Regulations

Gov. Brown bans plastic bags

Because Gov. Jerry Brown just signed SB270, in July 2016 plastic bags will be banned in stores in California. Paper bags will cost 10 cents. We’ve had a similar ban in Huntington Beach for a year and I look at

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

Los Angeles books higher hotel minimum wage

James Poulos October 2, 2014

If critics are right, room service in Los Angeles hotels could descend to that of the Bates Motel. Yesterday the City Council passed a $15.37 minimum wage for non-unionized employees of large hotels in Los Angeles. Breitbart News reported city observers generally recognized the

Texas Latinos out-achieve CA Latinos in broad array of categories

Chris Reed September 30, 2014

Heritage Foundation senior editor Mike Gonzalez has a new book out this month, “A Race for the Future: How Conservatives Can Break the Liberal Monopoly on Hispanic Americans.” Gonzalez, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, takes a deeper look at

Quarter-million applicants still waiting for Medi-Cal

Dave Roberts September 29, 2014

A quarter-million Medi-Cal applicants have been waiting more than 45 days, and in some cases nearly a year, either to receive coverage or find out why their application has been denied. That’s an improvement from the 900,000 applicants who

AB 32 revenue: Some for bullet train, some for pork, none for poor

Chris Reed September 27, 2014

Before and after AB 32’s passage in 2006, a whole lot of promises and guarantees were made. Some are remembered. Many aren’t. One of those was the pledge to use a portion of cap-and-trade funds to directly help poor people

Brown fuels incentives for alt-energy cars

James Poulos September 25, 2014

Convinced carbon emissions pose an “existential threat” to the human race, Gov. Jerry Brown just signed a set of bills designed to push ahead an environmental agenda dependent on automobiles that don’t run on gas. Among other new rules, regulations and programs, the new

Public Utilities Commission crashes into Uber, Lyft

James Poulos September 19, 2014

This week was supposed to be a Kumbaya moment for state legislators and ridesharing services. On Wednesday, Gov. Jerry Brown signed it into law compromise legislation allowing the firms to continue to flourish, while requiring them to increase their insurance coverage. But just before

Hospitals seek veto of workers’ comp expansion

Dave Roberts September 16, 2014

California hospitals could be facing millions of dollars in increased workers’ compensation claims if a bill sponsored by the California Nurses Association is signed by Gov. Jerry Brown. As of Tuesday afternoon, Brown had not made a decision. Assembly

Warrantless drone ban hovers over Brown’s desk

James Poulos September 15, 2014

With a stroke of his pen, Gov. Jerry Brown could set the tone for state-level drone policy. After passing the Assembly and the state Senate, AB1327 will await Brown’s signature until the end of September. Legislation regulating the use of drones by law