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Questionable practices at CA prisons criticized

After years spent under the glare of judicial scrutiny, California’s effort to clean up its prison system has run up against a fresh wave of challenges and controversy. Lawsuits, violence and Draconian measures have all increased costs while chipping away at support

Gov. Brown opposes CA minimum wage hike

James Poulos July 16, 2015

Opening another fissure with members of his own party, Gov. Jerry Brown has come down on the opposite side of a proposed statewide increase in the minimum wage. Changing course In an indication of the mood in the governor’s office, Brown’s

Assemblyman denounces ‘bullying’ by committee chair

Dave Roberts July 16, 2015

Assemblyman Matthew Harper, R-Huntington Beach, has accused Assemblyman Roger Hernández, D-West Covina, the chairman of the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, of engaging in “outrageous bullying tactics” when Hernández denied Harper the opportunity to speak last week on a minimum

Taxpayer-subsidized companies raking in public contracts

Steve Miller July 15, 2015

Los Angeles County is hitting 1.000. The county has done business with each of the top 10 recipients of local and state subsidies in California, records show. The practice is common, although hardly in violation of any rules. But across

Bill would ban sex offenders from driving for Uber, Lyft

Chris Nichols July 15, 2015

The next time you grab a ride with Uber or Lyft, a California lawmaker wants to make sure a registered sex offender isn’t behind the wheel — something the ride-hailing companies say they already go the extra-mile to prevent. Sen.

CA gas spikes raise hackles

James Poulos July 14, 2015

California gas prices have once again jumped out to dramatic highs, setting consumers on edge and reopening old questions about who’s to blame. Some analysts, including those at GasBuddy.com, pointed a finger at foreign wholesalers, while others, such as Trilby Lundberg, said

Audit reveals ‘serious and pervasive deficiencies’ in West Covina

John July 13, 2015

A scathing audit by state Controller Betty T. Yee has found “serious and pervasive deficiencies” in the city of West Covina’s administrative and internal accounting controls. The problems with West Covina’s public contracts were so bad, the controller’s office says,

Change in accounting rule forces governments to disclose liabilities

John July 12, 2015

State and local governments will no longer be allowed to hide the true costs of the long-term benefits provided to government workers. A recent change by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, known simply by the acronym GASB, forces government bodies

Asset forfeiture reform draws bipartisan buzz

James Poulos July 11, 2015

Amid growing national concern over the practice of so-called civil asset forfeiture, bipartisan support has swelled in California to reform the practice, with a new bill poised to add Assembly to Senate approval. An emerging consensus Asset forfeiture, wherein law enforcement retains

Anti-smoking bills falter in Sacramento

James Poulos July 11, 2015

A surprise switch to a bill that would tightly regulate vaping has caused its sponsor to repudiate the legislation. State Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, had advanced SB140 confidently, riding a wave of anti-smoking activism that sought to treat vapes, or e-cigs, the