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Supreme Court Decision to Limit Contraception Coverage angers legislators
THURSDAY, july 3 - juLY 9, 2014
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Volume 2, No. 26
Celebrate the 4th on this 236th Birthday of the USA
Milestone ruling: Cellphone searches without warrants are now illegal
By shel segal The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Burwell, determining that some corporations with religious objections may deny its employees contraception coverage guaranteed to them under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Both Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties claim that the contraception benefit provision violates the religious beliefs of their owners. Rep. Chu released the following statement: “The Court’s ruling is both disappointing and out of touch with reality,” said Rep. Chu. “With 99 percent of women using contraception at some point in their lives, contraception has become essential health care. However, a panel of five men decided Please see page 4
-Photo by Terry Miller
By shel segal As the nation prepares to celebrate its 236th birthday, here is a list of patriotic ways San Gabriel Valley residents can commemorate the day: The largest area festival takes place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and is
known as AmericaFest. The festival starts outside the stadium at 2 p.m. At 7 p.m. the crowd inside the stadium is treated to motorcycle stunts and the Beatle tribute band known as “Liverpool Legend, Beatle Experience.
Glendora Chamber of Commerce Welcomes New Wells Fargo Bank
(Pictured from left: Raphael Henderson, North Hills Wells Fargo vice president; Anthony Portantino, former Assemblymember; Joe Santoro past Glendora Mayor; Anthony Martinez, Glendora Wells Fargo store manager; Judy Nelson, Glendora Mayor; and Darryl Montgomery Eastern Gateway Wells Fargo Area President at the Glendora ribbon cutting event) -Courtesy Photo
Nearly 40 members of the Glendora business community gathered in support of the new Wells Fargo location at 625 South Lone Hill Avenue, Glendora Calif., 91740. Attending the ribbon cutting event were elected officials and other prominent members of the community, including Glendora Mayor Judy Nelson, former Glendora Mayor Joe Santoro, former assemblymember Anthony Portantino, and representative Brian Mejia, from Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael AntoPlease see page 4
Tickets range from $17 to $34. Please call (626) 577-3100 or log onto www.rosebowlstadium. com/events for more information. In Sierra Madre, you can attend the town’s annual Fourth of July parade
and see all the festivities – such as being squirted with water and watching the aging lone belly dancer make her way down the street – all while showing your colors are red, white and blue. Please see page 4
On Wednesday, June 25, the Supreme Court ruled cellphone searches without warrants to be illegal. The unanimous 9-0 decision involved the cases Riley v. California, 13132 and U.S. v. Wurie, 13212. Riley’s sophisticated smart phone and Wuris’ basic flip phone had been searched by police without a court-issued warrant. The court ruled police’s investigation practices in both cases to be unconstitutional because they violated the Fourth Amendment. The evidence on both phones led law enforcement to discover crimes. Please see page 3
Lower Excise Tax Rate on Gasoline Now in Effect Sacramento – With the Fourth of July holiday on its way and summertime road trips on the minds of many California drivers, the California State Board of Equalization (BOE) announced today that starting July 1, 2014, the excise tax rate on gasoline will go down to $0.36 per gallon. The new rate of $0.36 – down from $0.395 – was reached after the Board voted unanimously at its February 2014 meeting to lower the rate for the 20142015 fiscal year, which
ends June 30, 2015. While Californians will be paying less in state excise tax at the pump starting July 1, that doesn’t necessarily mean it will translate into lower gasoline prices. Other factors, such as world crude oil prices, also affect California’s gasoline prices. “I wish we could lower the excise tax rate on gasoline even more, and that it would result in a corresponding decrease in gas prices,” said BOE Chairman Jerome E. Horton. “But the adjustments, autho-
rized by the Legislature and administered by the Board of Equalization, are mandated to be revenue neutral, and historically have shown little impact on the overall price consumers pay at the pump.” The adjustment of the excise tax on gasoline stems from laws enacted in 2010 known as the “fuel tax swap” (AB x8 6 and SB 70). The swap requires revenue neutrality, meaning motorists pay no more or less state tax on gasoline purchases Please see page 3