U.S. Senators Laphonza Butler and Alex Padilla, image via Associated PressEXPERTS EXPOUND: With the selection of Laphonza Butler, Gov. Gavin Newsom has now appointed both of California’s sitting U.S. Senators. It has hardly been a process without controversy, and so we asked our panel of experts this simple question: On a scale of 1-10 (10 being the best, 1 the worst) rate how the governor has handled making these picks.
Crime rate symbol, image by Dmitry DemidovichFrom fentanyl to smash-and-grabs, crime has been a big issue around the California Capitol this year. But will rising crime – or even the perception of rising crime rates – cause Democrats political pain? We asked our experts to weigh in.
Capitol caucuses, image by Andrii Yalanskyi Both the Senate and Assembly have several caucuses beyond the main party caucuses: Rural Caucus, Latino Caucus, Jewish Caucus, Black Caucus, LGBTQ Caucus, etc. But which wields the most power behind the scenes? We asked our experts to weigh in.
A single payer health care system is the Holy Grail for progressive Californians. But is it realistic or just a pipedream? We put the question to our experts.
Reps. Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter. Photo courtesy of the U.S. House of RepresentativesDianne Feinstein’s announcement she will not seek another term has sparked a furious three-way battle for the Democratic nomination to replace her. But is there a Republican dark horse in the mix? Or maybe even California Gov. Gavin Newsom? We asked our experts to weigh in.
CA Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, photo from his candidate websiteThe California insurance market is in flux. We asked our Experts to rate, on a scale of one to 10, Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara’s handling of this situation so far.
Everybody’s talking about it, so we though we’d ask our experts: “Universal health care: Do we want it, will we get it? If so, when?” Here’s what they told us.
Experts Expound: “Too little, too late? Will California’s 2016 presidential primary be meaningless in the process of picking a president?”
“The LAO says the state is flush with cash and multibillion-dollar reserves loom in coming years. How should we spend the money?”
So what’s Tom Steyer up to? Earlier, he reportedly was going to run for governor or U.S. Senate and he’s been taking lead roles on environmental protection issues. Steyer, who was just named to Politico’s list of the top 50 people to watch, has bankrolled two successful good-government campaigns and fought the Koch Brothers. So