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Chris Reed

Chris Reed

Chris Reed is a regular contributor to Cal Watchdog. Reed is an editorial writer for U-T San Diego. Before joining the U-T in July 2005, he was the opinion-page columns editor and wrote the featured weekly Unspin column for The Orange County Register. Reed was on the national board of the Association of Opinion Page Editors from 2003-2005. From 2000 to 2005, Reed made more than 100 appearances as a featured news analyst on Los Angeles-area National Public Radio affiliate KPCC-FM. From 1990 to 1998, Reed was an editor, metro columnist and film critic at the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin in Ontario. Reed has a political science degree from the University of Hawaii (Hilo campus), where he edited the student newspaper, the Vulcan News, his senior year. He is on Twitter: @chrisreed99.

Newsom takes bipartisan criticism after canceling 3 road projects

Eleven months after leading a successful campaign against a ballot measure that would have repealed fuel tax hikes approved by the Legislature in 2017, Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing bipartisan criticism over his administration’s decision to cancel three road projects

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State auditor will review how $30 billion in Local Control Funding Formula grant money was spent

New reports show that six years after Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature approved a sweeping overhaul in how school funds were divvied up, the evidence is mixed that the overhaul is accomplishing its main goal: improving the academic performance

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Charter critics have potent new tool to block approvals, renewals

In an effort to portray a far-reaching bill as a compromise between charter schools and teacher unions, Gov. Gavin Newsom invited leaders of both groups as well as state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurman to recent signing ceremonies for

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New law makes it easier for authorities to force troubled homeless into conservatorships

Reflecting frustration over the fact that years of adding resources to fighting homelessness had brought little progress, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill making it significantly easier for authorities in three counties with 40 percent of California’s population to

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Nearly entire CA House delegation – including 4 Republicans – backs cannabis banking

More than three-quarters of California’s local governments have declined to authorize retail stores to sell cannabis, as permitted by state voters with their 2016 approval of Proposition 64. Opposition has been led by moderate Democrats and conservative Republicans unconvinced that

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CA cities, counties ask for Supreme Court’s help on homelessness

Rushing to meet last week’s deadline for filing amicus briefs, dozens of local governments and other groups in California have jointly and separately beseeched the high court to uphold laws targeting sleeping in public. Such laws are seen as a

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Despite shake-up, bullet train project faces more bad news

California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Brian Kelly worked over the summer to reassure anxious state lawmakers that a new management team could revive the troubled bullet-train project. He also proceeded to push out key officials overseeing contract and property decisions.

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California leaders embrace fossil-fuel divestment

Actions taken in recent days by the University of California Board of Regents, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Treasurer Fiona Ma have ushered in a new era of pension divestment to take a stand against fossil fuels. Jagdeep Singh Bachher,

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Do L.A. County leaders have ‘compassion fatigue’ on homelessness?

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has drawn a line on homelessness, voting 3-2 to support a challenge to an expansive 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that forbids local governments in nine Western states from enforcing laws

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Will revived redevelopment program create additional affordable housing?

A bill that would revive redevelopment as a tool for local governments passed the state Legislature in the final days of the summer session on party-line votes. Now the question is whether a so-far noncommittal Gov. Gavin Newsom will accept

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