Posts Tagged: Pan

Really folks, redistricting isn’t all that confusing

A map illustration of some cities, counties in California. (Photo: Kent Weakley, via Shutterstock)

by PAUL MITCHELL posted 04.12.2022

“Why is this so hard?” That’s what Matt Rexroad, owner of Redistricting Insights, tweeted repeatedly when he saw news that downtown Sacramento City Councilmember Katie Valenzuela faced a recall from residents of the uptown neighborhoods in East Sacramento. The problem: It wouldn’t be a legal recall.  But confusion over that fact seemed to drag on for weeks.

LAO: Ballot initiative would triple cigarette taxes

A cigarette smoker enjoying his habit. (Photo: Pe3k, via Shutterstock)

by JOHN HOWARD posted 11.30.2015

An initiative aimed at next year’s ballot to more than triple the tax on California cigarettes would raise at least $1.3 billion annually, with the money going to an array of health and other programs, according to the Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal adviser. The Legislative Analyst’s Office reported Monday that the proposal to add $2 in taxes to a pack of cigarettes would increase the per-pack taxes to $2.87.

Making the case for ‘open data’

Voluminous data displayed on a computer monitor. (Photo: Dimitri Nikolaev)

by ROBB KORINKE posted 07.14.2015

“Open Data” is a hot topic in the Capitol, and as legislative deadlines approach, it’s worth updating on where the issue stands, and what to keep in mind as the state considers a path forward. Standardized and freely shared, public data can inform policymakers as well as state residents about the operations and performance of government.

SB277 removes the right of informed consent from California parents. It slid through the Senate Floor on a Democratic Party line, and paused briefly at the Assembly Health Committee Hearing June 9th, drawing over 5,000 people in protest to the Capitol stairs and hallways of Sacramento. Its next stop, this week, the Assembly Floor Vote.

Impacts felt of term limits, top-two primary

The state Capitol, Sacramento. (Photo: David Monniaux)

by SAMANTHA GALLEGOS posted 06.06.2014

Election 2014: Revised term limits and the top-two primary system — which pits candidates against each other regardless of party affiliation — appear to have lessened the likelihood of such contentious battles, according to one analysis. That’s because it all comes down to timing.

Regulations implementing a new California law aimed at reducing the number of unvaccinated youngsters attending school may do just the opposite. A 2012 bill, which took effect Jan. 1, requires parents seeking an exemption from vaccinations against diseases like measles and whooping cough, to first talk with a health care provider about the risks and benefits of vaccines.