Rights and Liberties

Black Caucus brings its clout to CA school funding fight

The Local Control Funding Formula, enacted in 2013, is supposed to make sure more education dollars are used in ways that specifically help struggling students. Gov. Jerry Brown pushed for the education funding change because he said it was crucial

Audio: How school choice can woo crossover and swing voters

CalWatchdog Staff March 18, 2015

CalWatchdog.com Editor-in-Chief Brian Calle also is Senior Fellow at the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, named after Nobel Economics Laureate Milton Friedman, who originated the idea of school vouchers. In this audio interview with Bill Frezza of the Competitive Enterprise

iPoker: Tribal coalition not bluffing against opponents

John March 17, 2015

A powerful coalition of the state’s most prominent Native American tribes isn’t bluffing in its opposition to one proposal to legalize online poker in California. Led by the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, a half-dozen tribes have registered their opposition to

FPPC staff backs decreased disclosure

Chris Reed March 15, 2015

The Internet has made quick, easy disclosure of information the norm in news and social media. This has led reformers to call for a new era in campaign finance in which all political donations are disclosed in almost real time.

CA “community solar” fight looms on subsidy issue

Chris Reed March 11, 2015

Hawaii’s boom in residential solar power is inspiring advocates of the alternative energy resource to push hard in states across the U.S. for rooftop solar power, both for personal use and as part of the larger electricity grid. One in

Is San Diego safest big city? Or having a police crisis?

Chris Reed March 9, 2015

This good news got prominent play in California’s second-largest city this weekend: For the fourth year running, San Diego had the lowest murder rate among the country’s ten largest cities. The department investigated 32 homicides, down from 39, giving San

Lawmakers seek soda warning labels

John March 9, 2015

A group of state lawmakers wants to single out “The Coke Side of Life” for a mandatory warning label that could send the Pepsi Generation to unhealthy beverages. State Senator Bill Monning, D-Carmel, and seven of his Democratic colleagues have proposed the Sugar-Sweetened

Another harsh audit targets state Dept. of Public Health

Chris Reed March 4, 2015

State Auditor Elaine Howle on Tuesday issued another scathing audit of the California Department of Public Health, declaring that it is doing a worse job than ever in responding to specific concerns about its struggling programs. “Public Health remains a

Pols’ 2010 gas tax swap made road woes worse

Chris Reed March 2, 2015

It’s become an annual ritual: Stories about the State Board of Equalization announcing it is raising or cutting the state excise tax on gasoline come July 1 to honor the fine print of a 2010 budget deal that requires gas

Teachers want LAUSD to ignore state law, 2012 ruling

Chris Reed February 28, 2015

The United Teachers Los Angeles held a large rally Thursday showing strong rank-and-file support for the union’s demands that the giant Los Angeles Unified School District provide an 8.5 percent raise and cut down classroom sizes. LAUSD officials have offered