Capitol Basement

By your leave

2013-05-21T14:38:22Z

Employers, under legislation moving through the Assembly, would be prohibited from hassling workers who take advantage of California's family-leave law -- a law that's already on the books and is supposed to be followed.

From the AP's Judy Lin: "The legislation would protect workers who use the California Paid Family Leave insurance program, which allows qualified employees to take up to six weeks off with partial pay. Supporters say nearly 37 percent of workers who needed the leave did not apply for the benefit for fear of being fired, angering their employers or hurting their chances at promotion. They cited a 2011 study by the left-leaning Center for Economic and Policy Research based in Washington, D.C..."

"The leave is part of the State Disability Insurance program, which is funded through employee paycheck deductions."

"Employer groups including the California Chamber of Commerce and the California Restaurant Association oppose the bill. It would transform an employee-paid insurance program meant to replace lost wages into a protected leave of absence, a move that increases costs to all employers, especially small businesses, said Jennifer Barrera, a lobbyist for the chamber."

It's Election Day in Los Angeles, and a two-year campaign is finally coming to an end, with Eric Garcetti ending the race with a shrinking lead over Wendy Greuel. So far the big winner, though, is apathy.

From the LAT Seema Mehta: "The frenzy of activity occurred as spending passed the $33-million mark on Saturday, breaking previous records as unlimited outlays by independent donors and "super PACs" continued to play a dominant role in Tuesday’s contest. In the campaign’s final days, Garcetti vastly outspent Greuel on the airwaves and other campaign efforts, but Greuel had far more support from the outside groups."

"A new poll by the Los Angeles Times and USC showed Garcetti’s lead over Greuel narrowing, and Greuel struggling to secure her San Fernando Valley base, which is viewed as critical to her chances on Tuesday."

"The Los Angeles Times visited mid-Wilshire, the only city neighborhood that has consistently picked a winner in the last six primary and runoff mayoral elections. Greuel and Garcetti both have their supporters there, but many voiced an indifference about the race that has been evident citywide."

Speaking of elections, it's early days yet, but the political landscape in Berkeley already reflects the 2014 elections, as an array of contenders eye Nancy Skinner's seat.

From Capitol Weekly's Nik Bonovich: "Among the candidates, two are African-American, two are women, two are gay and one is Asian and each comes from different communities in the district. Each candidate will try to appeal to their base of voters, but with such a strong field of candidates with crossover bases it will be an all-out battle on campaign tactics, messages, themes and who is best able to represent and deliver to these voters."

“This district one of the handful of districts in the state that are truly progressive,” said potential candidate Sam Kang. “The member must carry the responsibility to push the progressive consciousness in Sacramento. Without that person pushing, the rest of the state will suffer. That’s how influential and critical this district is. People here not only know they are progressive, but love that they are progressive. Whoever is elected here must know how to translate that and have the skills and experience to push that progressive agenda in Sacramento.”

"The likely contenders represent various genders, ethnicities and sexual orientations. All are determined political activists who are proud of the legacy of the district. “If anything, this district is looking for the most progressive candidate and one who is pushing the envelope,” said Parke Skelton, who is currently not involved in the race but was the consultant that elected Nancy Skinner in 2008."

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Assembly GOP Leader Connie Conway, the target of coup rumours just weeks ago, appears firmly in the saddle.

From Capitol Weekly's Jim Cameron: "Two days after Democrats secured 54 of 80 seats in last November’s election, Assembly GOP Leader Connie Conway was re-elected in a unanimous caucus vote and appeared to be secure in her position."

"But whispers of her possible demise as leader surfaced last month as a result of the party’s loss of seats in the election, reportedly coming from the ranks of 10 freshman additions to the Assembly."

"In a lengthy interview, Conway appeared confident as she spoke about her role and future. If she was concerned about a possible coup, it was not apparent."

Newton Russell, an amiable, by-the-book lawmaker who served three decades in the Legislature, has died at the age of 85.

From the Bee's Dan Walters: "Russell, a Republican, was dubbed the "conscience of the Senate" for his frequent admonitions to colleagues about following procedural rules and understanding the details and potential consequences of legislation. He was particularly critical of expanding "peace officer" status to additional blocs of state and local employees that would qualify them for higher pension benefits."

"Russell, an insurance agent by profession, was first elected to the Assembly in 1964 from a Glendale-centered district, and a decade later won a special state Senate election. He retired in 1996. The area he represented was dependably Republican during his career but after his retirement became dominated by Democratic voters and legislators."

"Russell's brother, John, who preceded him in death, was best known as the star of a popular television series, "The Lawman," in the 1960s. Both brothers served in World War II, John in the Marine Corps and Newt in the Navy."

And from our "I've Got That Sinking Feeling" file comes word that a man was swallowed by a sinkhole inside the building where he worked. This is when you need your sense of humor.

"A sinkhole in East Rutherford, N.J., popped up inside a warehouse around 12:30 p.m. Monday and consumed a man and his forklift entirely."

"The forklift operator, identified by The Record as Bronx resident Danny Rodriguez, was taken to a local hospital and treated for a back injury. Emergency personel were on scene to contain the incident, evacuating the building."

"Assistant Fire Chief John Giancaspro told NJ.com that officials are still trying to determine the cause of the estimated 40-by-40-foot sinkhole."

Only in New Jersey ....

Milk run

2013-05-20T14:21:28Z

A fight over whey is under way, with California's dairy farmers pitted against cheese processors.

From the LAT's Marc Lifsher: "It's not Grade A, homogenized, pasteurized milk that's at issue in the state Capitol. Rather, agriculture lobbyists are focused on the price of whey, a milk byproduct probably best known to consumers who've read the Mother Goose nursery rhyme about little Miss Muffet eating her "curds and whey."

"Once thrown away as waste, whey has become a valuable commodity, left over from processing cheese and then used in hundreds of foods, including baby formula and protein powder. Whey has become a profit center for cheese makers that invest in processing equipment."

"Financially distressed dairy owners want a bigger share of the whey windfall. They're asking lawmakers to overhaul the California Department of Food and Agriculture's complex milk-pricing formula. The pricing scheme is the subject of a department administrative hearing set for Monday. California is the only state with its own pricing plan.

The public may want to curb pension costs, but they have to be careful how they do it: A court ruled that an attempt in Pacific Grove was unconstitutional.

From Calpensions' Ed Mendel: "One of the first local ballot measures aimed at cutting public pension costs, a cap on Pacific Grove payments to CalPERS approved by voters three years ago, was ruled unconstitutional by a Monterey County superior court judge last week."

"Judge Thomas Wills ruled Friday that Measure R violated the contract clause of the state constitution, reaffirming the view that pensions promised on the date of hire are a “vested right” that can’t be cut without providing a new benefit of equal value."

"In a tough week for the measure‘s backers, the Pacific Grove city council voted 5-to-0 Wednesday to seek a court ruling on the legality of a follow-up measure to roll back police pensions, rather than put the plan on the ballot as the council did with Measure R."

The non-partisan Legislative Analyst, who advises the Legislature on all things budgetary, gave Gov. Brown some suggestions on how to spend some $1 billion in tax revenue approved by voters. Brown is standing pat.

From the Kimberly Beltran in the Cabinet Report: "Three months ago the typically reserved nonpartisan Legislative Analyst used especially robust language in calling into question a plan from Gov. Jerry Brown to use new corporate tax revenue to improve energy efficiency at K-12 schools and community colleges."

"Last week, the governor released his revised May budget and the only change Brown made to his vision for how the state should distribute Proposition 39 proceeds was to propose giving small districts a minimum grant award rather than allocating money based on each district’s average daily attendance."

"As a result, Brown faces something of a confrontation with the influential LAO as well as a gaggle of legislative leaders who have bills pending that would enact different regulations for how the $1 billion-a-year new revenues should be used."

The LA mayoral campaign is sputtering to a close, with voters heading to the polls this week in what may be low-turnout finish.

From the LAT's James Rainey and Seema Mehta: "A two-year campaign that has drawn record spending will see either the first woman or the first Jew elected as Los Angeles mayor. But despite those milestones, candidates Wendy Greuel and Eric Garcetti sped around the city Sunday trying to avoid another distinction: drawing the lowest turnout for an open mayoral seat in modern history."

"The two candidates reached out to voters in churches, at a pizza parlor and in a bowling alley on a long day of campaigning — their last extended opportunity to connect directly to voters before Tuesday's election. Both focused particularly on African American voters, who polls show have tended to favor Greuel, the city controller, though many remained undecided."

"In a race in which she has had the financial advantage because of massive expenditures by organized labor, Greuel has been fighting to make up the 4 percentage points she trailed Garcetti by when the two emerged from a March primary to become the finalists for mayor. Greuel still lagged 7 percentage points behind City Councilman Garcetti, 48% to 41%, according to a USC Price/Los Angeles Times poll released Saturday night."

As the state's fire season gets under way, it's a good idea to remember just who is out on the front lines -- state prison inmates.

From The Sun's Beatriz E. Valenzuela and Andrew Edwards: "The men had all the right gear, but their uniforms were not the bright yellow many associate with firefighters. Instead theirs were bright orange, a sign all the men on the crew were state inmates working on the frontline of the wildfire."

"We have a lot of the inmate hand crews up there on that fire," said Venture County fire Capt. Dan Horton at the Springs Fire command post. "They have the training, the fortitude and the strength to do this job. And they do a great job. "

"Cal Fire and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation operate 42 adult and two Division of Juvenile Justice conservation camps that house more than 4,000 inmates, according to corrections officials."

And finally from our bulging "Dumb Crooks" file comes the tale of two young guys in Fresno who accidentally dialed 911 with their cell phone -- as they were doing crimes.

"The call, which went to 911, started like any other call to the police dispatcher, with the operator asking, "What is your emergency?" But when no one answered, the operator didn't hang up, instead staying on the line and listening to the pair, who police identified as Nathan Teklemariam and Carson Rinehart, both 20, as they talked about wanting to do drugs. It wasn't long before the conversation turned to breaking into a car."

"Get the bolt and give me the hammer just in case," one of the two voices on the phone said. Shortly after that statement, the dispatcher heard a window shatter and the people on the phone started yelling that they found prescription drugs."

"As the two were driving away, police were already in the area searching for the men based on clues that the 911 dispatcher was feeding to them."

Just another night in Fresno ...

LA story

2013-05-16T15:20:47Z

In the race for mayor in Democrat-rich Los Angeles, contender Wendy Greuel gets smacked in a Spanish-language ad for once being Republican, and a Pete Wilson Republican at that.

From the LAT's Kate Linthicum and Seema Mehta: "The 30-second commercial, which was produced by a "super PAC" backing Greuel's opponent in next week's election, draws links between Greuel and Wilson, the former California governor who pushed a 1994 initiative to block immigrants in the country illegally from accessing state social services."

"The ad splices together photos of Greuel and Wilson and says: "During the anti-immigrant era of Pete Wilson, Wendy Greuel was a Republican."

"The Greuel campaign says the ad is misleading because Greuel, who switched her party affiliation from Republican to Democrat in 1992, "vehemently and publicly opposed" Wilson's initiative."

Among the twists and turns in the governor's budget is a move to have the counties pay for key services from money they save in health care costs.

From the U-T's Michael Gardner: "California’s counties are leery of Gov. Jerry Brown’s budget maneuver to immediately siphon money from local coffers, leaving behind an IOU that would be repaid through savings realized much later..."

"Brown argues that overall counties will save as much as $300 million immediately — and $1.3 billion annually in three years — when thousands of low-income Californians become eligible for subsidized health care starting Jan. 1 under the new federal Affordable Care Act."

"In a complicated move, Brown wants to quickly lower by a like amount state payments to counties for welfare programs, such as CalWORKS and child care. That would force the counties to shift health care savings to pay a bigger share of those programs."

Speaking of the budget, Gov. Brown in unveiling his rewritten budget demanded prudence and restraint, but a number of groups already are challenging him for more money, led by advocates for the poor.

From the Mercury-News' Steve Harmon: "Democratic legislators and liberal advocacy groups signaled Wednesday they are ready to fight to restore safety net programs devastated by years of cuts, a day after Gov. Jerry Brown emphasized a sober economic outlook in a revised budget that leaves little room for improving the lot of the poor."

"Brown vowed to spend within the state's means, proclaiming he is the "backstop" to the "big spending machine" of interest groups and liberal legislators sure to bang on his door for help."

"Brown scaled down hopes with a $96.4 billion budget that was $1.3 billion smaller than he'd proposed in January, saying that federal "sequestration" cuts, lower wages and a hike in Social Security taxes had quelled economic growth."

The state isn't the only one with budget issues: In LA, officials are finding out that they don't know exactly how much money may be tucked away. Sounds like a reprise of the state Parks and Recreation Department.

From KPCC's Alice Walton: "The recent discovery of an extra $43 million in the Department of Transportation's budget shows just how little Los Angeles city leaders know about so-called "special funds," the chair of the Budget and Finance Committee said Wednesday."

"There are between 600 and 700 special revenue funds on the City of L.A.'s books. These funds hold money from grants and taxes that are set aside for specific projects. And in the case of LADOT, sometimes the funds hold city dollars that should be reimbursed back to the General Fund."

"There was a change in management in the Department of Transportation," Councilman Paul Krekorian told KPCC's Take Two. "And there was an early detection around October 2011 that this fund seemed to have more money that it should have in it, so they launched a forensic accounting effort that involved reviewing of 11,000 documents."

As 2014 approaches, it is becoming clearer that the counties are unable to cope with the new influx of patients.

From Alexa Underwood in HealthyCal: "More than one million people in California suffer from mental illness – the largest number of any state. When the final phase of the new federal health care law starts in January of next year, more California residents than ever before will be able to seek help for problems ranging from depression, anxiety, and addiction to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder."

"But mental health providers in the state’s Central Valley are unprepared for an influx of thousands of patients. State and county officials remain in the planning phases, even though new patients will be able to access these services in less than nine months."

"Manuel Jimenez, director of Merced County’s Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Services, said that they haven’t begun expanding programs just yet."

Finally, on a serious note but reminding ourselves that most political junkies like beer, from our Beer Gardens file comes a tale of complaint from a beer writer who is fed up with hops.

"That’s when I realized that I had a problem. In fact, everyone I know in the craft beer industry has a problem: We’re so addicted to hops that we don’t even notice them anymore."

"Hops are the flowers of the climbing plant Humulus lupulus, a member of the family Cannabaceae (which also includes, yes, cannabis), and they’re a critical ingredient in beer. Beer is made by boiling grain to turn its starches into sugar, which is later converted to alcohol by yeast."

"While the grain is boiling, brewers add hops to tone down the mixture’s sweetness—without hops, beer would taste like Coke. Recipes usually call for only a few grams of hops per gallon of beer produced, but those little flowers pack a big punch. In addition to their bittering properties, hops impart strong piney, spicy, or fruity flavors and aromas. They also contain antimicrobial agents that act as natural preservatives."

Budget, budget

2013-05-15T14:39:23Z

Gov. Brown urged the elimination of a $700 million tax break for "enterprise zones," which were set up decades ago to give employers tax benefits for setting up businesses in depressed areas.

From the LAT's Marc Lifsher: "In his revised budget Tuesday, Brown proposed that 40 enterprise zones be replaced by a sales tax credit for companies that purchase manufacturing or biotech research and development equipment."

"Currently, employers in enterprise zones can get tax credits of up to $37,000 per hired person in an area identified as blighted. Some of the existing zones include portions of Los Feliz, Silver Lake and Venice in Los Angeles, suburban Santa Clarita and the SOMA district of San Francisco — neighborhoods that are far from economically depressed."

"But Brown criticized the tax credit for failing to create new jobs and rewarding employers for moving existing jobs from one place to another within California. Labor groups and a number of studies, such as a 2009 report by the Public Policy Institute of California, have questioned whether enterprise zone credits, which are based on new hires, actually translate into an overall increase in the number of people with new jobs."

Speaking of the budget, the spending plan borrows money raised from California's cap-and-trade auctions and shifts it to the General Fund, the state's main coffer.

From Capitol Weekly's John Howard: "Gov. Brown’s rewritten budget borrows $500 million from California’s cap-and-trade auctions and diverts the money for use in other state programs – a move that drew immediate fire from clean-air advocates."

"The administration said the $500 million represents a one-time loan and will be paid back, with interest. Tapping the money was proper, the administration said, because the state needs more time to set up programs to coordinate the investments of the auction proceeds and nobody can predict how much the auctions will raise in the future."

"The agencies need “further time to design and develop their programs to ensure that when the programs receive funds they will further the purposes of (the law) and maximize long term greenhouse gas reductions,” the administration wrote in paperwork accompanying the revised budget, which was released Tuesday. The budget, which must be approved by the Legislature, reflects income tax revenue collected by the April 15 deadline."

Shifting gears, Gov. Brown says the state should take the point position in expanding Medi-Cal as the federal reforms kick in.

From the Mercury-News' Karen de Sá: "Gov. Jerry Brown's May budget plan backtracks on his January proposal to have counties take the lead on expanding Medi-Cal programs under the federal Affordable Care Act, instead recommending that the state take the lead on the sweeping expansion of health-care coverage Jan. 1."

"But the proposal is contingent on eventually recouping money from county-based safety net services such as the food stamp program, the CalWORKS welfare benefit, and child care linked to cash assistance. The state would see an additional $300 million in revenue in the coming fiscal year under the plan, an amount that would continue to grow over time."

"Health care advocates praised the state for assuming primary responsibility for the rollout of Obamacare in the nation's most populous state, while lamenting that the governor's most recent budget plan continues to cut such things as physician compensation rates under Medi-Cal, and dental care for adults."

With tax revenues outpacing projections and the economy improving, there's money to play with in the budget, but Brown counseled caution in his May Revision.

From the Chronicle's Wyatt Buchanan: "From 2011-12 to 2016-17, school funding will jump by $19 billion from $47.3 billion to $66.5 billion, according to Gov. Jerry Brown, who presented his revised spending plan for the next fiscal year on Tuesday. The plan includes a $2.9 billion increase in the current year."

"But public education is the only area of the state budget that is seeing a significant increase in the revised budget plan. Democrats in the Legislature had anticipated a significant surplus for next year, but Brown said actions by the federal government - including the automatic spending cuts and the increase in the payroll tax - eliminated any such surplus."

"The governor said his budget "is a call for prudence, not exuberance." He credited the passage of Proposition 30 by voters in November as key to stabilizing the budget and providing more money for education, but cautioned, "this is not the time to break out the Champagne."

The death by beating of a man in the custody of Kern County sheriff's deputies has drawn federal investigators, who are looking into the case at the request of the sheriff himself.

From the LAT's Diana Marcum, Paul Pringle and Richard Winton: "The FBI launched an investigation Tuesday into the death of a man beaten by authorities amid questions over how officials handled the case."

"Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood said he asked the FBI to get involved after learning that one of two cellphones seized from witnesses had no footage on it."

"Two witnesses told The Times that they watched the videos on each of the phones last week in the wake of David Silva’s death. The case is generating widespread attention because several witnesses have come forward to say deputies ruthlessly beat Silva with batons on the head, even after he was lying motionless on the ground."

“Our credibility is at stake here,” Youngblood said in an interview. He did not dispute the witnesses' accounts about the videos but said he would not draw any conclusions until the investigations were complete. The phones on Tuesday were flown to the FBI’s Sacramento office for analysis."

And from our "Freedom of the Press" file comes a primer on something everyone should know -- how to leak to the media.

"Get a dedicated computer or tablet: the cheapest Windows laptop will do. And pay cash, as our normal laptops have a host of automatic synchronization and similar services. Our personal web browsers also contain all sorts of location-identifying cookies. Even if you’re logged in to but don’t actually visit Facebook’s home page, a subpoena to Facebook can still reveal where you connect and what pages you visit — every “Like” button reports to Facebook that you are visiting that particular page, at a particular time, from a particular IP address.

"Leave your cellphone, your normal computer, and your metro card (like SmarTrip) at home: anything that speaks over a wireless link must stay behind. Then go to a coffee shop that has open Wi-Fi, and once there open a new Gmail account that you will only use to contact the press and only from the dedicated computer. When registering, use no personal information that can identify you or your new account: no phone numbers, no names."

"Don’t forget: if you get anything at the cafe, or take public transit,pay cash. Be prepared to walk a bit, too; you can’t stay close to home for this."

Might be easier to just call ...

Span woes

2013-05-14T15:01:17Z

The feds are stepping into the Bay Bridge construction flap, launching a probe into the integrity of hundreds of huge bolts used in the multibillion-dollar span.

From the Chronicle"s Jaxon Van Derbeken: "The federal government will investigate how Caltrans allowed more than 2,300 suspect steel rods to be installed on the new Bay Bridge eastern span and will review the agency's $10 million fix of more than two dozen that have already failed, officials said Monday."

"The probe will be conducted by the Federal Highway Administration, which agreed to come in at the request of a state-local panel overseeing the $6.4 billion eastern span. The panel, which represents both Caltrans and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, sought an "arm's length" review of the problems with high-strength, galvanized threaded rods installed on the bridge since 2007."

"Problems with the rods have raised questions about whether the span will open to traffic as scheduled on Sept. 3. A spokesman for the federal agency would not speculate on how long its examination might take."

A forest-protection group is taking on Jerry Brown over his policies that they contend allow clear-cut logging across thousands of acres. It's a small buy but it raises questions about the governor's academic credentials -- which is the point.

Froom the Bee's David Siders: "A Northern California environmental group has begun airing advertisements on cable TV stations criticizing Gov. Jerry Brown for allowing clear-cut logging on thousands of acres of forest land."

"Marily Woodhouse, co-founder of the Manton-based Battle Creek Alliance, said today her organization paid $3,000 to air spots this month on CNN, MSNBC and other cable networks in Sacramento."

"The tiny ad buy is part of an ongoing conflict between environmentalists and business interests over the state's management of logging on private land. One ad features a photograph of the Democratic governor in a superimposed pair of sunglasses."

A major point of contention in the governor's revised budgt will be education, as various interests fight over the surge in new revenue.

From EdSource's John Fensterwald: "Democrats in the Legislature may find themselves at odds with Gov. Jerry Brown on two issues that will factor large when Brown reveals his revised state budget Tuesday: how to spend billions in unanticipated revenue and how to reshape Brown’s sweeping plan for funding K-12 education."

"As of now, the state is on target to collect $4.5 billion more than expected in personal income taxes, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. Democratic leaders in the Legislature have no shortage of ways they’d like to see that money spent, such as expanding mental health care, restoring adult dental care, eliminating fees for preschool that went into effect this year, and providing more state aid for college students."

"The problem for them is that as much as 90 percent of that extra money may be legally bound for K-12 and community colleges. Normally, under Proposition 98 (later modified by Proposition 111), which defines spending minimums for education, school districts and community colleges can count on about 40 cents of every dollar in state revenue. But when times are good, as they are this year, and the state owes districts for past cuts and missed cost-of-living increases, as is the case, then it can rise to 90 cents on a dollar."

Speaking of budget revenue, the governor unveils his latest budget draft for the fiscal year that starts July 5, a document that reflects the income tax revenue collected by the April 15 filing deadline.

From the AP's Juliet Williams: "Administration officials, who provided the information on the condition of anonymity, said Brown would include $1 billion, or about $170 per student, to implement the "common core" standards that California and 43 other states have adopted. They include more rigorous instruction in English and mathematics, literacy standards for history and social studies and higher-order thinking."

"Schools are required to implement the changes but have struggled to do so after years of budget cuts. The state funding will pay for professional development and new technology and instructional materials."

"Brown's school funding formula would channel additional money to schools with higher proportions of English learners, low-income families and foster children. He has framed it as part of the state's obligation to help struggling students, saying "it is controversial, but it is right and it's fair."

Down south, the Los Angeles mayoral battle is proceeding hot and heavy, but the campaign appears to be far from enlightening and educational.

From the Bee's Dan Walters: "The duel between City Councilman Eric Garcetti and City Controller Wendy Greuel has to be California's most vapid, off-putting political contest. You couldn't slip a toothpick between the two in ideology – two more or less liberal, more or less business-friendly, more or less union-allied politicos."

"Nevertheless, they've spent millions of dollars, most of which have paid for mindless personal attacks accusing each other of being a mayoral disaster waiting to happen because of some defect of character."

"One poll in late April had Garcetti ahead, while another last week gave the nod to Greuel. But whether any poll is valid hinges on how many of the huge city's voters actually will cast ballots by next Tuesday. It's assumed that turnout will be very low – it's L.A., the world capital of civic alienation, after all – but how low is uncertain."

And from our "Big Bang" file comes the tale of a woman who was at Starbucks waiting to buy some coffee when she got a big surprise.

"Police say Pamela Beck and Amie Peterson were getting coffee at the Tyrone Square Mall in St. Petersburg when Beck moved to set her bags down in order to pay for her drink."

"Her purse "hit the ground hard," St. Petersburg Police spokesman Mike Puetz told The Huffington Post, and a fully loaded .25 caliber semi-automatic handgun that was in the bottom of the handbag fired, striking Peterson above the knee."

"Beck told investigators that her father had given her the gun about a year ago, and she hadn't intended to bring it out in public. "She had forgotten about it," Puetz said."

Definitely time for a double macchiato...