A New Holiday? Privileged Workers?
If Assemblyman Chris Holden’s AB 542 offering another holiday to public employees becomes law it will widen the divide between public and private workers and may even aid pension reformers. AB 542 would add presidential Election Day to a list of holidays public employees and public school employees enjoy that the general private worker does not. […]
Political Forces That Could Impact Obamacare Reform or Repeal
In spite of the flurry of news last week regarding the future of the nation’s signature healthcare law, the path forward for the Affordable Care Act is not the blitzkrieg President Donald Trump or Republicans envisioned. On Wednesday, Feb. 15, the Trump Administration proposed regulations intended to “stabilize the individual and small group markets.” A […]
California Legislators Will Face More Bills than Usual in the 2017 Legislative Session
The 2017 California Legislative Session, which began last December 5, is officially “off to the races” now that the bill introduction deadline of February 17 has passed. This year, there was an almost 25% increase in the number of bill introductions compared to last year’s total, although there are historically more bills introduced in the […]
Free Speech Conundrums
Regarding the suspension of an Orange Coast College student for secretly filming a teacher in class making anti-Donald Trump comments as covered in the Orange County Register article. In this day and age, having a policy that prevents the recording of a community college instructor seems a bit antiquated, especially when so many institutions of higher […]
Is it time to abandon the Bear Flag?
The Bear Flag, which first appeared as the symbol of the short-lived Bear Flag Republic in 1846, was made the official flag of California in 1911. The flag displays a California grizzly bear which, in a bit of irony, is extinct in California with the last sighting taking place in 1922. Without any disrespect to […]