The Grapevine: 2/13/23

Good evening. California's high-speed rail project misses out on a big funding opportunity, a new state law promises to pave the way for "cannabis cafes," and a San Francisco plan to house the homeless runs up against opposition from residents. Here's what you need to know:

• California's high-speed rail authority has missed out on over $1 billion in federal funding from a U.S. Department of Transportation grant program created by the bipartisan infrastructure law, as the Biden administration funnels money to more conventional transit projects. (https://www.cbsnews.com/sacramento/news/california-high-speed-rail-project-denied-round-of-mega-grant-funding/)
• The California Energy Commission has yet to develop plans to scale up the state's power grid to accommodate a mandate that requires 35% of new cars sold in the state be electric by 2026, and 100% be electric by 2035, prompting criticism from energy experts. (https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/01/california-electric-cars-grid/)
• A bill pending in the California legislature would legalize the sale of food and beverages by cannabis retailers, paving the way for so-called "cannabis cafes" and potentially helping the state's struggling legal marijuana industry claw market share back from illegal sellers. (https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-13/california-lawmaker-amsterdam-cannabis-cafes-new-bill)
• The city council for Culver City, California, will vote tonight on a controversial anti-camping ordinance. Those in favor say it will prevent people removed from encampments in neighboring Los Angeles from relocating to the city, while the ordinance's opponents say enforcement will be ineffective unless the city first focuses on providing services and finishing housing projects. (https://laist.com/news/culver-city-will-vote-on-anti-camping-ban-targeting-homeless-encampments)
• A San Francisco plan to construct tiny cabins for the city's homeless in a blighted Mission District parking lot is on the ropes, as residents complain about a $100,000-per-home price tag and the lot's position near an elementary school. (https://www.sfchronicle.com/sf/article/homeless-sf-tiny-cabins-mission-district-costs-17775286.php)

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