Patient dumping. L.A. is investigating allegations that Nevada’s main psychiatric hospital has been busing indigent patients to California cities. L.A. County mental health officials say no patients from Nevada have been identified so far. But they plan to take a closer look. The Sacramento Bee has reported that more than 200 patients released from the Nevada facility were given one-way bus tickets to L.A. County. Dozens more individuals were reportedly dumped in the Bay Area. KNBC
Universal growth. The L.A. County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to vote today on a huge expansion of Universal Studios. NBC-Universal wants to add more film and production facilities at the site. The $1.6 billion plan also calls for a pair of 500-room hotels and a new Harry Potter ride at the theme park. The plan includes $100 million for transit and road improvements, as well as incentives for employees and visitors to take public transportation. Company officials originally planned to build thousands of homes on the site. Burbank Leader
Parting advice. Outgoing Mayor Antonio’s Villaragosa has laid out a spending plan that he says would put L.A. back in the black after years of red ink. The $7.7 billion budget proposal would restore some basic city services, hire more firefighters and avoids layoffs, but it calls for more belt-tightening by city workers. The mayor wants to rescind a promised raise for city employees that’s due to kick-in next year, and he says the next mayor will have to trim pension and healthcare benefits. The budget picture was brightened by a $110 million uptick in city revenue. L.A. Daily News
Trust issues. The tone of the L.A. mayoral race is getting testier. City Controller Wendy Greuel and City Councilman Eric Garcetti debated for the second time last night since winning spots in the May 21st run-off. The event at the USC Health Science Campus was filled with personal attacks over political independence. Garcetti has made an issue of Greuel’s support from city unions – saying she can’t be trusted to oversee the city’s finances. Greuel, meanwhile, accused her opponent of questionable ethics. The election is still four weeks away but voting by mail started this week. L.A. Times
School rules. Governor Jerry Brown is fixing for a fight with leaders of California’s public universities – even as he proposes to increase funding for the schools. Brown wants to tie some funding for the University of California and Cal State to a host of new requirements. Those include a freeze on tuition hikes for four years, a 10 percent increase in the number of transfer students, and a boost in the number of students graduating within four years. After half a decade of deep cuts, the governor has proposed five percent increases for U.C. and Cal State for the fiscal year beginning in July. But Brown wants to withhold some of the extra money if the universities don’t follow his recommendations. L.A. Times