Kamala Harris. Photo by Gage Skidmore.With last week’s new it seems the right time for a new Experts Expound question: What does Kamala Harris officially opting out mean for the 2026 California gubernatorial race?
Set of construction materials. Image by urfingussOPINION – The legislature and governor recently reformed the state’s environmental laws ensuring quick building and re-building. Even with this focus on fire resiliency, what too often goes unnoticed are the non-combustible construction materials used in construction.
Image by CamerisState mandates refer to state-imposed requirements on local governments and school districts that often involve new programs or higher levels of service. In this week’s Micheli Files McGeorge law professor and Capitol lobbyist Chris Micheli shares insights into some types of state mandates.
ESG and Carbon Credit icons. Image by Thawatchai ChawongOPINION – Without swift action to reauthorize the cap-and-trade program and implement updates to align with the state’s climate targets, one of California’s cornerstone environmental policies could unravel due to lack of market confidence.
Image by Pla2na. OPINION – If we’re willing to invest hundreds of millions of dollars to retain film productions that come and go, why aren’t we doing the same for the manufacturers that anchor our economy, create long-term middle-class jobs, and drive regional prosperity across every corner of the state?
Image by t:designer491. OPINION – The California Privacy Protection Agency was created with Californians’ security top of mind. Its central mission: protect consumers’ personal data privacy, clear and direct. But the agency is at a pivotal moment that could dampen its legacy.
Image by ANAN YOSSINGKUM. OPINION – The Verified Emissions Reduction Association, or VERA, is a coalition of members with vast experience in achieving real, quantifiable, permanent, enforceable and addition emissions reductions in a cost-effective manner.
Image by hapabapaAs I make my way through bills in the second house policy committee, I continue to run across interesting provisions contained in these bills. Here is a short explanation of some recent examples from 2025 bills that the “legislative geek” in me finds interesting.
Image by Tennessee Witney. OPINION – In recent weeks, Los Angeles witnessed mass protests in response to sweeping federal workplace raids. Yet at the same time, a less visible threat is brewing in Sacramento: Section 2 of Assembly Bill 931.
Vacaville Correctional Medical Facility. Photo by AP.Without emergency legislation, a little more than two dozen disabled people, including veterans, who work as janitors at a state prison facility in Vacaville are poised to lose their jobs at the end of this month due to a protest lodged by the Service Employees International Union Local 1000.