A construction worker on the job in Anaheim. (Photo: Benjamin Clapp, via Shutterstock)OPINION: California is in the midst of transformational policy changes in order to address climate change, with lawmakers and regulators considering dozens of laws and regulations every year that will greatly alter our transportation, water, energy, housing, and other construction sectors.
The young hands of a caregiver surround the hands of an elderly patient. (Photo: Ocskay Mark, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Everywhere you turn these days we’re being told that government doesn’t work, that our democracy is too polarized to deliver for everyday people. The budget Gov. Newsom recently signed tells a different story. It will help turbocharge our recovery from COVID-19 and make a historic commitment on another urgent public health crisis: Alzheimer’s.
An all-electric Nissan Leaf is seen on a freeway in Mountain View. (Photo: Sundry Photography, via Shutterstock)OPINION: A transition to electric vehicles is a bold and necessary vision. Transportation is responsible for almost half of the state’s emissions and the reason why so many of our communities breathe unhealthy air. Reducing emissions is key to mitigating the impacts of climate change and improving air quality.
A sign beckons library users with a compelling message. (Photo: Becky Ruppel, via California State Library)OPINION: This year’s state budget contains an unprecedented investment in California’s public libraries. The $439 million earmarked by Gov. Newsom and the Legislature for renovating and modernizing local libraries will provide decades of ongoing benefits to millions of Californians and the communities in which they live.
Historical building of Wells Fargo in San Francisco's financial district. Photo: Takako Hatayama-Phillips, via Shutterstock)San Francisco has taken its first major step toward establishing a public bank, and other California municipalities are also moving forward in exploring public banking, including a regional effort by cities and counties on the Central Coast. The California statute reportedly is adding fuel to a nationwide public banking effort.
Homes in Los Angeles with a refinery and oil storage tanks nearby. (Photo: trekandshoot, via Shutterstock)OPINION: The science is clear. There is no way to effectively protect the health of vulnerable and unserved communities without confronting how factors like race and income impact exposure to the air quality threats created by fossil fuels.
Cars line up to enter a COVID-19 vaccination superstation at Petco Park, San Diego. (Photo: Simone Hogan, via Shutterstock)OPINION: One thing we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that there is an immense need to invest in public health and disease prevention tools before there is another widespread outbreak. While we cannot fix the past, we do have an opportunity to ensure California residents are protected from debilitating and deadly diseases in the future.
Gunsmith working on an 300 Blackout AR rifle upper receiver in a vise at a gun shop in CaliforniaOPINION: As gun sales and gun deaths have continued to surge since the onset of the pandemic, California’s underinvestment in violence intervention programs has become a glaring policy failure. Even after January 2021 proved to be California’s single deadliest month for gun homicides since 2007, the governor and state legislators have still not agreed to make funding the California Violence Intervention and Prevention (CalVIP) grant program a priority.
A physician uses his cell phone for a medical discussion. (Photo: apr.org)OPINION: The mother on the other end of the phone call was worried about her newborn’s increased fussiness and stomach issues. After taking a thorough history, the problem became clear: The mother had switched from breastmilk to a formula that triggered symptoms related to the baby’s known history of milk protein allergy. I advised a switch to a hydrolyzed formula.
A worker gives directions as motorists wait in lines to get the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine in a parking lot at Dodger Stadium in L.A. (Photo: Ringo Chiu, via Shutterstock)OPINION: As the leader of the association representing California’s public transit agencies and the head of the state’s largest union representing public transit workers, we strongly urge Gov. Newsom and state and local health officials to provide priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine to public transit workers.