Could We Have Four Parties By 2020?
The only thing nastier than the Democrat-Republican partisan battles are the battles inside the parties. Among Democrats, Sanderistas are attacking more moderate Obama Democrats. Among Republicans, Trumpian nationalists are seeking to bully traditional conservatives and moderates. The ferocity of the fighting is striking. Each side sees the other as scary and/or corrupt. Voices suggest we […]
How About Naming Rights For the State Capitol Building?
For $12 million a year, the Los Angeles Dodgers are willing to offer naming rights to the field within Dodger Stadium on which the ball club plays. If that helps the Dodgers meet its budget obligations, perhaps the state should adopt a similar plan. Wonder how much the state could get for naming rights for parks, […]
Is Cap-and-Trade Really a Free Market Solution to Climate Change?
The mood was reportedly celebratory on the evening of July 17 after legislators approved a decade-long extension of the state’s carbon dioxide cap-and-trade program. But that’s not to say everyone was happy, or should be. Assembly Bill 398 will continue the current cap-and-trade system through 2030. It places a cap on greenhouse gas emissions and […]
Prior Legislative Efforts on Banning or Restricting Arbitration That Have Been Vetoed
With pending legislation this Session that attempts to limit the use of arbitration in civil litigation, including SB 33 (Dodd) and SB 238 (Monning), there are at least five instances in which prior efforts results in a veto, including the following ones from three separate governors: 2000 – SB 1570 (Dunn) – Gov. Davis vetoed […]
Democrats hurt by gerrymandered congressional districts, but not in California
Belatedly – and only after they had lost control of Congress to Republicans – the national Democratic Party grasped the impact of how state legislatures redraw congressional districts after each decennial census. A consortium of Republican and conservative interest groups had methodically set out to capture state legislatures and governorships in anticipation of redistricting after […]