Will Adoption of the Open Primary Increase Voter Clout?
When Proposition 14 was adopted by California voters in June 2010—the so-called blanket or open primary— it signaled an interest in moving away from strict partisanship —sort of. Under this law, statewide and congressional candidates run against each other on the same ballot regardless of party affiliation. The top two vote-getters move on to the […]
Brown Ended Socal “Drought Emergency” Too Soon
A week into April, in the wake of one of the wettest Januarys and Februarys on record, Gov. Jerry Brown declared that the state’s drought emergency was over. Lawn watering, except in the face of an approaching storm, was no longer an uncivil act. Home owners needn’t snitch on lawn-watering neighbors any longer. Suburban life […]
Will Prop 54 Produce More Backroom Deals?
California’s long history of political reform is one very substantial argument for how reforms produce unintended consequences, often the very opposite of what reformers said they wanted. Prop 54 is well on its way to becoming another example of this phenomenon. The centerpiece of Prop 54, approved by voters last year and backed by all […]
In transportation tax rush, did Sacramento break the law?
Did lawmakers break the law when they passed Senate Bill 1, the transportation tax increase? There’s a quaint provision in the California Constitution that reads, “A person who seeks to influence the vote or action of a member of the Legislature in the member’s legislative capacity by bribery, promise of reward, intimidation, or other dishonest […]
Senate Democrats Block Sen. Bates’ Bill to Reclassify Heinous Crimes as “Violent”
(Editor’s note: This a press release from the office of Sen. Bates.) Democrats on the Senate Public Safety Committee voted down Senate Bill 75 by Senate Republican Leader Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) on a partisan 5 to 2 vote that would have expanded the definition of “violent felonies.” It would have covered additional offenses deemed to be […]