Steven Greenhut | Page 5 of 22

Tag "Steven Greenhut"

Union appeal focuses attention on pension precedent

SACRAMENTO – A decision by four Marin County public-employee associations to appeal a pension-related case to the California Supreme Court could ultimately determine whether localities have the tools needed to rein in escalating pension debt. At issue is how far

California’s roads improve, but still are troubled according to new study

Steven Greenhut September 27, 2016

SACRAMENTO – Despite its well-documented inefficiencies and travails, California’s Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has managed to improve the state’s system of roads, bridges and freeways incrementally in recent years, according to a newly released annual survey of state highway systems

Gov. Brown mulls bills overseeing psychotropic drugs for foster kids

Steven Greenhut September 20, 2016

SACRAMENTO – California’s foster-care system has long been plagued with unaddressed problems, but a recent exposé about the system’s alleged over-prescription of psychotropic drugs has propelled the Legislature into action. Gov. Jerry Brown currently has on his desk three bills that

Tobacco tax one of the most heated for November ballot

Steven Greenhut September 6, 2016

SACRAMENTO – There’s broad agreement that the 17 initiatives on the statewide ballot on November 8 cover some of the most significant public-policy issues to come before voters in more than a decade. For instance, voters will have a chance

Court ruling opens avenue for pension reform

Steven Greenhut August 30, 2016

SACRAMENTO – An Aug. 17 California appeals court ruling rejected a public employee union’s claim that its members had a right to “pension spiking,” which the court described as “various stratagems and ploys to inflate their income and retirement benefits.”

Civil libertarians and police embrace asset-forfeiture compromise

Steven Greenhut August 16, 2016

SACRAMENTO – The California Assembly on Monday approved one of the most significant civil-liberties reforms of the legislative session. Remarkably, the bill – to put limits on the controversial practice of civil asset forfeiture by police agencies – had no

Bay Area making life difficult for tech firms

Steven Greenhut August 9, 2016

SACRAMENTO – In most of the country, a region’s “big” industry – think automotive companies in Michigan’s heyday, the oil business in Houston and entertainment in Los Angeles – is treated with deference by locals. Sometimes that attitude morphs into

California push for coal divestment raises concerns

Steven Greenhut August 2, 2016

SACRAMENTO – Unlike the sellers of most other products or services, insurance companies receive payments from their customers in exchange for future promises. If you wreck your car, they will pay for the damage. If you die, they will pay out

Lawmakers bow to pressure, abandon effort to fix property confiscation laws

John September 11, 2015

Government agencies will continue to have the power to confiscate private property in California – without a criminal conviction – after lawmakers bowed to intense lobbying pressure by agencies with a vested interest in maintaining California’s civil asset forfeiture system. “No

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