Rights and Liberties

Homeless ‘human rights’ bill rankles Sacramento officials

In California, helping the homeless is a popular issue in some cities and some political circles. In San Diego, elected officials of both parties say they don’t just want to reduce downtown homelessness, they want to end it. In Santa

Officials silent on whistleblower’s allegations of “false statements” in union, farm dispute

J Michael Waller, American Media Institute November 16, 2015

The California agency in charge of defending farmworkers has declined to comment on a whistleblower’s allegation of insider wrongdoing, citing an ongoing internal investigation. The whistleblower alleged earlier this year that the agency’s office of General Counsel made misleading and

Electric skateboard startups set to flourish in CA

James Poulos October 21, 2015

With a unique new law on its side, the nascent electric skateboard industry has made California its home. Two new startups — a third leader is based out of New York — have set up shop in San Francisco. The cofounders of

Newsom unveils gun initiative

James Poulos October 17, 2015

Thrusting himself to the forefront of America’s campaign-season controversy around access to firearms, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom seized the opportunity to define the 2018 gubernatorial race early, proposing a ballot initiative that would usher in sweeping new gun laws. Although Newsom’s

Oregon claim of assisted suicide safeguards has critics

Chris Reed October 9, 2015

A key argument spurring Gov. Jerry Brown’s recent decision to sign a bill allowing physician-assisted suicide in California, and the Legislature’s desire to enact such a law, was that a similar law had worked well in Oregon after its 1997

Brown signs right-to-die legislation

James Poulos October 6, 2015

Falling back on personal intuition, Gov. Jerry Brown signed physician-assisted suicide into California law. The move capped a long and sometimes tortuous effort to get legislation through the state Legislature, where opponents of elective death managed to mount a successfully targeted opposition

Governor Jerry Brown revives redevelopment agencies

John October 1, 2015

Redevelopment is back in California. Four years after Governor Jerry Brown led the effort to eliminate redevelopment agencies, the governor has changed his mind, signing legislation to restore the controversial institutions and their power to use eminent domain. Earlier this month,

From L.A. to San Diego, short-term rentals stoke fury

Chris Reed September 29, 2015

The Internet-fueled rise of short-term vacation rentals is stoking fury in coastal Southern California communities and cities that attract lots of tourists. Opponents say they’re killing neighborhood quality of life by bringing a never-ending series of loud, rude, drunken visitors

Gov. Brown vetoes CA drone bill

James Poulos September 15, 2015

Exhibiting his penchant for practical wisdom, Gov. Jerry Brown waved off the California Legislature’s attempt to place big new restrictions on drone usage. Deflating anxiety “Drone technology certainly raises novel issues that merit careful examination. This bill, however, while well-intentioned, could

Lawmakers bow to pressure, abandon effort to fix property confiscation laws

John September 11, 2015

Government agencies will continue to have the power to confiscate private property in California – without a criminal conviction – after lawmakers bowed to intense lobbying pressure by agencies with a vested interest in maintaining California’s civil asset forfeiture system. “No