Tech lobby can’t win changes in CA online privacy law
By Chris Reed With the California Legislature in the final three weeks of its session, big tech companies and business lobbies have so far had little success in getting changes to the California Consumer Privacy Act. The landmark online privacy law – enacted in summer 2018 – takes effect Jan. 1, 2020. The law parallels a […]
Some worry California Citizens Redistricting Commission lacks diversity in applicant pool
By Chris Reed Despite requests from more than 20 civic groups that she keep recruiting applicants for the California Citizens Redistricting Commission past the present Aug. 9 deadline, state Auditor Elaine Howle doesn’t appear to believe it is necessary. Last week, California Common Cause, the California NAACP and the National Association of Latino Elected and […]
Despite crackdown, is state losing ground in vaccination push?
By Chris Reed Four years into a crackdown on high numbers of California students going unvaccinated because of claimed concerns over vaccine risks, new statisticsfrom the 2018-2019 school year show that 10 percent or more of the students in 117 kindergartens and 5 percent or more of those at 1,500 other kindergartens do not have their […]
State’s largest ‘community choice’ energy program takes a hit
By Chris Reed The community choice aggregation (CCA) movement has built considerable momentum in California in recent years. In CCA programs, groups of local government agencies team up to take over decision-making on what sources of power to use in the local electric grid – with utilities continuing to hold responsibility for maintaining the grid. […]
Gov. Newsom’s new health care rhetoric stops short of single-payer promises
By Chris Reed Twenty months ago, then-Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom sealed the endorsement of the powerful California Nurses Association in the governor’s race with an impassioned promise to bring single-payer health care to the Golden State. “There’s no reason to wait around on universal health care and single-payer in California. It’s time to move [Senate […]
Can Gov. Newsom ‘lead from behind’ on wildfire legislation?
By Chris Reed Gov. Gavin Newsom and his wildfire “strike force” surprised some with the vagueness of its most important recommendation: That it’s time to revise the “inverse condemnation” state law that holds energy utilities can be held fully responsible for fires that were caused by their equipment even if the equipment was properly maintained. The law […]
Credit rating agencies concerned about California pensions costs
By Chris Reed, Calwatchdog.com 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 […]
Legal cannabis industry continues to struggle in California
By Chris Reed, Calwatchdog.com The drumbeat of disappointment over the slow start of legal marijuana in California keeps building with many dispensary owners, growers and local and state elected officials bewailing the robust health of the illegal cannabis black market. Last week, state officials released the official tally of tax revenue in sales, excise and cultivation taxes in […]
State senator wants to give CA homeless a ‘right to shelter’
By Chris Reed, Calwatchdog.com Democratic lawmakers are already gearing up for brawls with Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom over costly efforts to expand state government with a single-payer health care system and a bold new push for subsidized pre-kindergarten education. Now, another ambitious bill with a huge price tag has emerged: one guaranteeing the state’s steadily […]
Gov.-Elect Newsom’s interest in tax reform likely to face bipartisan push-back
By Chris Reed, Calwatchdog.com 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 […]
