The Real Change the Prop 8 Cases Could Inspire
The U.S. Supreme Court decision on Prop 8 has inspired bipartisan calls for a push to give initiative proponents a way to defend their initiatives when elected officials refuse to. As I’ve explained in this space recently, this push is pointless at best (proponents already have standing where it matters) and problematic at worst (in […]
Direct Democracy or Direct Popular Decision Making?
Terms matter. And so do assessments. That’s true of direct democracy, as I was reminded again reading an important new paper by a leading international scholar on the subject. I wish the paper’s author, David Altman, was better known, particularly in California. He’s a Uruguayan (which should be a direct democratic credential all his own, […]
The US Supreme Court Didn’t Threaten the Initiative Process. But AB 857 Does
To quote the character Ron Burgundy from the classic meditation on California local media, Anchorman, after a senselessly and murderous battle between rival news teams – “Wow. That got out of hand quickly.” Over the past few days, commentators and thinkers from across the California political spectrum – from Erwin Chemerinsky to Jon Coupal – […]
George Wallace Schwarzenegger?
There is the rewriting of history, there are lies, and then there is what Sen. Mark Leno tried to pull off last week – trying to blame someone for doing the opposite of what he actually did. Leno’s subject was same-sex marriage, and Leno’s target was Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former governor is an easy target […]
U.S. Supremes to California: Keep Your Craziness Out of Our Courts
Within minutes of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on Prop 8, supporters of the initiative process expressed worry that the process had been weakened by the court’s decision that Prop 8’s sponsors lacked standing to bring a case. I’ve just finished reading the ruling and dissents, and it’s clear that worry is overblown. The court’s […]
Does Pete Peterson Understand He’s Running for Office?
What is wrong with Pete Peterson? Doesn’t the Republican candidate for Secretary of State understand that he’s running for office? Doesn’t he know that no politician in his right mind would run on difficult, complicated ideas in this day and age? Heck, this guy is so clueless that he’s just written a long, thoughtful essay […]
Sacramento’s War on Public Participation
You can’t be too cynical when it comes to public officials and their desire to keep public records secret. And thinking cynically, it made perfect sense for Gov. Jerry Brown and state Senate Democrats to try to tame the controversy about their attempted gutting of the state’s public records law by offering up a proposed […]
Gutting the Public Records Laws
The only thing worse than the budget trailer bill SB 71, a rather naked attempt to gut the California Public Records Act, are the disingenuous defenses of the bill being offered by the administration, legislative Democrats, and local governments. We are told that local governments will continue to follow the provisions of the public records […]
A Budget, But Not a Plan
The state could commission a symphony to commemorate an on-time, balanced budget. But I get the feeling that Gov. Brown would strike it with the blue pencil. Never mind. The celebration is on. George Skelton tells us that the legislature is no longer dysfunctional and that the voters have gotten things right. California is turning […]
Father-Son Squabble Sets Course for CA Initiative Process
Why is California so hard to govern? One reason is that we’re suffering from daddy issues, and this Father’s Day is as good a time as any to confront them. The daddy in question is Grove Johnson, father of one of our most revered governors, Hiram Johnson, who served from 1911 through 1917. Johnson is […]