Left to right: Controller Betty Yee, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and Treasurer Fiona Ma at the Sacramento Press Club. (Photo: Press Club)All three women holding statewide offices in California say they’ll run for governor. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Treasurer Fiona Ma and Controller Betty Yee — all Democrats — appeared together at a we’re-all-friends lunchtime panel discussion sponsored by the Sacramento Press Club.
An emergency room at a hospital in Palo Alto. (Photo: Jennie Book, via Shutterstock)Today in California, the fifth largest economy in the world, we’ve made unparalleled progress toward our goal of health care coverage for all, but there are still roughly 2.8 million people without health care coverage. Take a moment to let that number sink in: 2.8 million.
A woman and her pet on an errand in LA. (Photo: oneinchpunch, via Shutterstock)California judges can now consider what is in the best interests of a pet when deciding animal custody cases in divorce disputes. A new law that went into effect Jan. 1 is intended to elevate pets above other community property like furniture or cars.
A photo illustration of an cyber attacker on the internet. (Photo: Alexander Geiger, via Shutterstock OPINION: Germany never accepted defeat in World War I, and it used the next 22 years to re-imagine the internal-combustion engine into a series of devastating weapons, and then to deploy those weapons in combinations never before seen on the field of battle. At the same time, its leaders undermined domestic democratic institutions to solidify its power. Their motive was simple: revenge. I fear a similar dynamic is at play in 2019.
The state Capitol in Sacramento. (Photo: Adonis Villanueva, via Shutterstock)OPINION: For public affairs companies that work to impact policy on behalf of their clients – and especially those that represent business interests — the post-Blue Wave environment means that the old school, relationship approach will be less effective than proactive policy and district impact programs.
Demonstrators outside the state Capitol in Sacramento at the 2018 women's march.(Photo: Lorraine_M, via Shutterstock)Last January, about 36,000 people gathered in Sacramento to march in support of the #MeToo movement. Many women and their allies who marched included those that spoke out and signed an open letter denouncing sexual harassment within the Capitol community. Supporters hope they will have a similar turnout Saturday.
Two customers order lunch at an artisan bakery in Oakdale. (Photo: James Kirkikis, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The start of the new year also brings a new governor and a new Legislature, which provides opportunity for Californians to set new goals and expectations of our elected leaders in Sacramento. Small business owners, especially, have much at stake in the halls of the state Capitol, with many new opportunities and challenges ahead in 2019.
Donald Trump speaks to California supporters during a 2015 campaign rally aboard the USS Iowa in San Pedro. (Photo: Joseph Sohm, via Shutterstock)President Donald Trump threatened—again—to withhold federal dollars from California as the state copes with the aftermath of wildfires. But the president’s action is on shaky legal ground. That’s because there are clear guidelines governing how federal funding is administered and under what circumstances it can be cut off.
A couple watches as a wildfire creeps closer. (Photo: Logan Bush, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Around 25 years ago, Patricia immigrated to the U.S., settling in Santa Barbara with dreams of a better life. She cleans homes for a living in communities like Montecito and San Ysidro. During the Thomas Fire, she couldn’t go to work because many of the homes she cleaned were at risk. As mudslides came after the blaze, Patricia couldn’t go back to work for almost three months.
Gavin Newsom, flanked by wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom and their children, is sworn in as governor by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, right. (Photo: AP/Rich Pedroncelli)Gavin Newsom, the former San Francisco mayor who roiled Democrats across the country when he issued marriage certificates to same-sex couples, was sworn in Monday as California’s 40th governor. He succeeds the unprecedented, largely successful tenure of four-time governor and fellow Democrat Jerry Brown, who moseyed on back to his 2,500-acre ranch in Colusa.