Morning Wrap: 5/13/11

GOP lawmakers pitch a budget, judge refuses to halt Jonestown memorial, “Mommy P.I.” investigator Chris Butler admits to running a house of prostitution, plus a San Francisco mom defends Botox for her 8-year-old, and more inside.

• After three years of budget slashing, BART is proposing to spend $612 on operations next fiscal year, a 4 percent rise. Contra Costa Times
• GOP lawmakers proposed their own budget to tackle the state’s remaining $15.4 billion deficit without any new taxes, while slashing salaries for state workers, and biting deeply into programs for the needy, the young, and the mentally ill. AP
• Among newly released census data: Of the Bay Area’s large cities, San Francisco’s population is the oldest, while Berkeley’s is the youngest. The Bay Citizen
• A judge declined to halt the formal unveiling of a controversial Jonestown memorial at Oakland’s Evergreen Cemetery that contains the name of the Rev. Jim Jones. Oakland Tribune
• Attorney General Kamala Harris and San Francisco leaders moved to derail a bid by backers of Prop 8 to remove last year’s ruling striking down the law based on trial judge Vaughn Walker’s same-sex relationship, calling it “meritless” and motivated by bias against gays. Mercury News
• “Mommy P.I.” investigator Chris Butler admits he helped run a house of prostitution in Pleasant Hill but says a former state drug task force commander was the architect of the operation, Butler’s attorney said Thursday. Chronicle
• Police say a 54-year-old husband shot and killed his 25-year-old wife and a male companion as they sat in a car in a San Jose State parking garage before shooting and killing himself. Chronicle
• BART officials, who’ve said little so far about the effort to replace  deposed general manager Dorothy Dugger. said Thursday the search could take up to three months. Examiner
• An elderly patient was brutally attacked at Napa State Mental Hospital Wednesday night, the latest in a series of violent incidents at the facility. KTVU 2
• Mascalzone Latino, the Italian yachting team that is the official “challenger of record” for the America’s Cup, said it is backing out of the 2013 San Francisco Bay event for lack of funds, reducing the competitors to 14. SF Business Times
• Although the eastern span of the new Bay Bridge is due to open for cars by the end of 2013, Caltrans now says the $100 million bicycle lane will open “a little bit” later due to engineering challenges. The Bay Citizen
• Three employees of the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Palo Alto and a contractor were indicted by a federal grand jury on bribery charges. Chronicle
• A San Francisco mother is taking heat for giving Botox injections to her 8-year-old daughter. ABC 7
• After being caught red handed by an online news site, Facebook admits having hired a public relations firm to plant negative news stories about Google. Chronicle
• The Warriors received permission to interview Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw. Oakland Tribune