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Supreme Court ruling appears to help Vergara plaintiffs

A landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision last week that Texas programs implementing the federal Fair Housing Act have had a discriminatory “disparate impact” on minorities — even if there is no evidence of intent to discriminate in the execution of

SCOTUS spares CA raisin farmer

James Poulos June 29, 2015

At least one closely split Supreme Court decision seems likely to meet widespread acclaim this term. A 5-4 majority, led by Chief Justice John Roberts, sided with a California raisin grower challenging a New Deal law that had enabled government agriculture regulators to

CA incentives reel back film and TV production

James Poulos June 28, 2015

Hollywood could soon reclaim its once-shaky status as America’s production headquarters. After a near panic touched off by a nationwide spending spree on state incentives for film and television production, programs around the country have begun scaling back or shutting down altogether, leaving California

Initiative filing fee hike moves closer to approval

John June 27, 2015

A proposal to make it more expensive to file a ballot measure in California is moving closer to becoming law, worrying both liberal and conservative groups that frequently utilize the initiative process. Democratic Assemblymen Evan Low of Campbell and Richard Bloom of Santa Monica have

Legislation to prevent port shutdowns passes U.S. Senate committee

Josephine Djuhana June 26, 2015

Although the nine-month labor dispute affecting 29 West Coast ports has officially come to a close, multiple industries in the U.S. are still reeling from the effect of the slowdown. Port gridlock along the West Coast left many exporters, manufacturers

Critics question costs under Covered California

James Poulos June 26, 2015

As the fate of the Affordable Care Act hung in the balance at the Supreme Court, bipartisan concern swirled around how Covered California is affecting the Golden State’s costs of care. “After surpassing its first year goal by 400,000 — signing

CA pension reformers push ballot measure

James Poulos June 25, 2015

The struggle over reforming California’s public pension system has been taken up a new notch. Given the poor track record of past efforts to reform pensions on the statewide level, a bipartisan alliance of former municipal leaders, including ex-San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and

CA GOP eyes asset forfeiture reform

James Poulos June 24, 2015

After sailing through the state Senate, a key criminal justice reform bill with bipartisan support faced its first test in the Assembly at a closely watched end-of-month hearing. “SB443 will continue to allow California law enforcement agencies to keep a

Farmworkers resist state agency ‘in cahoots’ with union

J Michael Waller, American Media Institute June 23, 2015

In a turnabout for California’s storied history of migrant labor, Latino field hands are fighting to get the United Farm Workers, the union that carries on the legacy of founder Cesar Chavez, out of their lives and pockets. If the

CA drone industry rises high

James Poulos June 22, 2015

Thanks to its familiar combination of tech smarts and unorthodox lifestyle, the Golden State has become the epicenter of the drone revolution. According to CB Insights, the Los Angeles Times reported, “Northern California is the headquarters of six of the 10 American