Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/660745
ByScottSmith TheAssociatedPress FRESNO A wrong-way driver leading authori- ties on a high-speed chase crashed through a gate and into a fighter jet at a cen- tral California naval base, killing himself and a pas- senger, authorities said Thursday. The Navy base does not appear to be an intended target, and the man and woman who died were not affiliated with the military, said Capt. Monty Ashli- man, commander at Naval Air Station Lemoore. He said authorities are inves- tigating what started the chase and how the driver broke through the secured gate. "Regardless of proce- dures we have in place, something went wrong and we had a tragic accident," Ashliman said. "We have got to figure out a way to prevent that from happen- ing in the future." Authorities say the chase began off the base late Wednesday, when a California Highway Patrol officer stopped to check on a Jeep Grand Chero- kee parked on the road- side. The driver sped off, driving erratically and go- ing the wrong way at one point on highway south of Fresno. The CHP does not know why the SUV fled, Lt. Dave Knoff said. The driver eventu- ally left State Route 198, smashed through a gate at the base and hit the FA- 18E Super Hornet parked about 7 miles inside the base, Ashliman said. He said the chase lasted about 15 minutes. The passenger died at the scene, and the driver died at a hospital. Authori- ties have not released their identities. The SUV hit the jet's horizontal stabilizer, but officials have not detailed the damage. The jet will be fully inspected before it takes flight again. Naval Air Station Lem- oore, built in 1961, has two runways and hosts four Carrier Air Wings. HIGH-SPEED CHASE SU V fl ee in g po li ce c ra sh es in to j et a t Ce nt ra l Ca lif or ni a na va l ba se , ki ll in g 2 By Alison Noon and Don Thompson The Associated Press SACRAMENTO California lawmakers on Thursday ap- proved the nation's highest statewide minimum wage of $15 an hour to take effect by 2022 after it was hailed by Democrats as an exam- ple to the nation as it strug- gles with a growing gap be- tween rich and poor. The legislation now goes to Gov. Jerry Brown, who is expected to sign it into law after previously work- ing out the plan with labor unions. The state of New York was considering a sim- ilar move. Brown was traveling out of state until Friday evening and wasn't expected to sign the bill immediately. Democrats who control both legislative chambers in California hailed the in- crease as a boon to more than 2 million of state's poorest workers. Republicans, however, echoed fears from business owners and economists that the annual increases — eventually tied to infla- tion — will compound Cal- ifornia's image as hostile to business. The Assembly passed SB3 with a 48-26 vote. The Sen- ate followed, 26-12. The increases would start with a boost from $10 to $10.50 on Jan. 1. Businesses with 25 or fewer employees would have an extra year to comply. Increases of $1 an hour would come every Jan- uary until 2022. The gover- nor could delay increases in times of budgetary or eco- nomic downturns. California's current $10 an hour minimum is tied with Massachusetts for the highest among states. Los Angeles, Seattle and other cities have recently approved $15 minimum wages, while Oregon offi- cials plan to increase the minimum to $14.75 an hour in cities and $12.50 in rural areas by 2022. In New York, Gov. An- drew Cuomo and state law- makers continued to negoti- ate Thursday over Cuomo's proposal to gradually raise the state's minimum wage from $9 to $15 by the end of 2018 in New York City and by mid-2021 elsewhere in the state. Brown, a Democrat, was previously reluctant to raise the base wage. He nego- tiated the deal with labor unions to head off compet- ing labor-backed November ballot initiatives that would have imposed swifter in- creases without some of the safeguards included in the legislation. Brown now says the most populous state's fast-growing economy can absorb the raises without the problems predicted by opponents. About 2.2 million Cali- fornians now earn the min- imum wage. The University of California, Berkeley, Cen- ter for Labor Research and Education, projected the increase would have a rip- ple effect for those whose wages would increase to keep pace. The researchers project it would increase pay for 5.6 million Californians by an average of 24 percent. More than a third of the affected workers are parents. Lati- nos would benefit most be- cause they hold a dispropor- tionate number of low-wage jobs, the researchers said. The right-leaning Amer- ican Action Forum coun- tered with its own projec- tion that the increases could cost nearly 700,000 jobs The increases are pro- jected to eventually cost California taxpayers an ad- ditional $3.6 billion annu- ally for higher government employee pay. Some Assembly members cited the nation's imbalance in wealth while voting in fa- vor of the wage increase. "While we have made great strides in recovering from the economic reces- sion, we know the bulk of that growth has been to the benefit of the top 1 or 2 per- cent," said Assemblyman Roger Hernandez, D-West Covina. "Too many work- ers are working full-time for poverty wages." Assemblyman Jim Pat- terson, R-Fresno, countered that such a drastic increase would force small business owners to make layoffs "with tears in their eyes," ultimately resulting in less employment. CALIFORNIA Lawmakers OK highest statewide minimum wage PHOTOSBYRICHPEDRONCELLI—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Supporters of a bill to raise California's minimum wage, celebrate in the Assembly gallery a er the measure was approved by the state Assembly on Thursday in Sacramento. Assemblyman Roger Hernandez, D-West Covina, and Assemblywoman Nora Campos, D-San Jose, celebrate a er a bill to raise the state's minimum wage was approved by the Assembly on Thursday in Sacramento. FRIDAY, APRIL 1, 2016 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |NEWS | 5 A