Soda Tax Ban, Pension Taxes, and Future Tax Wars
Much of the discussion around the proposed deal to remove an initiative requiring a two-thirds vote on all local taxes centers on the motives of the soda industry to avoid taxes on soda but there is another side to that coin that has received little attention. Local governments and unions opposed to the initiative want […]
Neither Pelosi Nor McCarthy For Speaker
We could have a Californian as the next speaker of the House of Representatives. But let’s hope not. I’ve already written plenty about Kevin McCarthy, who would likely be the speaker if Republicans hold onto the chamber, and his abandonment of principle and morality in embracing President Trump. So let’s talk about the other prospective […]
A Line-Item Veto Well Worth Making
When Gov. Jerry Brown considers a new state budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, he’ll have a rare opportunity to simultaneously continue a program giving people a second chance in life, reducing prison recidivism, and saving the taxpayers money. All he has to do is run his pen through a part of the […]
California, Greenhouse Gas Regulation, and Climate Change
(Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt of a new report, California, Greenhouse Gas Regulation, and Climate Change, from Chapman University’s Center for Demographics and Policy. The report is authored by David Friedman and Jennifer Hernandez, and edited by Joel Kotkin. Read the full report (pdf) here.) California has adopted the most extensive climate change policies, laws and […]