Lead Stories:
- The Elk Grove City Council has voted unanimously to approve the feasibility study for a new regional zoo. Sacramento Zoo officials have acknowledged they've outgrown their current Land Park facility, where facilities date back to the 1960's or before. Now if this plan ultimately goes through, it'll be the first major zoological park built in the United States since 1988. Sac Zoo officials note that building a new zoo is a time-intensive process, and the zoo in Land Park remains open and will be there for at least another four to five years.
- Democrats in the California State Assembly are again rejecting a Republican proposal to suspend the gas tax in California. On the assembly floor Thursday, Republican leader James Gallagher argued Governor Newsom's plan to give $400 to each driver starting in July will take too long. This is the second time Democrats have voted down the proposal to suspend California's gas tax immediately. Moving forward, they will debate the Governor's gas relief plan which would take months to enact.\
- The Sacramento City Unified teacher's strike is entering day three of school closures for thousands of students in Sacramento. Over 4,500 teachers and other staff members have been walking the picket line this week, demanding better pay and benefits along with more teachers to reduce the class sizes. Schools in the district will be closed until a deal is reached, which stands to take several more days of negotiations, impacting some 40,000 students and their parents.
- President Biden is traveling from Brussels to Warsaw, Poland this morning to meet with Polish officials to address the Ukrainian refugees. The President has announced plans to admit about 100 thousand Ukrainian refugees into the U-S as millions flee the country.