Proposition on same sex marriage on November ballot

Good Morning, I’m Debbie Cruz….it’s Wednesday, July 24th.

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A proposition on the November ballot aims to reverse another proposition on same sex marriage rights. More on that next. But first... let’s do the headlines….######

San Diego city councilmembers are delaying a decision on a proposed lease agreement for a one-thousand-bed homeless shelter at Kettner Boulevard and Vine Street near the airport.

Councilmembers voted this week (Monday) to direct city staff to continue negotiating with the building’s owner.

The city’s independent budget analyst and the city attorney’s office say there are legal and financial risks involved in the proposal.

Councilmember Raul Campillo agrees.

“We’re getting treated like we’re the owner, but we’re paying rent like the tenant. Risk costs money to me.”

City councilmembers will discuss the lease again next Tuesday.

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The San Diego City Council this week also unanimously approved a ballot measure that would increase sales tax in the city by one-percent, for broad infrastructure and city services funding for the November Ballot.

If voters approve the measure, it would raise the city's sales tax rate from 7-point-75-percent to 8-point-75-percent.

Sales tax is currently the second largest revenue source for the city's General Fund, and officials estimate it would generate 400-million dollars annually.

According to a city report, San Diego's current sales tax rate is tied for fourth lowest in the state.

The report also found, more than nine-billion-dollars is needed over the next five years to address an infrastructure backlog, such as streets and storm drains.

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This week’s heat continues, and in some areas there’s a chance of rain.

A Heat Advisory remains in effect until 10 tomorrow night (Thursday), in the inland areas.

Temperatures there are expected to reach the low 90s.

In the deserts today (Wednesday) there’s a slight chance of rain as well as an Excessive Heat Warning in effect until tomorrow night (Thursday), where temps could reach up to 118 degrees.

In the mountains, it’s expected to be hazy this morning, and temps will be in the high 80s.

By the coast, it’ll be in the high 70s.

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From KPBS, you’re listening to San Diego News Now. Stay with me for more of the local news you need.

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California voters will be faced with a choice this November of whether to enshrine same sex marriage rights in the state constitution.

Reporter John Carroll says a proposition on the November ballot aims to reverse the result of another proposition passed by voters more than 15-years ago.

A state supreme court decision in may of 2008 cleared the way for same sex marriage in california, but it didn’t last long.  in november of that year, voters approved prop 8, which restricted marriage as only between a man and a woman.  2015’s obergefell decision by the u-s supreme court made same sex marriage legal nationwide… prop 8 became moot.  but supporters of prop 3 say it’s important to enshrine marriage equality in the constitution.  vernita gutierrez is with planned parenthood of the pacific southwest.  she says it’s important to remember the supreme court did away with roe v wade… and they could do the same thing to obergefell. “the lgbtq equality and the reproductive rights movement are inextricably linked because they are all really, you know the same foundation in terms of bodily autonomy and being able to make decisions that we think are best for ourselves and our families.” california voters will decide whether to do away with prop 8 and approve prop 3 this november.  jc, kpbs news.

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This September, hundreds of firefighters from across the country will be in San Diego for the Women in Fire International conference.

Reporter Andrew Dyer spoke to two San Diego firefighters organizing the conference.

Firefighter catie casciari demonstrates proper ladder-carrying technique at san diego fire-rescue station 10 in the college area. the 16-year san diego firefighter is helping organize the bi-annual conference. although women in firefighting meet the same standards as their male colleagues, caschiari says there’s a lot they can learn from each other. “women are teaching classes to other women, primarily, and we are teaching different skills and techniques and movements and things that work for us.” selena laniel is a fire captain at station 10. she says although there are more women in firefighting today it can be a difficult job. “...and to realize you’re not alone that there is a lot of us out there is makes it a lot easier. the conference is this september at the san diego fire-rescue training facility and the westin downtown. andrew dyer, kpbs news.

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Dozens of people have been stung by stingrays this summer.

Here’s North County reporter Alexander Nguyen to tell us how to avoid this hidden danger.

Summer is in full swing …  surfing In San Diego … that means going to the beach … But … there’s danger lurking beneath the waves. “They're not thinking of when they go into the water are the stingrays.” Lt. Andrew Francis is a lifeguard for the city of Carlsbad. He says these bottom-dwelling fish love the warm shallow waters this time of year. He says the best way to avoid being stung is to do the stingray shuffle. It’s just taking small sliding steps will kind of cause the vibrations, and they'll sense that you're coming, and then, they'll they'll generally scurry away from you.” If you do get stung … seek treatment at a lifeguard tower or soak your feet in hot water. Lifeguards say you should also get checked at the E-R because the stingray’s barbs can get stuck inside the wound. AN/KPBS.

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Tonight, Comic-Con kicks off a four-day celebration of pop culture.

Arts reporter Beth Accomando talks to a pair of San Diego comics creators, who have been attending the convention for decades, about their love for comics and exciting new projects.

At age five Chris Ryall knew he loved comics… and one in particular. CHRIS RYALL I was drawn to this old Fantastic Four comic, Issue 130. I remember because it had the Fantastic Four and the Frightful Four. There's eight colorful characters on the cover all fighting. I was completely and utterly captivated by that. So captivated that he stole it from his neighbor. CHRIS RYALL I was either heading toward a career in comics or a life of crime. He took the path towards comics even though that path wasn’t as easy to figure out as say a lawyer CHRIS RYALL That was always my complaint as a kid… I just didn't know that there was a path to working in comics because you're right, you don't take the bar exam, you just find your way in. It feels like every time you ask anybody how they got into comics, it's a different story. Different stories but all beginning with a love for comics, says Scott Dunbier. SCOTT DUNBIER By some wonderful piece of fate, right between my apartment and my school was one of the first comic book stores in the country. That was our life, me and my friends, baseball, comics, and egg creams. From this childhood passion, both men would end up working at IDW, a San Diego-based publisher, for more than a decade. Ryall served as president, publisher and chief creative officer, and Dunbier was VP of special projects. Ryall edited Locke and Key, among many projects, and saw it translated to television, while Dunbier oversaw IDW’s gorgeous, oversized artist edition books. Both have maintained their youthful love for the medium of comics, says Chris Ryall. CHRIS RYALL I love the way art and words all work together in tandem to create a story, the excitement you feel almost every single page being its own little mini story where you get to the bottom of that page and hopefully it's compelling enough that you want to turn the page. Dunbier agrees. SCOTT DUNBIER Comic books are all about sequential storytelling. Movies, TV, they cannot compete with comic books…It sounds like I'm making comics very grandiose, but it's almost a magical art form. The way worlds are created, the way emotion is displayed. This year Dunbier will be announcing the start of his new company. SCOTT DUNBIER Act 4 Publishing. Because Act 1 was Art Dealing, the second act was Wildstorm, third act, IDW, and now this is the fourth act. Since Dunbier found comics through a love for the original art, he will continue to make artist edition coffee table books, and at his panel he will give out oversized bookmarks to match the scale of those books. Ryall will be on a panel to discuss a new horror imprint called PANICK! But he’s also working on a graphic novel film adaptation. CHRIS RYALL It started with a complete out of the blue email from Francis Coppola: ‘Hey, I want to make a graphic novel based around Megalopolis, and I'm told you're the one who can help me with that. Is that true?’ And first you're like, I don't know if this is real, but your response, my response always to these things is, yes, Francis Coppola, I am the right one who can do that. Now Ryall is writing and overseeing the graphic novel of Megalopolis and he was delighted to discover Coppola is a comics fan. CHRIS RYALL He cited a character called The Heap, which is a precursor to Swamp Thing and Man Thing. And nobody mentions The Heap unless they're legit, unless they know comics. And so he loved comics as a kid…So it's been a blast. It's been just the most exhilarating, creatively inventive thing. Who’d have thought stealing a comic book at five could lead to all this. Now we can wait in eager anticipation to see what the next page turn will reveal in their careers. Beth Accomando, KPBS News.

TAG: Go to k-p-b-s-dot-org-slash-comic-con for more information on panels, film screenings, and activations.

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That’s it for the podcast today. As always you can find more San Diego news online at KPBS dot org. Join us again tomorrow for the day’s top stories. I’m Debbie Cruz. Thanks for listening and have a great Wednesday.