Politics

Californians that partake in cannabis use in their off-work down time will have more employment protections beginning Jan. 1 thanks to new laws.   Assembly Bill 2188 is an amendment to the state’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and prohibits employers from discriminating against a worker...

More than a dozen city council district map proposals, submitted by residents and a professional demographer, are available for public review on a website created to set up the new election system.The draft maps can be viewed at drawmh.org, which provides a wealth of map drawing tools and demographic information about the City of Morgan Hill.Citizens can review the submitted draft maps and offer suggested changes, or create their own maps depicting four council districts equal in population, according to Morgan Hill Communications Manager Maureen Tobin. Residents can submit maps until Aug. 14.The city council is scheduled to approve an official four-district map in late August or early September. The map they approve will take effect with the November 2018 council election, and remain in place at least until the 2020 U.S. Census is completed.The five-member (including the mayor) Morgan Hill City Council approved the change from the current at-large election system to the new district-based system at their June 7 meeting. The change was a response to a demand letter from an Oakland law firm that claims the at-large system is in violation of the California Voting Rights Act because it limits the influence of minority groups.Under the by-district system, the city’s four council members will be elected by voters within the council district in which they reside. The mayor’s seat will continue to be elected on an at-large, citywide basis, according to city staff.By approving the change, the council aimed to protect the city from a potentially costly civil rights lawsuit. But it also forced the city to fast track the process of notifying the public and creating four new districts equal in population, without gerrymandering.The draft maps posted on drawmh.org include 10 “population balanced” maps with four districts each containing roughly 9,500 Morgan Hill residents. Seven of these were created by Morgan Hill residents. The other three were drawn by National Demographics Corporation, with whom the city contracted for $43,000 to help with the districting process.Also posted on the website are three maps created by residents that are not population balanced, and two maps that depict a single district.

Throughout January and February, contributions from the construction industry have been steadily streaming into the campaign committee promoting Measure I.

A new Chick-fil-A restaurant with one of the largest drive-thru facilities in northern California is coming to Morgan Hill.  The Morgan Hill City Council on Nov. 15 unanimously approved plans for the new 5,000-square-foot restaurant at the corner of Cochrane Road and Sutter Boulevard. The...

Although a near-record 81.5% of eligible Californians were registered to vote as of May 23 — the highest percentage heading into a gubernatorial primary election in 68 years — just 14% of them had returned their ballot as of June 6, according to a...

In a tight race for Morgan Hill City Council District A, former school board trustee Gino Borgioli holds the lead over five-term incumbent Larry Carr, the registrar of voters’ Nov. 3 election results show.

The Morgan Hill City Council has narrowed down its potential new district boundaries to a choice of five draft maps, but officials disagree on whether all of them would stand up to state laws regulating the electoral redistricting process. In recent months, the council and...

With more than two weeks left to go for the official nomination period for candidates for local offices in the Nov. 5 general election, the list of potentially interested names on the ballot is growing.  As of July 23, local business owner and former planning...

After the Morgan Hill City Council spent months in public discussions and soliciting input from residents and redistricting experts, the courts are likely going to decide which boundaries will apply in local elections for the next 10 years. Former Mayor Steve Tate is one of...

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 18 unanimously approved a change of course for proposed rural zoning amendments after hundreds of farmers, ranchers and equestrian business owners raised concerns the changes would devastate their operations. Supervisor Sylvia Arenas, who represents much of...