Supreme Court Needs to Decide Tax Vote Requirements for Initiatives
I can’t say I was surprised by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Ethan Schulman’s ruling that two San Francisco tax increases for special purposes were valid despite receiving less than a two-thirds vote. A tax dedicated for special purposes needs a two-thirds vote, but a California Supreme Court decision in 2017 created confusion about the […]
The California Redistricting Commission Will Soon Be Toast
This may be the last version of the California redistricting commission. That may sound like a surprising prediction. After all, many commentators, including Joel Fox in this space, have argued that redistricting commissions may become more important as a result of a U.S. Supreme Court decision in late June. The logic of those commentators goes […]
Can the CAGOP stage a political comeback?
One key issue that often comes up in the mainstream media, as well as California political circles, is whether or not the California Republican Party (CAGOP) can begin to rise again, as opposed to continuing to decline in political relevance and legislative power. As a matter of full disclosure, I am currently registered as a […]
State’s largest ‘community choice’ energy program takes a hit
The community choice aggregation (CCA) movement has built considerable momentum in California in recent years. In CCA programs, groups of local government agencies team up to take over decision-making on what sources of power to use in the local electric grid – with utilities continuing to hold responsibility for maintaining the grid. CCA advocates contend […]