The Political and Policy Tensions of AB 5 (Dynamex)
Some have questioned the business community advocating a “support, if amended” position on AB 5 (Gonzalez), the bill that seeks to codify last year’s California Supreme Court ruling in Dynamex Operations West regarding worker classification and impose the “ABC Test”. The Supreme Court and subsequent appellate court decisions have ruled up to this point that […]
For voters, affordability concerns doom tax increase promises
Voters are anxious about the cost of living in California. One of the not-so-surprising consequences of this anxiety: they are reluctant to embrace new taxes to pay for even popular ideas, according to a recently released CalChamber poll, The People’s Voice, 2019. Nine of ten voters agree that “earning enough to enjoy a middle class […]
Rep. Adam Schiff Holds the Spotlight, But Should He be the GOP’s Main Worry?
Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Los Angeles) may be both greatly admired by his fellow Democrats and equally reviled by unwavering Republicans who see no reason to bow to his demands. Schiff stands at the center of an unenviable place in history where very few members of Congress have ever needed to go —-leading the charge to […]
How Taiwan Got Same-Sex Marriage With the Help of Ballot Initiatives
This year, Taiwan became the first nation in Asia to legalize same-sex marriages. How? The answer is a story that involves direct democracy, and might be familiar to Californians. In 2017, Taiwan’s constitutional court ruled that equal rights guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. That ruling gave the legislature two years to enact laws […]
Is your city ready for California’s next recession?
California might be enjoying a historic economic expansion, but pockets of the state could be devastated in the next recession and at least 18 cities are even now at high risk of fiscal distress, according to a first-in-the-nation dashboard released Thursday by State Auditor Elaine Howle. Compton, Atwater, Blythe, Lindsay and Calexico were the top […]