A vehicle for Lyft and Uber awaits customers in Redwood City. (Photo: Sundry Photography, via Shutterstock)Proposition 22 has ignited the most expensive ballot proposition fight in California history, exemplifying the emerging 21st century battle of traditional employment-vs.-the gig economy. Meanwhile, the Trump administration is poised to weigh in.
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Veteran political data expert Paul Mitchell sat down (remotely) with Capitol Weekly’s John Howard and Tim Foster on Friday to chat about early vote turnout, the partisan breakdown of those votes and how California compares to the national picture.
A scientist with a pipette doing cellular research. (Photo: 18percentgrey, via Shutterstock)OPINION: At a time of budget crisis, Proposition 14 commits California to spending $5 billion (plus interest) that we don’t have, on a bureaucracy we don’t need, in pursuit of cures no one can guarantee. Specifically, Prop. 14 would refinance the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), also known as the state stem cell agency.
A man mails in his ballot in the era of the pandemic. (Photo: Wayne Via, Shutterstock)Over five million California voters – nearly a quarter of the state’s registered electorate — have returned ballots for the General Election, which is less than two weeks away. This milestone, hit yesterday at 13 days until the election, wasn’t achieved in 2016 until the day before the election and exceeds the entire early by-mail vote in 2018.
An illustration of the electorate. (Image: M-SUR, via Shutterstock) With Election Day less than two weeks away, Californians remain divided on a ballot measure that would change how commercial property is taxed. On another closely watched ballot measure, reinstating affirmative action in the public sector has gained slightly since September, but still has less than majority support.
Two children receiving instruction via the internet. (Photo: adriaticfoto, via Shutterstock)The resurgence of COVID-19 over the summer and the predicted fall increase in cases means that many districts will continue some form of distance learning for months to come. Our findings show that distance learning has widened gaps for children of color, children in low-income families, and children of less-educated parents. More specifically, we find:
Photo: Power CaliforniaOPINION: Everywhere in California, young people are fighting for our lives, our families and our communities. We know it is up to us to fight for our future. We are asking you to fight for us, too. We are young. We are Black, brown, Indigenous, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans youth and youth of color from the Central Valley, Central Coast, Southern California, Inland Valley, Bay Area, — every corner of the state.
A liquid nitrogen bank containing a suspension of stem cells. (Photo: Elena Pavlovich, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The Golden State boasts the 5th largest economy, the biggest and best public university systems and, thanks to support from California voters, it’s the global epicenter for advancing stem cell research and treatments for chronic diseases and conditions that will afflict nearly all California families.
As the November election approaches, longtime labor activist Caitlin Vega is focused on what she sees as an existential battle: the effort to defeat Proposition 22 – the initiative that would classify App-based drivers as independent contractors and remove labor protections for thousands of workers.