Legislature is Done for the Year. But Numerous Calls for a Special Session
During the waning days of the shortened legislative session there were at least three appeals to the governor to call a special session of the legislature to complete pressing business. His office has indicated he is unlikely to do so. Not that many legislators want the session to continue. Normally legislators would rather be out […]
Energy Storage will get us out of this Mess
So here we are again, with blackouts in California, but the cause is new. We are starting to see the need to shore up one critical piece of our renewable energy strategy: energy storage. It is only by adding enough energy storage that we can support peak load after the sun has set. Some people […]
California lawmakers failed to enact sweeping police reforms. Here’s why.
Last summer, when California passed a landmark law meant to reduce police shootings, lawmakers praised the mothers, fathers and activists who had packed the Capitol throughout the year. They wore T-shirts memorializing shooting victims. Filled hallways with songs and prayer. Laid flowers at the doorsteps of politicians’ offices. And lined up, sometimes by the hundreds, […]
Legislature leaves much undone
When the Legislature reconvened in January, the stage was seemingly set for a year of sweeping action on California’s most vexing political issues, such as a chronic housing shortage, homelessness and an embarrassingly high poverty rate. Democrats enjoyed overwhelming majorities in both legislative houses, the Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, was fond of pursuing “big hairy, […]
SF DA Harris’s Surprising Decision Dealing with Prop 8, the Anti-Gay Marriage Initiative
Joe Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris as his vice presidential running mate, and her subsequent nomination at the Democratic national convention, was generally applauded by civil rights activists, Typical of that praise was an Aug. 19 op-ed by Sasha Issenberg in the Washington Post, “”Joe Biden and Kamala Harris Both Worked For Gay Marriage – […]
Mayors’ Reasons for Supporting Prop. 15 Don’t Hold Up
Fifteen California mayors, including mayors of some of California’s biggest cities, signed a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom urging him to endorse Proposition 15, the commercial property tax increase on the November ballot. However, the main reasons the mayors used to support their position don’t stand up to a real-world examination of the facts. The […]
Why California City Councils Should Be Bigger
Want a stronger California city? Don’t make your mayor more powerful. Make your city council bigger. Mayors Sam Liccardo of San Jose and Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento are seeking to become “strong mayors”—with broad executive authority over department heads, budgets and council legislation. “Strong mayors” are rare in California. More typically, California cities are run […]
Analysis: How renters, landlords and banks fared in the eviction compromise
California renters financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic will be protected from eviction until at least next February, while small landlords will be offered some foreclosure protections, under a measure approved by lawmakers and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom late Monday night. The deal was passed by supermajorities in both state legislative chambers, with both […]
Judge Gives Favorable Ruling for Coffee Roasters and Distributors in Proposition 65 Lawsuit
Coffee roasters, distributors and coffee lovers received a favorable ruling this week when Superior Court Judge Elihu M. Berle ended a decade-long lawsuit, ruling that the coffee industry had met their burden of showing that acrylamide, found in that of coffee following the roasting and brewing process, doesn’t cause cancer. Now, the Office of Environmental […]