning events and coordinating social media posts as opponents gathered signatures for repeal.Three ethics experts interviewed by the AP said the emails raise concerns that the agency's relationship with the firm was too close, but none saw a clear violation of campaign laws, which prohibit the use of public resources for political campaigns.REPORT: Gas tax funds reportedly being used to campaign against Prop 6The repeal qualified for the November ballot in June. The firm, BCF, continues to work for the anti-repeal coalition, which includes the League of California Cities and the California Chamber of Commerce.Some communications between BCF and the state agency involved politics, according to more than 200 emails from 2017 and the first half of this year obtained by the AP through the California Public Records Act.Last fall, the agency and firm discussed opinion pieces "targeting" U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa and three other vulnerable Republicans in Congress. National Democratic leaders see those seats as key to winning control of the U.S. House.RELATED: Caltrans' gas tax freeway signs raise concerns with FedsIn January, a BCF partner, Kathy Fairbanks, communicated with the agency about designing a campaign logo for Proposition 69, a June ballot measure involving how gas tax proceeds are spent. And an undated memo shows the agency and firm also planned to coordinate efforts for several months through the primary.Loyola Law School Professor and government ethics expert Jessica Levinson said the relationship between the firm and agency appears too close, and the exchange about the congressmen crossed an ethical line.RELATED: California campaign watchdog investigates gas tax campaign"I mean way over the line," she said.BCF and agency officials said the communications were appropriate to educate the public about the law and that they ramped down coordination when the firm took an official campaign role."Clearly the agency was trying to coordinate with the campaign, and they shouldn't have," said Bob Stern, a government ethics expert who helped write California's campaign laws. But he added the actual amount of time government workers spent coordinating with the firm was likely minimal.Ann Ravel, who served on the Federal Election Commission and California's Fair Political Practices Commission, said the volume of emails raises questions about whether the agency aided one side.RELATED: Poll: Support strong for Proposition 6, which repeals California's gas tax"It seems like maybe it's a little too cozy, but I wouldn't say that it's clearly inappropriate," Ravel said.The legislation approved last year raised gas taxes by 12 cents per gallon and added diesel and vehicle fees to generate billion annually. Proposition 6 would repeal the increase and require voters approve gas and vehicle tax increases.The ballot measure is a centerpiece of California Republicans' efforts to boost turnout. GOP Congress members — including House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield and Orange County's Mimi Walters — are among the repeal's biggest financial backers.Leaders of the repeal campaign have asked the federal government to investigate their claims that public resources have been used against them, based on emails and other documents that show local government workers discussing the repeal effort. Those documents are different from the ones the AP obtained. Opponents also circulated a video of a Caltrans contractor passing out anti-Proposition 6 fliers to drivers.The California Department of Transportation, known as Caltrans, falls under the state transportation agency.Melissa Figueroa, the agency's deputy secretary for communications and strategic planning, said it's the agency's job to inform the public about the impact of laws, and it has done so in the past, including for California's "motor voter" registration law."We're trying to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars," Figueroa said.The agency communicated much less frequently with the firm and stopped coordinating social media posts once the official anti-Proposition 6 campaign started, Figueroa said."Prior to that point, it was more of a collaborative effort because they were not in campaign mode," Figueroa said.BCF partner Brandon Castillo said the coalition registered as a fundraising committee in December and officially became a ballot measure campaign in March to support Proposition 69.BCF and other gas tax supporters routinely asked the agency for information, but they did not coordinate on creating campaign materials, Figueroa said. The agency also fulfilled numerous public records requests filed by gas tax opponents, she said.However, an undated memo outlining agency and coalition plans from March through the primary election shows the firm and the agency coordinated the timing of announcements and events. It details plans for the state to tout new construction projects while the coalition campaigned for Proposition 69.The agency and coalition coordinated their schedules, but the agency wasn't involved in campaigning for Proposition 69, Figueroa said.Castillo sent the email about op-eds focused on GOP candidates Sept. 20, 2017."Hey Melissa — We're penning opeds (sic) targeting the following congressional republicans," he wrote. He identified Reps. Jeff Denham, Steve Knight, Walters and Issa and asked Figueroa for information about projects funded by the gas tax increase in their districts.At the time, the coalition was working to persuade California's influential Republican congressional delegates to reject the repeal.Several days after Castillo's email, Figueroa suggested she or Brian Kelly, then the agency's leader, help find an author for the piece targeting Issa, considered the most vulnerable California incumbent before he decided against seeking re-election.Castillo responded saying coalition members were working on it and asked: "Do you have anyone in mind that could influence Republicans/Issa?"The documents obtained by the AP don't include further exchanges on the issue. In interviews, Castillo and Figueroa said the agency never suggested an author. Figueroa said she offered help because the op-ed would educate people in Issa's district.The piece ultimately was written by the mayor of Encinitas, a suburb north of San Diego, and ran the following month in the San Diego Union-Tribune. It touted projects in the district funded by the gas tax increase but didn't mention Issa.Levinson found the exchange surprising because it seemed to directly reference campaign activities."I don't want to say it's a smoking gun, but that is so much more explicit than I ever would have predicted they would be," she said.Prominent gas tax repeal supporters, including gubernatorial candidate John Cox and conservative activist Carl DeMaio, criticized the agency's activity."It's against the law, and it also shows that you can't trust them with money," DeMaio said. "I think that what you're seeing is just the tip of the iceberg." 7732

Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted Thursday of new weaponry that will render NATO defenses "completely useless" -- and delivered a warning to the world about Russia's resurgent military might.In an annual address to the Russian parliament, the Kremlin leader said Russia had developed a new, nuclear-capable cruise missile with "unlimited" range that is capable of eluding air-defense systems.He also said Russia had developed an "invincible" missile that can deliver a warhead at hypersonic speed.Putin is running for reelection in mid-March on a platform that emphasizes his strength as a leader. And Thursday's speech was an occasion for the Russian President to showcase his country's strides in military technology."Russia still has the greatest nuclear potential in the world, but nobody listened to us," he said. "Listen now."One new development: The creation of a low-flying cruise missile capable of stealthy operation. Putin said the missile would be nuclear-powered and showed a video simulating its flight."Since the range is unlimited, it can maneuver as much as necessary," Putin said.Another military development, Putin said, was a weapon capable of flying "like a meteorite" at several times the speed of sound."It will be practically invulnerable," he said. "The speed will be hypersonic."Putin has long fumed over the decision of President George W. Bush to withdraw from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and deploy missile defenses. In his remarks, the Russian president said Moscow's new arsenal had been developed in response to Washington's moves."We are creating state-of-the-art systems for Russia's strategic weapons in response to the unilateral US withdrawal from the ABM Treaty," Putin said.Putin said Russia has developed other new weaponry, including unmanned underwater vehicles capable of moving at great speeds. The Russian President also responded to the Trump administration's recent Nuclear Posture Review, which calls for enhancing the flexibility of the US nuclear deterrent.The US review is "of great concern," Putin said, asserting that it potentially lowers the bar for the use of nuclear weapons.The United States remains the world's largest military spender. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the US outspends Russia by a factor of around 10, according to its latest figures online.Russia's foreign policy has been much muscular in recent years, however. Putin deployed his air force to Syria in the autumn of 2015 to back the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, turning the tide of war in favor of the regime. Russia's Syria intervention has also become an occasion for Russia to showcase some of its latest conventional weaponry, including new aircraft.But in his remarks, Putin maintained that Russia's military posture is purely defensive in nature."We've never had an intention of attacking anybody," he said. "Russia will only retaliate if it is attacked."Russia remains "interested in normal constructive relationship with the EU and America," he added.  3070