Minor League Baseball

Houston voters decide Proposition A, also called the Houston Freedom Act, on November 3. The charter amendment bundles two policies into a single yes-or-no vote: making low-level marijuana possession enforcement HPD's lowest priority, and barring officers from requesting or executing no-knock search warrants, instead requiring they knock, announce and wait at least 15 seconds. Marijuana would remain illegal under state law regardless of the outcome. The no-knock provision follows renewed scrutiny after the 2019 Harding Street raid that killed two homeowners. Supporters cite resource priorities and safety; opponents question necessity and how the rules mesh with state law and neighboring jurisdictions. Voters cannot split their vote between the two provisions.

California legislators quietly inserted $1.3 billion in earmarks into this year's state budget, funding projects from a Santa Barbara college gym renovation to a Marin County farmers market and a minor league baseball stadium in San Jose. The money, allocated through Assembly Bill 113, was added just days before the legislative session ended, with lawmakers keeping their individual requests confidential until after passage.

An analysis found more than 40% of the funds went to nonprofits, with Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties—home to top Democratic leaders—receiving outsized shares, while many Republican-represented rural counties got little or nothing. Beneficiaries ranged from arts groups and museums to a mixed martial arts fighters' retirement fund and nonprofits with ties to Governor Gavin Newsom. Critics, including nonprofit advocates and taxpayer groups, say the closed-door process rewards political relationships over need, especially as the state confronts federal healthcare funding cuts. Legislative leaders defend the practice as a way to address urgent local needs efficiently, though even some lawmakers acknowledge the lack of transparency is problematic.