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Criminal justice reform push losing momentum

Not only has it been a disappointing year for the lawmakers and civic leaders behind the recent push for sweeping reforms of California’s criminal justice system, their achievements are under harsh fire in Los Angeles County. Last December, Assemblyman Rob

Democrats force recall backers to fight another court battle

Steven Greenhut August 29, 2017

SACRAMENTO – Most recall elections are primarily about electoral politics, as both sides duke it out with the usual broadcast ads and ground campaigns. But the burgeoning Republican effort to recall Orange County’s Democratic Sen. Josh Newman has turned into

Legislature is back and focused on housing, recall and bail

Steven Greenhut August 24, 2017

SACRAMENTO – California’s Legislature is back from its recess and legislators kicked off the session by focusing on two highly partisan matters. Assembly Republicans first voted to keep Chad Mayes as Republican leader, despite pressure from activists to oust

Assembly GOP leader survives ouster bid, but other challenges expected

Chris Reed August 22, 2017

Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes, R-Yucca Valley, survived a bid to oust him on Monday night at a caucus of the 25 GOP Assembly members in Sacramento. Ten Republicans voted for his removal, three short of a majority. Nevertheless, anger

Water war’s new front: Where to add major storage projects

Chris Reed August 18, 2017

After a 35-year stalemate stalled new California water storage projects, Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders agreed in 2014 to include $2.7 billion for such needs as part of Proposition 1, a $7.5 billion water bond approved in a landslide

San Diego mayor offers suggestions for future of state GOP

Steven Greenhut August 16, 2017

SACRAMENTO – Even Republicans admit the state GOP is something of a rudderless ship these days. The party doesn’t control any constitutional offices. Democrats have supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature. Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley,

CalPERS’ divestment goals in crosshairs as coal stocks soar

Steven Greenhut August 9, 2017

SACRAMENTO – A newly released report from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System confirms that, fulfilling the Legislature’s directive to divest from coal-related investments, the pension fund has now largely exited from coal stocks. But as news reports this week

San Francisco voters may have chance to overturn vaping ban

Steven Greenhut August 2, 2017

SACRAMENTO – The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted in June to make the city the first in the country to impose a total sales ban on flavored tobacco products, as similar ordinances spread across the Bay Area. It’s also

Democrats and Republicans see different solutions to California housing crisis

Steven Greenhut July 26, 2017

SACRAMENTO – Before the recent legislative recess, California Democratic leaders and Gov. Jerry Brown announced their intention to tackle one of the state’s biggest crises: housing affordability. It’s the rare instance where virtually everyone in the Capitol at least is

School districts struggling despite huge funding increase

Chris Reed July 21, 2017

California’s funding of education has gone from $50.4 billion in the fiscal year that ended in 2012 to $74.5 billion for the current fiscal year – a nearly 50 percent increase that’s far above the less than 9 percent increase in