Politics and Elections

Biden due in L.A. to tout minimum-wage hike — commuters, beware

Monday, Joe Biden was in Nevada touting a hike in the minimum wage as the key to fighting income inequality. Today, the vice president will be in Los Angeles with Mayor Eric Garcetti offering the same spiel before heading to

Murder victims’ relatives debate Prop. 47

Dave Roberts October 6, 2014

At 11 p.m. on July 25, 2005 San Leandro police officer Nels “Dan” Niemi was called to the scene of a disturbance on Doolittle Drive. Niemi stopped Irving Ramirez, of Newark, who had spent the day drinking a bottle

SD 35 gets to vote twice

John Seiler October 6, 2014

Voters in Senate District 35 will get to vote twice — first in the Nov. 4 general election, then again on Dec. in a special election to fill the seat of former state Sen. Rod Wright, who resigned his seat

AD 44: ‘Herculean’ support flows to McCoy

John October 6, 2014

What a difference a day makes. On Friday, CalWatchdog.com suggested Rob McCoy, the Republican candidate in the contested 44th Assembly District, was being written off by the Assembly Republican Caucus. That was supported by grumblings from GOP sources and campaign finance

VIDEO: Pete Peterson — Modernizing the secretary of state & cutting red tape

CalWatchdog Staff October 6, 2014

California is far behind other states when it comes to voting technology and making it easy for entrepreneurs to start a business. Pete Peterson, the Republican candidate for Secretary of State in California has a plan to work with Silicon

Initiative reform — one bridge short

Joel Fox October 4, 2014

As someone who participated in the working group on initiative reform package that ended up as SB1253 by state Sen. Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last week — I can say the bill is, well, okay as far as it

Could underdog upset Assembly GOP Caucus?

John October 3, 2014

Twenty years ago, Jim Brulte was all set to be elected speaker of the Assembly. “I am absolutely confident that I’ll be elected speaker,” Brulte told the San Jose Mercury News in Dec. 1994, shortly after the GOP claimed a majority

Post-Stockton, Democrat job-retention myth certain to be exposed

Chris Reed October 3, 2014

Both parties have bogus canards that they trot out when convenient. The worst example of this among Republicans is the idea that tax cuts always pay for themselves — that they lead to higher revenue. It could well be true

CA GOP labors to read Latino tea leaves

James Poulos October 2, 2014

Though the political ground has been shifting in California, new research is giving Republicans only hints about how to woo Latino voters. Much like their nationwide counterparts, for moderate-to-liberal Republicans in the Golden State, Latinos have come to represent an essential outreach opportunity. Unlike

Hearings dissect Prop. 46 on medical malpractice

Dave Roberts October 1, 2014

California’s state and local governments could be hit with an increase of tens of millions to several hundred million dollars in annual health care costs if Proposition 46 passes on Nov. 4. That was the warning from California legislative