Later school bells, alternative testing: California lawmakers try again on quashed K-12 bills
CALmatters is a Sacramento-based nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. It works with more than 130 media partners throughout the state that have long, deep relationships with their local audiences, including Embarcadero Media (publisher of the Palo Alto Weekly, Mountain View Voice, Pleasanton Weekly and The Almanac in Menlo Park and their websites.)
Here are the most recent stories reported by CALmatters' team of journalists:
Fastest litigant in the west: California’s on verge of suing Trump more than Texas ever sued Obama
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has sued the Trump administration 47 times. For state versus federal litigation that's a record—and he's just getting started.
Thu, Apr 18, 2019 4:02 pm
Drug pricing, political fundraising and a step back in time
Gov. Gavin Newsom sets sights on high drug prices, California Democratic Party rakes in donations despite absence of a leader, Realtors invest in Democrats
Thu, Apr 18, 2019 4:30 am
Hard truths about school shootings 20 years after Columbine. Here’s legislation that can help
Despite crime being at historic lows, overall school shootings doubled between 2013 and 2018. Appallingly, in each of these attacks, information known to school officials, law enforcement, counselors, friends and neighbors reasonably should have been used to prevent the attack. Assemblyman Kevin Kiley's AB 1722 would require a common-sense approach to building best practices into our regional school safety plans to avert such shootings.
Thu, Apr 18, 2019 4:29 am
Battles over local tax measures heat up
As Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislators consider state tax increases, local government ballots are being loaded up with tax proposals and the jousting over them is becoming heated.
Thu, Apr 18, 2019 12:01 am
Regulating the cannabis market is preferable to prohibition
Because marijuana use may pose potential hazards to both the individual consumer and to public safety that advocacy groups such as mine, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, believe that lawmakers should regulate it accordingly.
Wed, Apr 17, 2019 9:00 am
Kamala Harris’ money, PG&E’s $6 million man and a $7 billion tax proposal
Kamala Harris dominates CA money race, legislator takes aim at $7 billion in tax breaks, new PG&E CEO to earn $6 million a year
Wed, Apr 17, 2019 4:30 am
To help people with mental illness, keep them in school
Early diagnosis and intervention is essential to attaining better outcomes for mental illness. But in the struggle to help people with mental illness cope, a powerful long term tool has been overlooked: school. Education has an outsized impact on the prospects for people with serious mental disorders.
Wed, Apr 17, 2019 4:20 am
How budget ‘trailer bills’ are misused
Senate Bill 861 is a prime example of how budget "trailer bills" are misused to bypass the usual legislative process.
Wed, Apr 17, 2019 12:01 am
Gavin Newsom reflects on the substance and splash of his first 100 days
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has acted on the death penalty, high-speed rail and wildfires. But he says resisting President Donald Trump has mainly influenced his first 100 days.
Tue, Apr 16, 2019 8:00 pm
Lawmakers and landlords: More than a quarter of California legislators are both
A CALmatters analysis reveals that at least 30 lawmakers—more than a quarter of the California Legislature— own at least one property that generates rental income.
Tue, Apr 16, 2019 4:21 pm
#ThisIsOurLane, public records and a new cancer warning perhaps
Legislation seeks to empower doctors on gun safety, painkiller acetaminophen may get a cancer warning, bill would limit use of Public Records Act requests
Tue, Apr 16, 2019 4:30 am
Paying women less than men for substantially similar work is wage theft
In California, paying women less is a form of wage theft. The law also prohibits paying someone less for substantially similar work on the basis of race or ethnicity. What makes California’s pay equity law particularly significant is that it does not require proof of discrimination or intent.
Tue, Apr 16, 2019 4:29 am
Politics won over good policy, and now Californians face even more taxes
Raising property taxes on businesses means they will pass on the costs to every Californian by increasing prices on just about everything we buy and use, from diapers and day care to gasoline and groceries. That’s the last thing hardworking families need.
Mon, Apr 15, 2019 12:00 pm
Newsom faces first test, board-and-care crisis, a downward spiral ends
Newsom faces test over wildfire proposals, board-and-care homes for the mentally ill are disappearing, conservative politician Mike Spence's downward spiral ends
Mon, Apr 15, 2019 4:30 am
Why April 15 isn’t California’s most important tax day
Death and taxes are all but certain. But the bright side is that the power to tax ultimately lies with the people, as Californians have the constitutional right to vote on local taxes, and the right to elect state officials with taxing power.
Mon, Apr 15, 2019 4:29 am
Overlooked mental health “catastrophe:” Vanishing board-and-care-homes leave residents with few options
This summer, Tom Gray will lose his home. A slim man with hunched shoulders and a halting voice, Gray, 72, has schizophrenia. Before he landed in Carmen Palarca’s board-and-care home 11 years ago, he spent 20 years living on the streets, many of them huddled in a doorway across from a San Francisco Whole Foods. […]
Mon, Apr 15, 2019 4:00 am
DMV crisis could make or break Newsom
While Gov. Gavin Newsom claims a global role in the immigration crisis, how he handles a more prosaic crisis in the Department of Motor Vehicles could have a greater effect on his political career.
Mon, Apr 15, 2019 12:01 am
Mental illness implications of cannabis use must not be ignored
Backers of cannabis legalization–and their supporters in the media–have successfully cast marijuana legalization as a racial and social justice issue, although almost no one is in prison for cannabis possession. And they have vastly oversold the potential medical benefits of the drug, while understating its risks.
Sun, Apr 14, 2019 8:00 am
Bond issue transparency still under assault
Local officials still don't like having to tell voters how proposed bond issues will affect their property taxes and may seek relief from the Legislature.
Sun, Apr 14, 2019 12:01 am
Weekly CALmatters 04/12/2019
Highlighting all of CALmatters' work over the past week
Fri, Apr 12, 2019 8:50 pm
Newsom team calls for less utility liability on wildfire—and ignites ‘a hornet’s nest’
Gov. Gavin Newsom's strike team offered a provocative–and politically challenging–idea for easing utility wildfire liability that has already prompted PG&E to file for bankruptcy.
Fri, Apr 12, 2019 2:17 pm
Weekly Walters 04/12/2019
A collection of commentaries by Dan Walters over the past week.
Fri, Apr 12, 2019 5:46 am
Newsom’s wildfire plan, fracking fight and a forced resignation
Newsom to unveil wildfire plan, state's relationship with oil and gas industries could be headed for a breakup, South Coast Air Quality board member resigns
Fri, Apr 12, 2019 4:30 am
Why Cal Grant must be expanded: Hard realities of juggling community college, work and family
Here's why Cal Grant program must be expanded: I am a father to two daughters, and, like many other community college students, I juggle work, school and family responsibilities every day. I also happen to be one of the 84 percent of black students who did not receive a Cal Grant award to support my education due to California’s inadequate financial aid system.
Fri, Apr 12, 2019 4:29 am
Activists want California to ban fracking. What does Gov. Newsom want?
Dozens of California counties and cities ban fracking, even where there is no oil drilling. About 20% of California oil comes from fracked wells.
Thu, Apr 11, 2019 4:05 pm
Schools, pesticide, taxes, wildfires and Planned Parenthood
Unions win Round One of charter schools battle, legislation to ban a crop pesticide clears first hurdle, Planned Parenthood sees California as a safe haven
Thu, Apr 11, 2019 4:30 am
We must let more California students into public universities’ front door
Unethical and even criminal tactics used to slide students into prestigious universities cannot be tolerated. But there’s something else we should not tolerate: the insufficient higher education capacity to meet student demand in California.
Thu, Apr 11, 2019 4:29 am
Community colleges wracked by data dispute
California community colleges are under pressure to improve outcomes for their students but college officials complain that the data being used to measure progress are faulty.
Thu, Apr 11, 2019 12:01 am
Charter-mageddon: Lawmakers advance a raft of union-backed charter school curbs
As charter school advocates rallied en masse and California’s teachers’ unions flexed their political muscle, a cluster of bills that would dramatically curb the growth of charters in the state cleared the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday. The votes were the first in what figures to be a lengthy, high-stakes battle this session between two […]
Wed, Apr 10, 2019 7:52 pm
‘The federal government really jacked us’: How Trump’s tax cuts are working out for Californians
As the first Tax Day without unlimited state and local tax deduction approaches, an estimated 1 million California families will pay $12 billion more to Uncle Sam. In a progressive state with high taxes, many are discovering the bite the $10,000 SALT cap is taking out of their wallets.
Wed, Apr 10, 2019 4:30 pm
From books to 3D printers, the many reasons to thank librarians
In this National Library Week, thank a librarian. Libraries are safe, accessible, non-stigmatized places that welcome everyone, even our most disenfranchised. Libraries aren’t the cure for California’s most vexing challenges, but investing more in them makes those challenges less vexing.
Wed, Apr 10, 2019 10:51 am
Police shootings, USC scandal, ‘Trump insurance’ and Newsom returns
Hearing on police shootings turns emotional, USC sex-abuse scandal comes to Capitol, legislators propose 'Trump insurance' bills
Wed, Apr 10, 2019 4:30 am
‘Job killer’ bills may be more difficult to kill
The California Chamber of Commerce has been remarkably successful for two decades in defeating or neutralizing bills it places on its annual list of "job killers," but the Capitol's ambiance is changing and continuing that record may be more difficult.
Wed, Apr 10, 2019 12:01 am
Mission accomplished? Scoring Newsom’s trip to El Salvador
SAN SALVADOR—Gov. Gavin Newsom and his wife joke that they’ll return to El Salvador not on any state fact-finding mission, but instead to check out the legendary surfing. The governor and Salvadoran President-elect Nayib Bukele share a keen appreciation for a venerable California tradition: the money-making potential of surf culture. Salvadoran officials and entrepreneurs hope […]
Tue, Apr 9, 2019 11:00 pm
Factions take shape as California advances nationally watched police shooting bill
First-in-the-nation standards for deadly force in policing advanced Tuesday in California, but fault lines emerged in the Assembly, where past efforts have stalled.
Tue, Apr 9, 2019 6:11 pm
Yes, we need clean water. But it must remain tax-free
Taxing water, food and other essential needs would limit their affordability and betray our collective resolve that no one should be denied the essentials for health, sanitation and freedom from hunger and thirst.
Tue, Apr 9, 2019 12:00 pm
Fewer schools, more accountability: How for-profit college bills could affect California
Jeanny Morris had a 1-year-old baby and a resume of dead-end retail jobs when she enrolled in the Marinello Schools of Beauty cosmetology program in 2012. She used her welfare benefits to pay for transportation to and from school where, she says, staff pressured her to take out student loans to pay for supplies they […]
Tue, Apr 9, 2019 11:36 am
Newsom’s new mission, a corporate tax hike, health care and charter schools
In El Salvador, Gavin Newsom sees immigration policy as a mission, while in Sacramento legislators propose bills to hike corporate taxes, curb charter schools and make health care more affordable
Tue, Apr 9, 2019 4:30 am
How federal ‘opportunity zone’ tax incentive can help California build an inclusive economy
The federal opportunity zone program created by the 2017 tax overhaul, enables investors to defer capital gains taxes on funds invested in designated communities. Opportunity zones offer one path forward that relies on private capital to bear the cost.
Tue, Apr 9, 2019 4:29 am
“Because we punch above our weight:” Gov. Newsom says California deserves bigger say in U.S. immigration policy
California Gov. Gavin Newsom says he intends to help steer U.S. immigration policy just as former Gov. Jerry Brown influenced climate change policy—because California’s size, robust economy, diversity and political clout allow the state to “punch above our weight.” He added, “The one area that California should do more is on immigration policy."
Mon, Apr 8, 2019 10:31 pm
Welcome mat: How California has responded to influx of migrants
Gov. Gavin Newsom is in El Salvador to learn about the root causes of the migration crisis. Here's what California's already doing, or considering, as the Democrats who control the state pursue policies that are a repudiation of the current federal approach.
Mon, Apr 8, 2019 8:47 pm
How a tiny California school district sparked calls for a charter crackdown
The win-win partnership between a struggling charter school network and a rural school district in Los Angeles County touched off a call for legislative reform.
Mon, Apr 8, 2019 1:01 pm
PG&E’s management change is a missed opportunity. It must embrace radical reform
Without a radical change to the corporate culture, a hard to swallow dose of transparency and all-hands-on-deck fire prevention effort, the next PG&E-sparked wildfire will mean a Titanic ending to the company.
Mon, Apr 8, 2019 7:30 am
Newsom in El Salvador, sales taxes, guns and ‘job killers’
Gov. Newsom arrives in El Salvador. Chamber of Commerce includes Republican bills among its "job killers." Legislature gets ready to approve sales taxes for online shoppers. Ban on sale of large-capacity magazines goes back into effect.
Mon, Apr 8, 2019 4:30 am
Big issue: Who’s an employee and who’s not?
A state Supreme Court decision tightening the definition of an employee has become a big legislative issue, putting Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez in the spotlight.
Mon, Apr 8, 2019 12:01 am
“The rhetoric is so toxic:” Newsom lands in El Salvador as Trump moves to end aid there
As Gov. Gavin Newsom touched down in El Salvador to begin a three-day trip designed to contrast his own approach to immigration with that of his nemesis, President Donald Trump, the contrast could hardly have been more stark.
Sun, Apr 7, 2019 10:39 pm
Los Angeles legislator who fled El Salvador as a child returns with California governor
Whenever Wendy Carrillo returns to El Salvador, she can’t help wondering what her life would have been like if civil war had not driven her family out.
Sun, Apr 7, 2019 9:09 pm
Expanding California’s earned income tax credit is a smart investment in working families
As the cost of health care, housing, food, and transportation continue to rise, we must make work pay better. Expanding the California earned income tax credit will do that for those who need it most.
Sun, Apr 7, 2019 8:00 am
Managerial miscues plague the state
Managerial miscues plague state government, as three new audit reports confirm. They imply that fixing existing problems should take precedence over launching new services and programs.
Sun, Apr 7, 2019 12:01 am
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