CA Officials Poised To Blunt Trump On Deportation

If Donald Trump aims to significantly reduce the presence of undocumented and unlawful immigrants in California, he will face staunch opposition. From the municipal to statewide level, officials have come out strongly against the prospect of stronger enforcement and deportation. “Secretary of State Alex Padilla criticized the choice of Kris Kobach [as one of Trump’s […]

Janet Napolitano Rebukes Speech Police on College Campuses

With a single op-ed, UC chief Janet Napolitano has become an unlikely ally of conservative and traditionalist critics of the speech-policing movement among campus crusaders nationwide. In a Boston Globe op-ed entitled “It’s time to free speech on campus again,” Napolitano unburdened herself of judgments she appeared to have been forming over the past several years in […]

CA Confronts a Prop. 47 Crime Wave

Nearly a year after California voters overwhelmingly agreed to lessen sentences and release inmates convicted of minor crimes, statistical and anecdotal evidence has cast doubt on the wisdom of Proposition 47. A souring trend Change has been swift, but results have been mixed, with little to suggest the dynamic is soon to shift. “In the […]

CA Bans Campus Concealed Carry

Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law a bill criminalizing the concealed carry of firearms on campus. “Proposed by state Democrats, SB707 passed the Senate in a 23-12 vote in June sending it to the Assembly where it cleared in a largely partisan 54-24 roll call in September, moving it to Brown’s desk,” as Guns.com recounted. “Despite widespread resistance to the bill by […]

Pension Reform Initiative Reworked

The leaders of California’s pension reform movement have scrapped their previous effort, introducing two new schemes instead. The news added a fresh twist to the state’s long-running game of political cat and mouse, which has seen state officials labor to cast would-be reforms in a negative light. Switching gears Previously, former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed and former San Diego […]

Brown Signs Ironic “Made in America” Bill

Known  for his propensity to veto legislation that strikes him as ill-conceived, Gov. Jerry Brown surprised some observers by signing a bill critics describe as authorizing an outright lie. Supporters said the new law, passed as Senate Bill 633, merely loosens the legal standards in-state manufacturers must adhere to when presenting their goods as American-made. With Brown’s […]

Chinese Firm Plans L.A.-to-Vegas Train

For bemused Californians, there’s another bullet train in town, thanks to the Chinese government. More specifically, credit — $100 million worth — goes to China Railway International USA, a venture spearheaded by Beijing’s national railroad, China Railway. The consortium has ponied up funds for XpressWest, “the transportation arm of Marnell Companies, a gaming resort development firm,” as […]

Sacramento Sends Brown Sweeping Medical Pot Regulations

Marking the end of one era and the start of a new one, Sacramento lawmakers sent legislation to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk that would revolutionize California’s approach to legal medical marijuana. Together, Assembly Bills 266 and 243, along with Senate Bill 643, were dubbed the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act — the culmination of an unprecedented effort to “draft regulations […]

CA Wrestles With Minimum Wage Domino Effect

Forging ahead with plans to take minimum wages to new highs, California’s San Francisco Bay Area has touched off tit-for-tat increases, deepening fears that the region’s high cost of living has become a business-killer. A growing dilemma “Berkeley’s City Council approved a hike in June 2014 that will lift the minimum wage to $12.53 by next […]

CA Water Cops Crack Down

With California residents and wildlife struggling to cope, officials have introduced a fresh round of crackdowns on water consumption, dealing a blow to farmers and municipalities thirsty for more. Hard targets Water suppliers braced for fines in areas where consumption didn’t hit aggressive targets set by Gov. Jerry Brown. As the Los Angeles Times noted, “16 water suppliers […]