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Kit fox endangers high-speed rail construction

The California High-Speed Rail Authority faces a new obstacle on its railroad track to construction: the endangered San Joaquin kit fox. The environmentalist group Defenders of Wildlife labels it “one of the most endangered animals in California.” On Jan.

CA Supreme Court bars judges from Boy Scouts

James Poulos February 3, 2015

In an unexpected exercise of judicial activism, the California Supreme Court has ruled judges must not participate in organizations that practice so-called “invidious” discrimination. It’s a judicial standard interpreted by the court to include the Boy Scouts of America because, although

Veteran lawmakers embrace new committee assignments

John February 3, 2015

As the new class of state lawmakers settles in to their jobs, Sacramento’s old hands are getting a jump start on the 2015-16 legislative session. Each session brings a biennial reshuffling of committee assignments. But some lawmakers aren’t waiting to get acquainted with their new perches. New

Farmers promote Delta smelt solution

Wayne Lusvardi February 2, 2015

Is there a solution to the Delta smelt controversy and its endless lawsuits? Yes, according to a couple of seasoned Central Valley farmers, Russell Waymire and Jim Verboon. They say enlarging the Twitchell Island Channel in the Sacramento Delta could

CA tech juggernaut jumps above rest of state

John Seiler February 2, 2015

Apple Inc. continues to lead California’s high-tech economy — with no end in sight for now. The earnings it rang up for the last quarter of 2014, a record for any company, were based on selling 74.5 million iPhones worldwide. That’s a

CA jobless down, but state faces competition

John Seiler January 30, 2015

California took pride this week in the staggering news of Apple Inc.’s record quarterly earnings. And the state unemployment rate dropped in December to 7 percent, down from 7.2 percent in November — a vast improvement over the 12 percent of 2010 and 2012.

Californians distrust state government

Dave Roberts January 30, 2015

Nine out of 10 Californians believe state government wastes their tax dollars. Two-thirds believe state government is run for the benefit of a few special interests and state officials cannot be trusted to do the right thing. Those results from a

CA lawmakers deal pair of online poker bills

John January 30, 2015

State lawmakers have dealt out a pair of bills to legalize Internet poker in California. Assemblymen Mike Gatto, D-Glendale, and Reggies Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, have introduced separate proposals to allow online poker in the largest potential gaming market in the country. As many

McClintock pushes water storage, public lands access

John Seiler January 29, 2015

“I think there’s going to be a concerted effort in the next few weeks to move both short-term and long-term water relief bills for California,” Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Calif., told CalWatchdog.com. As this site reported in November, promising bipartisan efforts by

Assisted suicide back from the dead

James Poulos January 28, 2015

Physician-assisted suicide has returned to California’s political agenda. After years off the table, the issue gained new life in the wake of Brittany Maynard’s high-profile decision to end her life. Maynard, 29, an assisted-suicide activist living in Oregon, advertised her