Ask and you shall receive, tort reformers, although you might not get what you want — especially not from Jerry Brown.
On the same day California Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, or CALA, issued a report (.pdf) characterizing the attorney general's first 100 days in office as "inactive," Brown today sued the Tulare County Board of Supervisors for approving the construction of two "mega-dairies" near Colonel Allensworth State Historic Park.
State attorneys allege the county violated environmental laws by not fully weighing the impact of 12,000 dairy cows and their daily production of 20 tons of manure on the neighboring park. The park commemorates the turn-of-the-20th century African-American settlement founded by Col. Allen Allensworth, a former slave and a Civil War veteran.
Earlier today, CALA gave Brown an overall grade of "D" for his first three months in office, including an "F" for fighting crime — "we have yet to see any evidence that this is a priority for him" — and an "A-" for using his power "appropriately" — "He has shown restraint."
"On the one hand, we're pleased to see that he does not appear to be as prone to litigating as his predecessor," CALA Chairman John Merchant wrote. "On the other hand, the lack of activity coming from his office calls into question what he's doing with taxpayers' money.
Wonder which hand CALA is looking at now.
— Cheryl Miller
Comments