Business Losses and Wins in Legislative Bills Battle
No one knows for sure what Governor Brown will do with the 800 bills on his desk that await his signature, but for the business community the recently ended legislative session saw some successes and some big setbacks. Perhaps there are more to come. Concerned with the idea of extending and increasing greenhouse gases reduction […]
Runaway Legislature Demands Return to Part-Time Operation
When the Legislature finally adjourned at the end of August, it again screamed the need for a return to part-time operations. The “reform” of the late 1960s that imposed a full-time gathering of busybodies in the Capitol was one of the state’s biggest mistakes. Misguided voters passed Proposition 1A in 1966, the same year they […]
The EU Is Stealing Our Apple Taxes
The European Union is trying to steal taxes that ought to belong, at least in part, to California. The EU made news with its demand that Ireland collect $13 billion from Cupertino-based Apple, which has used its presence in Cork to avoid taxation. But the taxation it’s been avoiding isn’t really European—it’s American and Californian. […]
A Labor Day Update on the California Economy
Labor Day 2016 continues to show improving conditions within California’s economy. The Legislature has just concluded a session that is being described as one of the most progressive ever for environmental and labor union policies. And Governor Brown is looking at over 700 new laws on his desk. His signature or veto will directly impact […]
Happy Labor Day!
Happy Labor Day! Fox & Hounds will resume posting on Tuesday, September 6th.
The Best/Worst Bills of 2015-2016 & A Critique of California’s Initiative System
Over the last two years, the State Legislature has introduced and considered over 5,000 bills, resolutions, and constitutional amendments. Over the last few months, I’ve taken a cursory look at some of these, nominating the best and worst bills under consideration. Today, I announced the winners in each category. BEST: To recap, the nominees are SB 1248, AB […]
Terminating Farm Worker Jobs
We can’t predict whether Gov. Jerry Brown will sign Assembly Bill 1066, which the Legislature just passed and which imposes stricter overtime rules on farm labor. But even if he vetoes it, a similar bill will be passed in 2019 and signed by the next governor. That’s all the incentive farm owners need to keep […]
Your Homework Assignment: Read Goodwin Liu’s Dissent in the Robles Case
It was a good week for the educational status quo in California. Our state’s Supreme Court declined to hear challenges to rules that make it hard to fire teachers and to the state’s low funding for K-12 education. That’s the bad news. The good news is that 3 of the 7 justices on the Supreme […]
Rose Reports that CEQA’s Perfect As Is: Don’t Worry, Be Happy
A few days after we released our “In the Name of the Environment” update on CEQA litigation abuse, which reported on three years of CEQA lawsuits (2012-2015) filed to block construction of about 14,000 housing units (and a 200-bed homeless shelter) in the 6-county, 191-city region included in the Southern California Association of Governments, the […]