July 27, 2020 In Surprise Reversal, Sam Liccardo Recommends Delaying ‘Strong Mayor’ Ballot Initiative By Grace Hase The mayor’s recommendation comes the day before the San Jose City Council’s special meeting on the proposed ballot initiative. Read More 5
July 20, 2020 Santa Clara County Supervisors to Discuss Caltrain Tax Measure By Grace Hase The measure needs to be approved by three counties and multiple transit boards in order to make it on the November ballot. Read More 7
July 20, 2020 Lawsuit: SJPD Enabled Brutality Against Protesters by Failing to Adequately Train Officers By Jennifer Wadsworth The complaint claims San Jose failed to teach officers how to use reasonable crowd-control tactics, exposing bystanders to excessive force. Read More 34
July 14, 2020 Ben Field Exits Divided Labor Council After ‘Fair Elections’ Ballot Measure Debacle By Dan Pulcrano Less than a month after a key measure to change San Jose’s election dates failed to make it to the ballot, Ben Field has resigned. Read More 3
July 7, 2020 San Jose POA President Apologizes to Members for Response to Bigoted FB Posts By Jennifer Wadsworth Faced with calls to resign and many members defecting to the Fraternal Order of Police, Sgt. Paul Kelly has since changed his tune. Read More 35
July 1, 2020 In Split Vote, San Jose Council Approves Measure to Expand Mayoral Powers, Extend Term By Grace Hase After a marathon two days of deliberation, the City Council voted 6-5 to place the controversial measure on the November 2020 ballot. Read More 16
June 30, 2020 San Jose’s Strong-Mayor Proposal Inspires Wide Range of Opinions From City Council By Grace Hase A proposed ballot measure to expand the San Jose mayor’s power has garnered varied opinions from more than half the City Council. Read More 18
June 26, 2020 DA to Investigate Bigoted Online Posts; POA Promises to Hold SJPD Officers Accountable By Jennifer Wadsworth Outraged by bigoted comments allegedly made by San Jose cops, Santa Clara County DA Jeff Rosen vowed to take unprecedented action. Read More 47
June 25, 2020 Op-Ed: Though Thousands Lack Shelter Amid Deadly Pandemic, San Jose Leaves Trailers Empty By Raymond Ramsey The city’s decision to “demobilize” FEMA trailers for the unhoused can only be summed up as a shameful debacle lacking any transparency. Read More 10
June 25, 2020 San Jose Mayor Unveils Nine-Point Plan to Reform SJPD By Grace Hase The news comes weeks after the killing of George Floyd ignited nationwide protests and prompted calls to scale back funding for local police. Read More 4
June 23, 2020 Labor Warms Up to San Jose’s Strong Mayor Proposal By Grace Hase Under the plan unveiled today, the mayor wouldn’t get to hire and fire department chiefs until 2023—when Sam Liccardo terms out. Read More 4
June 19, 2020 SJ Mayor Unveils Measure to Expand Powers of His Office By Grace Hase For decades, San Jose’s mayor has lacked the powers afforded to big-city counterparts across the country. But that could change this fall. Read More 11
June 18, 2020 San Jose Approves Budget Shaped by COVID-19, Protests By Grace Hase An economy-crippling pandemic and historic civil unrest has made this one of the most consequential budget years for local governments. Read More 0
June 17, 2020 Calls to Defund Local Law Enforcement Push San Jose to Rethink Future of Policing By Jennifer Wadsworth After witnessing SJPD respond to protests against police brutality with bone-breaking force, it seems the whole city has trust issues. Read More 59
June 15, 2020 Op-Ed: San Jose Leaders Ignore Calls for Justice From Families Impacted by Police Violence By Laurie Valdez, Leila Ullmann and Oscar Sandoval When it comes to addressing the needs of people who make up the city’s diversity, leaders respond with empty gestures, ineffective policies. Read More 16
June 12, 2020 Letter: San Jose Leaders Should Heed the Call to Defund Police By Guest Columnist Together with families of people killed by police, Silicon Valley De-Bug came up with a practical guide for defunding the San Jose PD. Read More 21