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Reaching 50 percent renewable goal won’t be easy

Yesterday Democratic leaders in the California Senate introduced a series of bills to move the state to a goal of 50 percent renewable energy by 2030. That would be an increase from the current goal of 33 percent by 2020. The goal also

Tech giants back privacy bill

James Poulos February 11, 2015

Bolstered by crucial support from industry leaders and Republicans across the aisle, Sacramento’s most prominent privacy-rights proponent took another stab at restricting the state’s access to personal information. State Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, repackaged some of his long-cherished plans for

GOP struggles finding U.S. Senate candidate

James Poulos February 10, 2015

With California Sen. Barbara Boxer retiring in 2016, Democrats have enthused over their deep bench of ambitious politicians ready and willing to replace her. Republicans, by contrast, have been more timid. A few party figures have stepped forward, but bold-faced names have not, leaving

Soaring costs vex health care witnesses

Dave Roberts February 10, 2015

The escalating cost of health care is making sick patients wait until they get sicker before receiving the medicine that would cure them. That was one of the warnings from a Feb. 4 California Senate Health Committee hearing titled, ”Making Health Care Affordable:

Two new legal actions crash into high-speed rail

Kathy Hamilton February 10, 2015

Yesterday California’s high-speed rail project faced two new legal actions in its path to construction. The first was in state court about the adequacy of the electrification environmental document of CalTrain, the Bay Area commuter system. The second was in

Gov. Brown breaks drought funds dry spell

James Poulos February 10, 2015

Flanked by U.S. Interior Secretary Sally Jewell, Gov. Jerry Brown recently announced a combined $50 million in drought relief funds, much of it headed the Golden State’s way. But Jewell and Brown tamped down criticism, suggesting the crisis was far from

AG Harris challenges reversal of CA foie gras ban

James Poulos February 9, 2015

Just two days before the deadline, California Attorney General Kamala Harris’ office filed notice the state would challenge U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson’s January ruling that federal law preempts the state’s ban on serving foie gras. The phrase in French means “fatted

State meets water conservation goals as drought lingers

John February 9, 2015

Californians are conserving water, but the historic drought still lingers. The state posted its best numbers in December, with statewide water conservation increasing 22 percent, according to the State Water Resources Control Board. By comparison, state water officials said conservation

CA could suspend high-school exit exam

John Seiler February 9, 2015

State Sen. Carol Liu, D-Pasadena, has introduced Senate Bill 172, which “would remove the high school exit examination as a condition of receiving a diploma of graduation or a condition of graduation from high school for each pupil completing grade 12”

Electric vehicle sales survive low gas prices — so far

John Seiler February 6, 2015

Call it the Tesla Effect. Good news — so far — for California’s successful electric-vehicle maker and others in the industry. At least through last November, the low gasoline prices of recent months have not crashed electric vehicle sales. Plug In