The Obama administration announced Thursday it has finalized the paperwork needed to allow a California law to take effect that bans sewage dumping by cruise ships in state waters out to three miles from the coast.
Mayor Chuck Reed looked to set a hopeful tone for a city beset by budget cutbacks but faced growing furor from city workers over his call for pension cuts to reform city finances.
The dire situation did not inhibit legislators from carrying bills crafted by outside interests who showered them with campaign contributions, a continuing Mercury News investigation of the California legislative process shows.
