September
In an event in San Francisco attended by several lawmakers, Governor Jerry Brown signed into law 15 bills meant to tackle the most serious parts of California’s housing crisis.
Brown said housing is one of the most pressing issues that California has failed to rise to, he added that rising to it is one of the biggest achievements made in the state.
California lawmakers closed house business for the year. In the final 48 years, they debated and decided hundreds of bills to address pressing issues including housing problems and illegal immigration.
Assembly and Senate leaders congratulated the legislature for doing great work. The legislature has two-year sessions and this was the first one. After the closure, the lawmakers returned to their home districts for rest until they will be required in Sacramento come January.
United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office.
This event caught the attraction of individuals from California and beyond. Although the rocket launched late in the night, several people stayed awake late into the night to take photos and video that they shared on social media.
October
Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation requiring farm labor employees to train workers on ways of preventing and reporting sexual assault. This move was a response to a PBS Frontline Investigation in 2013 which concluded that women were at very high risk of being sexually assaulted in California fields.
The law set up a framework for the process and required all farm contractors to provide proof of all their resources and material to the Farm Labor Process when renewing licenses.
Historical wildfires in Northern California destroyed property worth millions of dollars, including 1,500 buildings. There were 10 casualties, over 100 injuries, and approximately 20,000 were evacuated.
As much as firefighters battled the fire to their best, the fire finally spread over eight counties including Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino.
November
Randall Saito, a Hawaii convict locked up in the Hawaii State Hospital escapes to California but was eventually captured and locked by California law enforcers and put inside a cell.
He had been locked in the Hawaii facility for 36 years when he was arrested for stabbing a stranger to death at a shopping store, but due to his mental status, he could not be locked in prison.
California released the long-awaited weed regulations to the public. The regulations were 276 pages long and were made public.
Most of the new pot rules will negatively affect current stoners and growers as they encourage more growers to join the industry. A large scape of operations may mean low quality of the final product.
Gunman randomly opened fire, killing four people at different locations of Northern California. He also attacked Tehama elementary school where he injured one schoolchild.
Authorities recovered two handguns and a semi-automatic rifle. This event happened less than two weeks after another gunman killed 25 people at a Church in Texas.
December
Fire broke out in Southern California causing massive destruction of property. Firefighters failed to control the fire and it spread out to burn at least 230,500 acres. The fire broke out in Venture County and spread into Santa Barbara County.
The fire spread rapidly as it got a boost from strong winds in the area during that time. California Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency.
Rebel Coast Wineries, a Californian winemaker announced it had invented an alcohol-free weed-infused wine that could get people high without bringing hangovers.
They announced that they first brew wine the normal way, then the remove the alcohol content before infusing it with THC from marijuana. However, the product will be available in clubs, online marijuana dispensaries and other weed-friendly spots come January 1, 2018, when recreational marijuana gets legalized.
The Senate voted strictly along party lines to approve drastic changes to US tax code in three decades.
Some of the important changes were slashing the corporate tax from the current rate of 35 percent to 21 percent and lowering the top individual tax rate to 37 percent from the current 39.6 percent. This could impact on large marijuana dispensaries negatively.
Assemblyman, 30year old Sebastian Ridley-Thomas made abrupt resignation citing health reasons.
He said having undergone five surgeries this year, the most recent one on December 18, his physician advised that he takes a lot of rest. His resignation letter didn’t offer any additional details.
Sums up the Story of 2017. Thank you