Bill tightening vaccine rules advances as measles fears build

Despite furious opposition from parents who believe vaccinations are dangerous, a measure by state Sen. Richard Pan to tighten up vaccine exemptions passedan initial committee test last week on a 6-2 vote. Senate Bill 276 would make California only the second state – after West Virginia – to mandate that students can only be exempted […]

Bay Area’s housing desperation keeps growing

Fears that heavy housing costs could undercut Silicon Valley and the Bay Area’s economy have grown steadily in recent years as gains in wages have been outstripped by soaring rents and home prices. Now a poll of 1,568 registered voters in the region done on behalf of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group and Bay Area News Group […]

Credit Rating Agencies Concerned About California Pension Costs

A new Public Policy Institute of California poll shows the number of state residents worried about the cost of government pensions is at a 14-year low. In recent remarks to the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, new state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond rejected the idea that pension costs were generally a major problem for school districts […]

Studies Undercut Gov. Newsom’s Claims on Benefits of Full-Time Kindergarten

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed 2019-20 budget includes $750 million in new funding to help school districts shift from part-time to full-day kindergarten. Presently, 30 percent of districts only offer part-time kindergarten, as is allowed under state law, which provides such districts the same per-pupil funding as districts with full-day kindergarten.

Despite Record Surplus, Gov. Newsom Wants New Water, Phone Taxes

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s has called for a first-ever water tax and an added fee on phone bills at a time when the state is enjoying what recently departed state Legislative Analyst Mac Taylor called “extraordinary” budget health. Newsom said last week that experts now forecast a $21.5 billion budget windfall in 2019Add New-20. Until recent […]

Gov.-Elect Newsom’s Tax Reform Plans Will Face Bipartisan Resistance

Governor-elect Gavin Newsom says he hopes to amend the California tax code to lessen its dependence on income and capital gains taxes paid by the very rich. Yet the last two serious attempts at tax reform were both dead on arrival, and the political dynamics since their failure appear unchanged or even more unfavorable. With the state […]

More than 100 Local Governments Seek Tax Hikes to Meet Rising Pension Bills

Nine months after a League of California Cities report warned that pension costs were increasingly unsustainable, more than 100 local governments in the Golden State are asking voters for tax hikes on Nov. 6 – which Bond Buyer says is nearly double the record of 56 set in November 2016. The Nov. 6 measures are on […]

Massive New K-12 Report Offers Downbeat Findings in Four Areas

In 2007, researchers associated with Stanford University released “Getting Down to Facts” – a massive compilation of studies of the California K-12 public school system. The hundreds of pages of voluminous research allowed both the state education establishment and its critics to pick and choose what conclusions to emphasize. Democrats and teachers unions cited the omnibus report’s call […]

Major Online Privacy Bill Becomes Law After Whirlwind Week

A far-reaching online privacy bill that got next-to-no vetting or legislative debate was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown last Thursday – the product of a quickly hammered-out agreement among state legislators, privacy advocates, tech firms and a real estate tycoon whose qualifying of an even more sweeping privacy measure for the November ballot triggered a frenzy […]

With Brutal Fire Season Expected, Fight Over How to Respond Has Never Stopped

California’s perilous experiences with massive wildfires reached an all-time peak in 2017, as the state suffered through its worst blaze in recorded history – the Thomas Fire – and five of its 17 worst fires ever. State officials estimated that about 9,000 wildfires from northern San Diego County to the Oregon border killed at least 46 people and burned about 11,000 […]