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With move to ‘Super Tuesday,’ California looks to increase influence on presidential primary

In an effort to bolster its relevance during the next presidential election, Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a new law moving California’s primary from June to early March. A March primary gives the Golden State an opportunity to be political

Technology-related bills struggled during recent legislative session

Steven Greenhut September 27, 2017

SACRAMENTO – California’s leaders often point to the burgeoning high-tech industry as evidence of the state’s strong, future-oriented economy. The industry’s ongoing success helps Democrats rebut arguments from conservatives who say that California isn’t particularly business friendly. But despite

Californians consider moving due to rising housing costs, poll finds

Drew Gregory Lynch September 21, 2017

A majority of voters in California have considered moving due to rising housing costs, according to new findings from the Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, with 1 in 4 saying that if they moved it would be out of the state

End of session defined by higher taxes, anti-Trump and union priorities

Steven Greenhut September 20, 2017

SACRAMENTO – California’s legislative session, which completed its work in the wee hours Saturday morning, was one of the more controversial ones in years, given the degree to which the Democratic majority was able to secure various tax and fee

With unprecedented security measures, Ben Shapiro delivers Berkeley speech

Drew Gregory Lynch September 15, 2017

Amid fears of widespread political violence, Ben Shapiro’s speech at UC Berkeley on Thursday night was a mostly peaceful affair, with the conservative commentator delivering remarks where he criticized identity politics and an anti-free speech climate on college campuses around

Will consumer privacy initiatives slow the internet economy?

Steven Greenhut September 14, 2017

SACRAMENTO – As the legislative session ends, California political junkies will soon turn their attention to the slate of initiatives making their way to the November 2018 ballot. One of the more significant proposed statewide measures is the California Consumer

California set to become ‘sanctuary state’ after deal between governor and state Senate leader

Drew Gregory Lynch September 12, 2017

Gov. Jerry Brown and Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles, reached a compromise on the state’s “sanctuary state” bill this week, in a deal that amends the legislation to expand the ability of law enforcement to cooperate

Study raises doubts about effects of local control in schools

Chris Reed September 12, 2017

When Gov. Jerry Brown persuaded the Legislature to pass the Local Control Funding Formula in 2013 – the biggest change in public education in California this century – he used two main selling points. The first was that the law would direct

‘Sanctuary state,’ energy, housing bills face reckoning in Legislature

Chris Reed September 11, 2017

The California Legislature enters the final week of its 2017 session with ambitious measures on immigration, renewable energy and housing still up in the air. Two of the measures have been championed by state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de

Bill would revive California’s redevelopment agencies

Steven Greenhut September 8, 2017

SACRAMENTO – California’s redevelopment agencies were a fixture on the local political landscape for six decades, as they guided development policies and grabbed “tax increment financing” that localities used to pay for infrastructure improvements, downtown renovations and affordable-housing projects.