[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":353},["ShallowReactive",2],{"header":3,"footer":26,"footer-cities":54,"content-\u002Fnews\u002Fsanders-plan-would-give-public-50-stake-in-big-ai-firms-with-valley-ripple-effects":235},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"links":14,"meta":20,"navigation":21,"path":22,"seo":23,"stem":24,"__hash__":25},"header\u002Fheader.md","Central Valley AI",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",[15],{"label":16,"to":17,"icon":19},"News",{"path":18},"\u002Fnews\u002F","mdi-newspaper-variant-outline",{},true,"\u002Fheader",{"title":5,"description":10},"header","ceT4J-WxxOBdbhRC-UD3fo0Npu7vWt2o2B9b_LURPmE",{"id":27,"title":28,"body":29,"copyright":33,"description":10,"developedBy":34,"extension":13,"links":41,"meta":49,"navigation":21,"path":50,"seo":51,"stem":52,"__hash__":53},"footer\u002Ffooter.md","Footer",{"type":7,"value":30,"toc":31},[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":32},[],"© {year} All rights reserved.",{"label":35,"link":36},"Developed by",{"label":37,"to":38,"target":39,"logo":40},"Kaweah Tech","https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech","_blank","https:\u002F\u002Fassets.kaweah.tech\u002Flogo-black-on-transparent-tight.svg",[42,43,46],{"label":16,"to":18},{"label":44,"to":45},"About","\u002Fabout\u002F",{"label":47,"to":48},"Privacy Policy","\u002Fprivacy-policy\u002F",{},"\u002Ffooter",{"description":10},"footer","Ras2AGS8Wuda4aBPrbAbOivaxIsAoDbo9SNCA0w554g",[55,85,123,154,181,208],{"id":56,"title":57,"body":58,"county":77,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":78,"meta":79,"navigation":21,"path":80,"seo":81,"stem":82,"tag":83,"__hash__":84},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield.md","Bakersfield",{"type":7,"value":59,"toc":74},[60,65],[61,62,64],"h2",{"id":63},"ai-in-bakersfield","AI in Bakersfield",[66,67,68,69,73],"p",{},"Bakersfield's AI conversation sits at the intersection of municipal government, the ",[70,71,72],"strong",{},"California State University Bakersfield"," community, and the energy and ag operators that drive Kern County's economy. The city was an early mover on AI-assisted permitting and has been a recurring backdrop for parent- and teacher-led debates about classroom AI use. Articles below follow specific Bakersfield initiatives, public-meeting decisions, and Kern County workforce stories — and how they reflect national AI trends from a regional vantage point.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":75},[76],{"id":63,"depth":11,"text":64},"Kern County","Bakersfield and the surrounding Kern County are home to some of the most concrete AI-in-government experiments in the Central Valley, from instant municipal permitting to school-district debates about classroom AI. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is reshaping public services, education, and the energy and agriculture economies that dominate the region.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fbakersfield",{"title":57,"description":10},"cities\u002Fbakersfield","bakersfield","ozFL4HvDA_g7UrRE1mHbKqcS-vDLwbiH9JWVh3rB2Ac",{"id":86,"title":87,"body":88,"county":115,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":116,"meta":117,"navigation":21,"path":118,"seo":119,"stem":120,"tag":121,"__hash__":122},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno.md","Fresno",{"type":7,"value":89,"toc":112},[90,94,109],[61,91,93],{"id":92},"ai-in-fresno","AI in Fresno",[66,95,96,97,100,101,104,105,108],{},"Fresno's AI story spans several distinct ecosystems. ",[70,98,99],{},"Fresno State"," and the ",[70,102,103],{},"California State University"," system anchor a workforce-readiness push, while local ",[70,106,107],{},"Fresno Unified School District"," debates around responsible use have made the city a recurring reference point in California's K-12 AI conversation. The city's economic base in agriculture, healthcare, and public services means most AI adoption stories here are about applied uses rather than model development — a different posture than coastal tech hubs but arguably more consequential for the people living here.",[66,110,111],{},"Use the articles below to follow how AI is showing up in Fresno-area institutions and businesses.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":113},[114],{"id":92,"depth":11,"text":93},"Fresno County","Fresno is the largest city in California's Central Valley and the regional center for AI adoption across agriculture, healthcare, higher education, and small business. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being applied — and contested — in and around the city of Fresno and Fresno County.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Ffresno",{"title":87,"description":10},"cities\u002Ffresno","fresno","gOL2xk8y9t9OV6PPxP02OjYhZFHC_Cg-VGijh_V93dI",{"id":124,"title":125,"body":126,"county":146,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":147,"meta":148,"navigation":21,"path":149,"seo":150,"stem":151,"tag":152,"__hash__":153},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced.md","Merced",{"type":7,"value":127,"toc":143},[128,132],[61,129,131],{"id":130},"ai-in-merced","AI in Merced",[66,133,134,135,138,139,142],{},"Merced is a research-heavy node in the Central Valley AI ecosystem. ",[70,136,137],{},"UC Merced"," faculty appear in national conversations about AI safety, autonomous vehicles, climate modeling, and pediatric health applications, while the ",[70,140,141],{},"Merced Unified School District"," and surrounding county institutions navigate the same K-12 and workforce questions the rest of the Valley faces. The articles below cover both the campus research story and the broader applied uses around the city and county.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":144},[145],{"id":130,"depth":11,"text":131},"Merced County","Merced punches above its weight in AI research, anchored by UC Merced — a leading West Coast hub for AI in agriculture, climate, autonomous systems, and health. Coverage on this page tracks both academic research coming out of the campus and how AI is showing up across Merced's schools, businesses, and county institutions.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmerced",{"title":125,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmerced","merced","pSWWlEzMdcv2_RZrUKdkEHU3bixNboePGdHbSdd1m34",{"id":155,"title":156,"body":157,"county":173,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":174,"meta":175,"navigation":21,"path":176,"seo":177,"stem":178,"tag":179,"__hash__":180},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto.md","Modesto",{"type":7,"value":158,"toc":170},[159,163],[61,160,162],{"id":161},"ai-in-modesto","AI in Modesto",[66,164,165,166,169],{},"Modesto's AI conversation tends to combine ag-tech adoption stories with workforce-readiness questions for the city's small and mid-sized employers. ",[70,167,168],{},"CSU Stanislaus"," and the regional community college network shape the higher-ed angle. Coverage below follows Modesto-area AI announcements and the wider Stanislaus County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":171},[172],{"id":161,"depth":11,"text":162},"Stanislaus County","Modesto and Stanislaus County sit between the Bay Area and the southern Valley, and their AI story reflects that bridging role — from agriculture and food processing to the **California State University Stanislaus** community to small businesses adapting to AI-driven changes in marketing, hiring, and operations.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fmodesto",{"title":156,"description":10},"cities\u002Fmodesto","modesto","l75Dc40MX8wTb4lD088Yx9we4ypuDwmcvE-uEdqqREc",{"id":182,"title":183,"body":184,"county":200,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":201,"meta":202,"navigation":21,"path":203,"seo":204,"stem":205,"tag":206,"__hash__":207},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton.md","Stockton",{"type":7,"value":185,"toc":197},[186,190],[61,187,189],{"id":188},"ai-in-stockton","AI in Stockton",[66,191,192,193,196],{},"Stockton's economic base in logistics, healthcare, and higher education gives the city a different AI profile than the southern Valley. ",[70,194,195],{},"University of the Pacific"," anchors the academic conversation, while San Joaquin County government, hospitals, and warehouse operators are navigating practical adoption questions: cost, training, security, workforce impact. The articles below track Stockton-area AI announcements and the broader San Joaquin County context.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":198},[199],{"id":188,"depth":11,"text":189},"San Joaquin County","Stockton and San Joaquin County sit at the northern edge of the Central Valley, where logistics, healthcare, and the University of the Pacific shape the local AI adoption story. Coverage on this page follows how AI is being put to work — and questioned — across San Joaquin County's institutions, employers, and public services.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fstockton",{"title":183,"description":10},"cities\u002Fstockton","stockton","TYEBK9akp2HbpAFmYY67FeKt7Rs7L8tvtYeQBtgJAHw",{"id":209,"title":210,"body":211,"county":227,"description":10,"extension":13,"intro":228,"meta":229,"navigation":21,"path":230,"seo":231,"stem":232,"tag":233,"__hash__":234},"cities\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia.md","Visalia",{"type":7,"value":212,"toc":224},[213,217],[61,214,216],{"id":215},"ai-in-visalia","AI in Visalia",[66,218,219,220,223],{},"Visalia's AI footprint is grounded in the practical adoption stories that come with a Tulare County economy built around agriculture, food processing, and rural healthcare. ",[70,221,222],{},"College of the Sequoias"," and the surrounding K-12 districts anchor the education conversation. The articles below cover Visalia-area AI developments and the Tulare County context, with a focus on applied uses rather than research or model development.",{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":225},[226],{"id":215,"depth":11,"text":216},"Tulare County","Visalia is the largest city in Tulare County and a center for agriculture, healthcare, and county-government services in the southern Central Valley. Coverage on this page tracks how AI is being adopted across Tulare County's schools, hospitals, ag operations, and small business community.",{},"\u002Fcities\u002Fvisalia",{"title":210,"description":10},"cities\u002Fvisalia","visalia","gN4g7aAl-cqD4FfSTgtTAarltUoKLh8NFlPzCbZngqU",{"id":236,"title":237,"archived":238,"author":239,"body":240,"date":340,"dateModified":340,"description":341,"extension":13,"meta":342,"navigation":21,"path":343,"rawbody":344,"seo":345,"sitemap":346,"stem":347,"tags":348,"__hash__":352},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fsanders-plan-would-give-public-50-stake-in-big-ai-firms-with-valley-ripple-effects.md","Sanders plan would give public 50% stake in big AI firms, with Valley ripple effects",false,"CVAI Newsdesk",{"type":7,"value":241,"toc":333},[242,246,250,266,269,272,276,279,282,286,289,292,296,299,302,305,320,323,327],[243,244,237],"h1",{"id":245},"sanders-plan-would-give-public-50-stake-in-big-ai-firms-with-valley-ripple-effects",[61,247,249],{"id":248},"key-takeaways","Key Takeaways",[251,252,253,257,260,263],"ol",{},[254,255,256],"li",{},"Sanders proposes a one-time 50% tax, paid in stock, on the largest AI companies.",[254,258,259],{},"The plan would create a nearly $7 trillion public fund paying over $1,000 per person annually.",[254,261,262],{},"The tax would apply to AI firms with at least $200 million in annual AI sales.",[254,264,265],{},"Kern County’s proposed 99 MW Inyokern data center and PG&E’s Fresno remarks show local stakes.",[66,267,268],{},"A Rotary crowd in Fresno heard it first this spring in local terms. PG&E Corp. president Carla Peterman told members that AI data centers could lower regional power bills if Central Valley projects connect sensibly to the grid. The national piece landed Wednesday night, when Sen. Bernie Sanders unveiled a bill to give the public direct ownership of half of the country’s largest AI firms.",[66,270,271],{},"Why it matters here: if Washington takes stock in Big AI and pays out annual dividends, that money and the corporate decisions behind it would touch Fresno, Kern and Stanislaus just like anywhere else, maybe sooner given where developers want to build.",[61,273,275],{"id":274},"what-sanders-proposed","What Sanders proposed",[66,277,278],{},"Sanders’ bill, shared with the Associated Press, would impose a one-time 50% tax paid in company stock on large AI companies, placing those shares in a federally run sovereign wealth fund. The fund would hold voting power and distribute a 5% annual dividend that Sanders says would mean more than $1,000 per American each year. He estimates the fund could approach $7 trillion. Big number.",[66,280,281],{},"The proposal sets a trigger: companies with at least $200 million in annual AI sales would have to transfer stock rather than cash. A seven-member commission, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, would vote those shares, with a mandate to block decisions that harm the public and push ones that help.",[61,283,285],{"id":284},"why-this-could-show-up-in-the-valley","Why this could show up in the Valley",[66,287,288],{},"Peterman told Fresno Rotarians in March that every gigawatt of new load can pull residential rates down roughly 1%, and that about two-thirds of PG&E’s current data center applications sit in the Central Valley. Kern County is already wrestling with a proposed 99 megawatt, AI‑ready data center near Inyokern that plans 40 diesel backup generators and is before the California Energy Commission. Supporters cite construction jobs and new tax base. Neighbors worry about water, noise and the grid.",[66,290,291],{},"If Sanders’ ownership plan advances, the biggest AI firms driving those buildouts would be half-public. That could shift how expansion is sequenced, who sits at the table on siting and usage rules, and how gains flow to households in Fresno and Bakersfield. Local colleges and employers watching automation in warehousing, ag processing and back-office work would be watching the revenue side too, since dividend checks don’t fix a layoff but they matter to a family budget.",[61,293,295],{"id":294},"what-local-officials-and-employers-are-weighing","What local officials and employers are weighing",[66,297,298],{},"Utilities want clear cost recovery and grid timelines, not surprises. Peterman said developers would front their own interconnection upgrades and that the utility has cut bundle rates since 2024. City halls from Fresno to Ridgecrest want to see the job counts, wage sheets and water plans on paper. Labor leaders have pushed back on blanket opposition to data centers, arguing that buildouts with firm labor standards and mitigation can pencil for counties like Kern.",[66,300,301],{},"There’s still the basic question: who decides when a project is good enough for the neighborhood. Sanders’ bill would put federal appointees in a real shareholder seat at companies like OpenAI or Anthropic. Voters here will decide how they feel about that part.",[66,303,304],{},"A sweating pitcher of iced tea sat near the Rotary bell that day in Fresno. Peterman ended her talk with this: \"You start to add that up and it makes a difference.\" And Sanders, to AP: \"The benefits cannot simply go to the handful of wealthy corporations. They will be shared by the American people.\"",[66,306,307],{},[308,309,310,311,313,314,319],"em",{},"Central Valley AI is produced by the ",[70,312,239],{}," team and developed by ",[315,316,37],"a",{"href":38,"rel":317},[318],"nofollow",", a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.",[321,322],"hr",{},[61,324,326],{"id":325},"source","Source",[66,328,329],{},[315,330,331],{"href":331,"rel":332},"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.yourcentralvalley.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness\u002Fap-ap-exclusive-bernie-sanders-unveils-plan-to-give-the-public-direct-ownership-of-ai-companies\u002F",[318],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":334},[335,336,337,338,339],{"id":248,"depth":11,"text":249},{"id":274,"depth":11,"text":275},{"id":284,"depth":11,"text":285},{"id":294,"depth":11,"text":295},{"id":325,"depth":11,"text":326},"2026-06-18","Sanders proposes a one-time stock tax to give the public half of major AI companies and seed a $7T fund with annual payments. Central Valley utilities and data center plans show how the idea could land here.",{},"\u002Fnews\u002Fsanders-plan-would-give-public-50-stake-in-big-ai-firms-with-valley-ripple-effects","---\nauthor: CVAI Newsdesk\ndate: 2026-06-18\ndateModified: '2026-06-18'\ndescription: Sanders proposes a one-time stock tax to give the public half of major\n  AI companies and seed a $7T fund with annual payments. Central Valley utilities\n  and data center plans show how the idea could land here.\ntags:\n- policy\n- business\n- central valley\ntitle: Sanders plan would give public 50% stake in big AI firms, with Valley ripple\n  effects\n---\n\n# Sanders plan would give public 50% stake in big AI firms, with Valley ripple effects\n\n## Key Takeaways\n\n1. Sanders proposes a one-time 50% tax, paid in stock, on the largest AI companies.\n2. The plan would create a nearly $7 trillion public fund paying over $1,000 per person annually.\n3. The tax would apply to AI firms with at least $200 million in annual AI sales.\n4. Kern County’s proposed 99 MW Inyokern data center and PG&E’s Fresno remarks show local stakes.\n\nA Rotary crowd in Fresno heard it first this spring in local terms. PG&E Corp. president Carla Peterman told members that AI data centers could lower regional power bills if Central Valley projects connect sensibly to the grid. The national piece landed Wednesday night, when Sen. Bernie Sanders unveiled a bill to give the public direct ownership of half of the country’s largest AI firms.\n\nWhy it matters here: if Washington takes stock in Big AI and pays out annual dividends, that money and the corporate decisions behind it would touch Fresno, Kern and Stanislaus just like anywhere else, maybe sooner given where developers want to build.\n\n## What Sanders proposed\n\nSanders’ bill, shared with the Associated Press, would impose a one-time 50% tax paid in company stock on large AI companies, placing those shares in a federally run sovereign wealth fund. The fund would hold voting power and distribute a 5% annual dividend that Sanders says would mean more than $1,000 per American each year. He estimates the fund could approach $7 trillion. Big number.\n\nThe proposal sets a trigger: companies with at least $200 million in annual AI sales would have to transfer stock rather than cash. A seven-member commission, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, would vote those shares, with a mandate to block decisions that harm the public and push ones that help.\n\n## Why this could show up in the Valley\n\nPeterman told Fresno Rotarians in March that every gigawatt of new load can pull residential rates down roughly 1%, and that about two-thirds of PG&E’s current data center applications sit in the Central Valley. Kern County is already wrestling with a proposed 99 megawatt, AI‑ready data center near Inyokern that plans 40 diesel backup generators and is before the California Energy Commission. Supporters cite construction jobs and new tax base. Neighbors worry about water, noise and the grid.\n\nIf Sanders’ ownership plan advances, the biggest AI firms driving those buildouts would be half-public. That could shift how expansion is sequenced, who sits at the table on siting and usage rules, and how gains flow to households in Fresno and Bakersfield. Local colleges and employers watching automation in warehousing, ag processing and back-office work would be watching the revenue side too, since dividend checks don’t fix a layoff but they matter to a family budget.\n\n## What local officials and employers are weighing\n\nUtilities want clear cost recovery and grid timelines, not surprises. Peterman said developers would front their own interconnection upgrades and that the utility has cut bundle rates since 2024. City halls from Fresno to Ridgecrest want to see the job counts, wage sheets and water plans on paper. Labor leaders have pushed back on blanket opposition to data centers, arguing that buildouts with firm labor standards and mitigation can pencil for counties like Kern.\n\nThere’s still the basic question: who decides when a project is good enough for the neighborhood. Sanders’ bill would put federal appointees in a real shareholder seat at companies like OpenAI or Anthropic. Voters here will decide how they feel about that part.\n\nA sweating pitcher of iced tea sat near the Rotary bell that day in Fresno. Peterman ended her talk with this: \"You start to add that up and it makes a difference.\" And Sanders, to AP: \"The benefits cannot simply go to the handful of wealthy corporations. They will be shared by the American people.\"\n\n*Central Valley AI is produced by the **CVAI Newsdesk** team and developed by [Kaweah Tech](https:\u002F\u002Fkaweah.tech), a regional firm that builds, deploys, and integrates AI solutions for businesses across California's Central Valley.*\n\n---\n\n## Source\n\nhttps:\u002F\u002Fwww.yourcentralvalley.com\u002Fnews\u002Fbusiness\u002Fap-ap-exclusive-bernie-sanders-unveils-plan-to-give-the-public-direct-ownership-of-ai-companies\u002F\n",{"title":237,"description":341},{"loc":343},"news\u002Fsanders-plan-would-give-public-50-stake-in-big-ai-firms-with-valley-ripple-effects",[349,350,351],"policy","business","central valley","C-oFVQmtHyCqHJZscDCNlQ2EGNkKrx7FRznlqVoJY00",1782158314486]