Fire insurance renewal mandate worries insurers, experts
By Chris Reed California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s recent decision to put a one-year moratorium on insurance companies refusing to renew policies on homes in areas adjacent to recent devastating wildfires has garnered widely mixed reaction. Lara’s decision ensures roughly 800,000 homeowners can have policies renewed. It’s allowed under Senate Bill 824, which Lara shepherded […]
California cities struggle with implications of homeless ruling
By Chris Reed The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision not to hear an appeal of a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal ruling limiting when homeless people can be arrested in California and eight other Western states has left lawmakers who want a crackdown over the homeless’ negative effects on quality of life not even sure what that […]
New round of DMV ‘motor voter’ errors reported
By Chris Reed One of Gavin Newsom’s first acts after taking office as governor in January was to create a “DMV Reinvention Strike Team” to improve the performance of the state Department of Motor Vehicles. This came after one of the worst years a state agency has had in recent history. In August 2018, CalWatchdog and many […]
Gov. Newsom suspends new fracking permits in latest attempt to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
By Chris Reed Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced an immediate suspension of permits allowing new hydraulic fracturing and steam-injected oil drilling – the latest in a series of moves in the past week underscoring California’s determination to be seen as a leader in climate change efforts. “These are necessary steps to strengthen oversight of oil and gas […]
Pressure mounts on Gov. Newsom to fix education funding for English learners
By Chris Reed A scathing audit on school funding that found the state did not meet promises made six years ago to help English language learners, foster children and students from poor families sets up a 2020 test of the clout of the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers – and of the willingness […]
Auditor: State’s 12 largest cities all at financial risk
By Chris Reed According to a new website run by California State Auditor Elaine Howle and her staff, the dozen most populated cities in California all have significant fiscal problems and will be forced into major adjustments in coming years. Eleven of the cities – Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, […]
San Jose mayor joins push to break up PG&E
By Chris Reed The political pressure on Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Legislature and the California Public Utilities Commission to break up Pacific Gas & Electric has grown rapidly since PG&E ordered power outages from Oct. 9-12 that affected more than 2 million people in response to the fire threat posed by heavy winds. The utility […]
State auditor will review how $30 billion in Local Control Funding Formula grant money was spent
By Chris Reed New reports show that six years after Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature approved a sweeping overhaul in how school funds were divvied up, the evidence is mixed that the overhaul is accomplishing its main goal: improving the academic performance of the 1.2 million English language learners in California public schools. Under the law, […]
New law makes it easier for authorities to force troubled homeless into conservatorships
By Chris Reed Reflecting frustration over the fact that years of adding resources to fighting homelessness had brought little progress, Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill making it significantly easier for authorities in three counties with 40 percent of California’s population to force the most severely troubled individuals into conservatorships. Those are arrangements in […]
CA cities, counties ask for Supreme Court’s help on homelessness
By Chris Reed Rushing to meet last week’s deadline for filing amicus briefs, dozens of local governments and other groups in California have jointly and separately beseeched the high court to uphold laws targeting sleeping in public. Such laws are seen as a key way to crack down homelessness. The flood of legal filings came […]
