The Suspense Files: California bills vanish almost without a trace
Shortly after last year’s presidential election, Democrats in the California Legislature drew headlines by introducing a flurry of bills attacking “fake news.” They called for more resources to teach media literacy, so public school students could better discern facts from the kind of bogus stories that proliferated online during the campaign. Yet in the months since, all […]
Someone to blame for skyrocketing drug prices
They operate in secret. They have no laboratories or research centers, and produce nothing. But they control a critical intersection of our health care system, influencing the price we pay for prescription drugs and skimming off billions of dollars for themselves. They are called “pharmacy benefit managers,” or PBMs. From their creation in the 1960s […]
Will the Center Hold? Look to Feinstein
Whether the center of California’s political scale has shifted dramatically will be measured by what happens if Senator Dianne Feinstein faces a challenge if she stands for re-election. Noted as a political centrist during her career as San Francisco supervisor, mayor and United States Senator, the political dynamics of California have altered over the 40-year […]
AB 1250 – A Bad Bill That Can’t Be Fixed
There’s an old adage in politics that you don’t amend a bad bill. If ever that was the case, it’s true with AB1250. The bill would institute a de facto ban on counties’ abilities to contract with nonprofits, community businesses and others to provide essential services to the public locally, including many services provided on […]
AB 1701 Will Drive up Housing Costs
Protecting workers from dishonest construction contractors while not worsening California’s housing crisis are not mutually exclusive goals. Unfortunately, Assemblyman Tony Thurmond and the sponsors of AB 1701 would have you incorrectly believe they are. As written, AB 1701 makes innocent contractors liable for dishonest sub-contractors actions for which they have no oversight or control. If […]
The Cost of Extortion
Whatever some say to justify sky-high fees, design requirements and affordable-housing mandates it’s certain they all do one thing: raise housing costs. It is said that the fees are necessary to mitigate the impact(s) of new housing on the community. Yes, but so high? Moreover, new design requirements locals say are written to conform the […]
Protecting consumer health and safety in the 21st century economy
As the Legislature hurries to complete its final month of work for the year, the Capitol is humming with activity as legislators present and vote on hundreds of bills, advancing them to the governor’s desk. In the case of each bill, the Legislature and the Governor’s responsibility is the same: To carefully consider its policy […]
More Reasons to Let Prisoners Vote
A ballot initiative has been filed to give California’s prisoners the right to vote. The arguments for it are about the prisoners. Such as: They shouldn’t be banished from our democracy because they’re incarcerated. And voting will keep them in touch with society and make it easier to integrate them into community life when they […]
DACA Pressure on CA GOP Representatives
“Pressure makes diamonds,” American General George S. Patton said. Pressure brought to bear on the DACA law may finally bring some immigration reform. California’s congressional members will be key to any solution. With President Donald Trump’s decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy in six months and kick the concern to […]