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Covered CA hits familiar rough patch

As a number of state exchanges across the country struggle and fold, Covered California — by far one of the most successful — has begun to experience similar challenges. Dramatic cuts Covered California officials portrayed a slate of new budget

CA government turns on traffic court rules

James Poulos May 25, 2015

In a matter of weeks, all three branches of California government have turned against the state’s widespread traffic violations bureaucracy. The system, which subjects rich and poor alike to spiraling penalties, fees and surcharges, has come to symbolize both the hidden

State Assembly approves plan to bring back Kelo-style redevelopment

John May 24, 2015

Redevelopment agencies would once again have the power to seize private property for big developers under a bill that passed the California State Assembly earlier this month. Assembly Bill 2, authored by Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Salinas, would give local governments the

CA water cuts hit farmers

James Poulos May 23, 2015

As state policymakers turned their eye on reforming groundwater rules, California’s farmers sought a new deal on water rights, voluntarily proposing to slash their own consumption. An unprecedented offer The latest cascade of cuts underscored fears that current rationing rules just

Silicon Valley eyes pot play

James Poulos May 22, 2015

With marijuana legalization on the table for California this coming election season, investment in the nascent pot industry has become increasingly attractive. But in Silicon Valley, where venture capitalists have prided themselves on risky but canny bets, marijuana has only

How will businesses react to L.A. minimum wage boost?

Joel Fox May 22, 2015

The Los Angeles City Council tentatively voted to increase the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2020. The business community opposed the move. How business will react is unclear but there was much discussion during the debate over

Analysts look to water markets to fight CA drought

James Poulos May 21, 2015

Scrambling for workable models found elsewhere in resources policy, some analysts have begun to argue that California should regulate markets for water. At Bloomberg View, for instance, the editors made a splash with a recommendation drawn from Australia’s approach to limited

CA vaccination regulations gain more steam

James Poulos May 20, 2015

After a fractious debate, the California Senate passed a revised draft of the controversial bill that would largely eliminate the state’s religious and personal belief exemptions for child inoculation. With the bill on a likely track for passage in the Assembly,

Will Brown’s brown lawns cause brownouts for summer 2015?

Wayne Lusvardi May 20, 2015

On April 1, Gov. Jerry Brown ordered mandatory 25 percent cutbacks in urban water usage over the next nine months due to the prolonged water shortage in the state’s surface water reservoirs. In response, U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz said

CA Democratic Convention: Lorena Gonzalez leads party into workers’ comp fight

John May 19, 2015

Lorena Gonzalez doesn’t shy away from a fight. After less than two years in the state Assembly, the former San Diego labor organizer has established herself as the state’s leading advocate for workers. Last year, Gonzalez successfully authored legislation to force companies – large