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MARYSVILLE

Northern California jail settles mental health lawsuit

A Northern California county is agreeing to improve mental health care at its county jail to settle a lawsuit alleging there were at least 41 suicide attempts in less than three years.

Yuba County's attorneys said in a statement Thursday they do not agree conditions at the jail are below legal requirements.

But the county is agreeing to review suicide hazards, improve medical and mental health care, increase mental health care staffing and update policies on housing inmates experiencing a mental health crisis. It's also agreeing to provide detainees with more time out of their cells including for exercise and recreation.

It also will provide more access for inmates with disabilities and will have incoming detainees examined by medical instead of correctional employees.

A federal judge must approve the settlement.

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SACRAMENTO

Bill to ban paying per signature for ballot measures passes

California lawmakers have again sent Gov. Jerry Brown a bill to ban paying people based on the number of signatures they collect to place initiatives on the ballot.

The state Senate voted 25-14 Thursday to send the measure to Brown, who vetoed a similar measure in 2011.

State law requires initiative proponents collect a certain number of signatures to place a measure on the ballot. It can cost millions to collect enough to qualify a measure.

Supporters of the bill argue paying per-signature creates an incentive for signature gatherers to deceive voters about what they are signing.

Brown argued in his 2011 veto message that banning per-signature payment would make it more expensive to place measures on the ballot.

It would also apply to referendum and recall petitions.

SANTA ANA

Police carjacking probe leads to fatal California shooting

Officers shot one man to death and arrested another during a confrontation at a Santa Ana car wash that police say was linked to the investigation of a fatal carjacking earlier this month.

City News Service reports the shooting occurred Thursday afternoon.

Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna says no officers were hurt.

Neither the man killed nor the one arrested were identified.

Bertagna says the two were found in a silver sedan police had been seeking in connection with an Aug. 14 carjacking and fatal shooting.

Hugo Sanchez Jr. of Santa Ana was gassing up his car that morning when he was abducted by two men. After being forced to drive a short distance he was shot to death.