A.M. Splash: Calif. Tax Measures Pass; De La Fuente Trails in Oakland; SJ Voters Approve Minimum Wage Hike; Zoo Measure Failing

Overcoming decades of anti-tax sentiment in California, Gov. Jerry Brown's Proposition 30 -- billed as a tax hike to rescue the state's schools -- narrowly won Tuesday. "I know a lot of people had some doubts and some questions: Can you really go to the people and ask them to vote for a tax?'' Brown told supporters as the measure inched into the "yes" column just after 11 p.m. "Here we are ... We have a vote of the people, I think the only state in the country that says let's raise our taxes, for our kids for our schools, and for our California dream.'' While Proposition 30 was on pace to pass by a slight margin, two other tax measures were more lopsided.

Oakland voters had a chance to upend city politics Tuesday in an election that would likely shift the fractious dynamics of the City Council, as two veteran council members squared off in a contentious at-large race. A total of five council seats were up for grabs, and voters were also deciding the race for city attorney. In the at-large race, longtime Councilman Ignacio De La Fuente was losing by a substantial margin in a bid to unseat Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan. De La Fuente previously represented the Fruitvale area in District Five.

San Jose voters embraced a ballot measure that would raise the minimum wage in the city, with more than half the precincts reporting the $2 hourly increase held onto its lead early Wednesday morning. "We're thrilled," said Stacey Hendler Ross, spokeswoman for the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council, which led the campaign for Measure D to raise the minimum wage in the city. "We always thought San Jose voters would know the right thing to do. Of course we're not counting all our chickens before they're hatched, but right now, we're just ecstatic."

Alameda County voters were saying yes - but not in sufficient numbers - to a $12-per-parcel tax that would raise $137 million over 25 years for animal care, field trips for kids, facility upgrades and other amenities at the Oakland Zoo, according to partial election results. The tax requires approval by a two-thirds majority. More Alameda County Results.

Voters in Richmond rejected by a large margin a proposed penny-per-ounce tax on soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks, one of California's most closely watched local measures and one that was fiercely opposed by the beverage industry. The tax was pushed as a solution to the obesity epidemic by City Councilman Dr. Jeff Ritterman, a retired cardiologist who said he had treated countless patients at Kaiser Richmond who suffered from obesity-related health problems.

Santa Clara County voters approved a sales tax measure for county programs Tuesday. The margin for approval had changed little throughout the evening. Santa Clara County's Measure A calls for a one-eighth-cent sales tax increase for 10 years, which would raise about $50 million annually for county programs including Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and public health and welfare. Backers had argued it was a modest request to bolster health and safety programs after years of budget cutbacks. Supporters, led by the VMC Foundation and the Santa Clara Family Health Foundation, raised more than $660,688 toward the measure's passage.

Marin County voters on Tuesday approved a quarter-cent sales tax increase to pay for county parks, open space and farm programs. Measure A, which needed a two-thirds vote to pass, received 74 percent of the vote, or 60,655 yes to 21,757 no votes. The measure, placed on the ballot by county supervisors, will raise more than $10 million a year for parks, open space and farm programs.

That Lawrence Jones targeted a handful of his co-workers at a chicken-processing plant, killing two of them execution-style, was evident, authorities said. But why he did it remained unclear. "He had opportunity to shoot other co-workers that were in the business at this time, but he chose not to," Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer said. "He walked around them in order to get very close to the intended targets, place the gun very close and fire a round."

Apple's stock is falling along with a sell-off in the broader market. The stock of the world's most valuable company has now fallen more than 20 percent from its all-time high of $705.07, hit on Sept. 21. That was the day the latest iPhone went on sale.

Prosecutors could provide more details Wednesday about the California man behind an anti-Muslim film that roiled the Middle East in a case where he's accused of violating the terms of his probation by lying about his identity. While none of the eight alleged violations have to do with the content of "Innocence of Muslims," what prompted Mark Basseley Youssef to use at least two aliases after he was convicted in 2010 of bank fraud remains a mystery.