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New CA pot analysis sees savings, raises questions

According to one respected source in Sacramento, pot is good for California’s bottom line. The state Legislative Analyst’s Office, which produces nonpartisan studies of ballot initiatives, has unveiled a new report considering the fiscal impact of marijuana decriminalization in the Golden

CA water rights hit hard

James Poulos June 14, 2015

After floating the possibility for months, authorities followed through on threatened curtailments on California’s most senior water rights holders. “The action by the State Water Resources Control Board, after weeks of warnings, affects 114 different water-rights holders in the Sacramento and San

Medi-Cal boom strains doctors and budgets

James Poulos June 13, 2015

With Medicaid eligibility expanded nationwide under the Affordable Care Act, Medi-Cal enrollees have discovered that care in California is not keeping up with increased demand. “Today, more than 12 million Californians, nearly one-third of the state’s total population, are enrolled in the

High-speed rail mired in outrage

James Poulos June 12, 2015

Reacting to a new analysis showing how California’s high-speed rail could stretch between Palmdale and Burbank, affected residents descended on downtown Los Angeles to voice outrage and anxiety before train officials. “The coordinated protest,” noted the Los Angeles Times, “presents a potent political challenge as state officials push to

Split-roll property tax introduced in Senate

Josephine Djuhana June 12, 2015

On Wednesday, California State Senators Loni Hancock, D-Oakland, and Holly Mitchell, D-Los Angeles, introduced new legislation to reform Proposition 13. Senate Constitutional Amendment 5, titled the “Property Tax Fairness” amendment, would make changes to Prop. 13 by assessing commercial and

SCOTUS sides with SF against NRA

James Poulos June 11, 2015

Continuing its reticence to reach beyond a landmark decision seven years ago, the Supreme Court handed a victory to tight regulations on gun use in San Francisco. Twin ordinances “The court on Monday let stand court rulings in favor of a

CA Dems pressure Brown on spending

James Poulos June 10, 2015

New budget deadline, same budget battle. That could be the watchword for Sacramento this week, as leading Democrats in the Assembly and the Senate labored on a spending plan that could survive the governor’s scrutiny. Equipped with a line-item veto, which allows

Campaign 2016: Bipartisan group files pension reform initiative

John June 9, 2015

The battle over California’s out-of-control public employee pensions could soon move from the courtroom to the ballot box. A bipartisan group of pension reform advocates, led by former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and former San Diego Councilman Carl DeMaio, recently filed a

Money and costs become central theme of cap and trade

Joel Fox June 9, 2015

When discussing California’s landmark cap-and-trade legislation set up to pay for carbon emissions, there is more conversation about money than there is about climate change. How much will the program cost? How will the money be spent? How will the

California eases back on gun legislation

Steve Miller June 8, 2015

Guns are once again being targeted by California lawmakers this year, though the pace of anti-weapons legislation, seemingly on automatic for decades, has ebbed. In previous sessions, you could scan for bills and come up with at least 100 that