The California Health and Human Services Agency has launched its Open Data Portal (https://chhs.data.ca.gov/) to make access to non-confidential data collected by CHHS departments user-friendly. The Open Data Portal’s goals are to spark innovation, promote research and economic opportunities, engage public participation in government, increase transparency and inform decision-making. “Open Data” describes data freely available,…

A state budget for fiscal year 2015-16, which starts July 1, was enacted Friday, June 19, after a week of negotiations between Gov. Jerry Brown and the state legislative leaders. On Monday, June 15, the Legislature passed a budget that was substantially more than Brown proposed in May. With this action, the Legislature met is…

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors is being asked to support Assembly Bill 203, which would extend the 30-day payment deadline for the State Fire Prevention Fee to 60 days. The sponsor, Assemblyman Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear Lake), argues that many people who must pay the fee live in rural areas and are on limited…

In response to Riverside County Executive Officer Jay Orr’s initial warning in February about a threatening $100-million deficit for fiscal year 2016-17, which starts July 1, Supervisor Marian Ashley (5th District) offered a 16-point p lan to his colleagues. Its purpose was to find ways to bridge the deficit problems until the CEO and board…