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Polls: Split-roll property tax initiative faces rough road

Two polls were issued last week, and while quite different in the territory they covered, both contained one question that examined the same issue – a split-roll property tax. In one way the results on that one question were quite

Another black lawmaker turns on CA teacher unions

Chris Reed June 6, 2015

California’s Democratic Party has long been able keep the peace between its richest faction — public employee unions — and its biggest faction — minority voters. But more than with any Legislature this century, the current session has produced some

In San Fernando rail showdown, echoes of Chavez Ravine

Chris Reed June 4, 2015

In the San Fernando Valley, there’s been intense opposition for years among its 1.7 million residents to having the state’s bullet train project cut through middle-class and poor neighborhoods and equestrian areas. Civic leaders, activists and property owners view the

Financial transparency bill clears CA Assembly

Josephine Djuhana June 4, 2015

Legislation to increase requirements for financial disclosures for government officials passed the state Assembly on Tuesday in a unanimous 66-0 vote. Assembly Bill 10, authored by Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Glendale, modernizes the Form 500 disclosure document in five ways: “Clarify

Bill to increase CA minimum wage passes Senate

Josephine Djuhana June 3, 2015

On Tuesday, a bill to increase the state’s minimum wage was approved by the state Senate. Senate Bill 3, jointly authored by state Senator Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, and Senator Connie M. Leyva, D-Chino, would raise the minimum wage to $11 per

Is another bold CA energy strategy flopping?

Chris Reed June 1, 2015

In December 2000, Californians suffered a rare ordeal: rolling blackouts in a cool month instead of the blackouts seen intermittently in summer because of heavy air conditioning use overtaxing the state’s energy grid. The Golden State’s struggle to keep the

L.A. union leader wants exemption from new $15/hr wage

Josephine Djuhana May 31, 2015

Just a week after the L.A. City Council voted in support of a $15 minimum wage, Rusty Hicks, the head of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor and co-chair of the “Raise the Wage” campaign, has requested that unions be

Reformers get help in fight over school funding law

Chris Reed May 31, 2015

Education reformers and advocates for poor communities have a new tool in the fight over implementation of a 2013 law that was supposed to provide extra help to millions of struggling California students. The Local Control Funding Formula — championed

L.A. budget gets good marks, but big obstacles ahead

Chris Reed May 30, 2015

A few years ago, the Los Angeles city government appeared to be hurtling toward the fiscal abyss because of heavy pension costs for police and firefighters and a sluggish local economy. But a pension reform measure and a relatively tough

Teacher tenure bill defeated in Assembly

Josephine Djuhana May 29, 2015

On Thursday, the California Assembly Appropriations Committee voted to hold Assembly Bill 753, in effect killing the bill for this legislative session. AB753 is authored by Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, and would expand the scope of the tenure system to teachers working in small