Posts From James Poulos
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New appeal seeks to halt bullet train
A new legal move has ratcheted up the legal battle around California’s $68 billion high-speed rail project. In a controversial decision late this July, the California Court of Appeal for the Third District brushed aside claims that ballot wording and voters’ intent carried legal weight that legislators’
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Backlash to CA police militarization extends across political spectrum
The acquisition of a mine-resistant armored vehicle by the city of Davis has drawn national attention and fueled a statewide outcry over the armament of law enforcement with military-grade equipment. In a detailed history of the so-called militarization of California police, the
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Dems spending more campaign cash against Dems in open primary system
Since the advent of the “jungle primary” system that runs the top two votegetters in the general election, Democrats have outspent Republicans when pitted against a member of their own party. That is to say California’s open primary system has caused Democrats to spend
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GOP banks on Silicon Valley inroads
California’s tech titans are giving the Republican Party a second look. Political and tech observers alike have agreed these are early days for a realignment of Silicon Valley voters. Nevertheless, the titans’ interest in GOP candidates and causes — and the corresponding
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Warrantless drone ban hovers over Brown’s desk
With a stroke of his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown could set the tone for state-level drone policy. After passing the Assembly and the state Senate, AB1327 will await Brown’s signature until the end of September. Legislation regulating the use of drones by law
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Sacramento hits the gas on driving taxes
Within a few years, California may choose to tax drivers by the mile. Taking up a controversial idea floated by the federal government and embraced by Oregon, Sacramento legislators recently passed a bill that could lead to a new “road usage
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Unions bank on CA for new gains
Across the country, union membership has long been in fairly steep decline. After a series of recent reverses, including a failed attempt to pass national minimum wage legislation in Washington, D.C., union leaders shifted to a state-by-state, city-by-city approach to advancing their
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Wins and losses in latest CA gun control battles
Gun control laws in the state of California have entered into a period of flux. Despite a reputation for exceptionally strict gun measures, the regulatory landscape has become a mixed bag. Advocates of tighter restrictions and advocates of looser ones have
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Despite incentives, Tesla stiffs CA
Ensnared by deep contradictions between its regulations and priorities, California officials failed to close a massive deal with automaker Tesla, allowing Nevada to ink a landmark agreement. California and Nevada were just two of the states vying for Tesla’s $5 billion “gigafactory,”
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Bill rectifies 9/11 scholarship program
It took California legislators until this year’s session to restore a scholarship program created in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001. The embarrassing delay came in the wake of years of funding abuses, according to a report finally filed
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