To say Sacramento’s attention to Inland needs is overdue is an understatement. For years this area has been a political afterthought.
So special kudos to the lawmakers for including in their $213 billion budget a few million dollars so UC Riverside’s medical school can expand and the Inland area can get more judges.
Money to expand UC Riverside’s medical school and add new judges is part of the new California budget approved Thursday, June 13, by lawmakers in Sacramento.
The $215 billion spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1 authorizes expansion funding for the school, likely in the neighborhood of $80 million to $100 million once design work is done. Ongoing support for the bigger school will be determined later.
When Inland Empire Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes toured the terminal at the San Bernardino International Airport on a recent Friday, her focus wasn't on the former airbase's struggles to attract commercial carriers and return the area to the economic prosperity of decades past. Her focus was on the region's future, and for a moment, female high school students and lip balm.
The effort to bring a University of California law school to Riverside County is on hold for 2019 after an Inland Assemblywoman’s bill faltered in Sacramento.
Meanwhile, the state Senate on Wednesday passed legislation backed by several Inland lawmakers to fund an expansion of UC Riverside’s School of Medicine. Sponsored by state Sen. Richard Roth, D-Riverside, SB 56 passed 38-0, and now moves to the Assembly. If funding gets final approval the goal would be to double the number of medical school graduates over a five-year period.
Ride sharers soon will be able to jump in and out of the carpool lanes at any point on the 91 Freeway from downtown Riverside to east Corona.
Before too long, even those who travel alone may get the green light to drive in carpool lanes on Riverside County freeways — in between rush-hours. But not so fast.
First, Caltrans has to do a study to see if it would make sense to open the special lanes to all traffic at less-busy hours, as is done on the 60 Freeway in Moreno Valley and widely across Northern California.
Hoping to stave off “a public health crisis” from afflicting the Inland Empire, Riverside’s delegation to Sacramento wants tens of millions of dollars in state funding so UC Riverside’s medical school can double its enrollment.
It soon will be easier to get in and out of the carpool lanes on the 91 Freeway in Riverside County.
Beginning in 2019, carpool lanes on the arterial freeway – with the exception of toll lanes – will gradually go from “limited access” to continuous access, the office of Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside, announced Wednesday, Sept. 19. That means you’ll be able to enter and exit the 91’s HOV lanes at any point, not just where the yellow lines break.
Norco College plans to use $6 million in state dollars to build a childcare center for veterans’ families and a workforce development center.
The $6 million allocation, advocated by Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside, was included in the state budget adopted earlier this month, a college news release states.
The pressure to match competitors’ pay has contributed to more than 28,000 public executives in California bringing home more salary than the state’s governor, who makes $195,803 a year. That includes city managers — responsible for implementing elected officials’ policy decisions and running cities day-to-day — and many police and fire chiefs, heads of county departments and public university officials.
The portion of each of those salaries that exceeds the governor’s pay costs taxpayers $1.8 billion a year, said Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes, D-Riverside.
Norco College President, Bryan Reece is hosting the inaugural Dinner with the President on Thursday, April 19 at 5:30 pm at SilverLakes in Norco. The evening will consist of recognition, vision for Norco College and plans to increase student veterans, expand veteran resources, and provide access to veterans across the region.
A President’s Award for Excellence will be presented to Assemblywoman Sabrina Cervantes for her commitment to Norco College and the Veterans Education Program.