Federal health care reform, portions of it already in place in California, is proceeding apace and people got their first look at some of their coverage options.
From Daniel Weintraub in HealthyCal: "California consumers got their first glimpse Wednesday at the insurance coverage that will be available later this year when the state implements the federal health reform known as the Affordable Care Act."
"The benefit plans and the first-year cost to consumers who will be eligible for federal subsidies were unveiled by Covered California, the agency in charge of implementing the new federal law, which Congress and President Obama adopted nearly three years ago and the US Supreme Court upheld last summer."
"The state is not yet able to say what the total cost of the plans will be, including the portion that will be footed by taxpayers in the form of subsidies and by small business, if they choose to shop on the new online exchange on behalf of their workers. Those numbers will come later, once insurance plans put together their networks of doctors, hospitals and labs and tell the state how much they expect to charge."
A Northern California man was arrested on weapons and explosives charges, and is being held in connection with a threat against a lawmaker who has authored gun-control legislation.
From the AP's Don Thompson: "Everett Basham, 45, was being held without bail in Santa Clara County Jail on suspicion of threatening a public official and possessing a concealed firearm. It was not clear if he had retained an attorney."
"Adam Keigwin, a spokesman for Democratic Sen. Leland Yee of San Francisco, said Yee was the senator who received the threat and it was passed on to the California Highway Patrol. He said Yee isn't commenting at the request of the CHP."
"They need more time to investigate and we want to give them more time," Keigwin said. But Keigwin said in an email late Wednesday to The Associated Press the threat to Yee was made in response to his legislative efforts to end gun violence."
When it comes to cracking down on assault weapons, there's a big loophole in the state's law -- the deadly guns legally can be owned by ex-law enforcement officers.
From the Chronicle's Wyatt Buchanan: "The case of fired Los Angeles police Officer Christopher Dorner highlights a significant exemption in California's assault weapons ban: Law enforcement officers can purchase high-powered weapons that the general public is forbidden to possess, and they can keep them if they retire or are dismissed from the force."
"The exemption in the state's stringent gun laws is one few lawmakers are likely to challenge, even as state leaders are pushing a wide array of bills to further restrict gun ownership and use."
"Taking on the issue would mean challenging the politically powerful police lobby and could set up a scenario where the state mandates the removal of guns from the possession of former public safety officials."
The front-runner among those seeking to head the California Republican Party says the party is deeply in debt -- more so, in fact, than has been widely believed.
From the Bee's Torey Van Oot: "The former GOP Senate leader, who is expected to take helm of the embattled party next month, said Wednesday that the CRP is between $500,000 and $800,000 in the red, a figure he says could vary based on the potential for legal battles with former vendors."
"This is more like a bankruptcy workout," Brulte said of setting up party infrastructure as chairman. "First of all you have to pay off your debt, hopefully while you're doing programs simultaneously. We have to increase our income and reduce our expenses, that's just prudent."
"Brulte's estimate, which he said was based on briefings he's received, suggests a much more dire financial situation than the one depicted by the party's latest campaign finance filings, which showed its primary committee inching back into the black after a difficult year. Anemic fundraising and cash issues forced the party to lay off staff months
before the November election because of cash issues. It now employs just three full-time staff members, two of whom work out of their homes."
California-licensed insurers are backing off from investining in companies doing business with Iran, and Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is claiming some credit.
From the LAT's Marc Lifsher: "California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones is declaring a big success his department's 4-year-old program to pressure state-licensed insurance companies to stop investing in multinational firms that do business in Iran."
"Just eight of a total of 1,300 licensed insurers continue to invest in foreign-owned companies that are involved in the military, energy or nuclear sectors of the economy of the Islamic republic, he said. The State Department identifies the Middle Eastern nation as a state sponsor of terrorism."
"Topping Jones' list, unveiled at a news conference in Los Angeles on Wednesday, was California's biggest private auto liability insurer: State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. According to the department, State Farm collected $1.5 billion in premiums in California in 2011, accounting for 13.4% of the market."
