The "Dos Amigos" pumping plant, San Luis Canal, part of the California Aqueduct system; Los Banos, central California. Image by Sundry PhotographyOPINION – The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California recently adopted what could be a revolutionary policy, providing a lens through which to consider how to spend precious ratepayer dollars.
Image by Vepar5OPINION – For many schools, the pandemic created a critical need for greater flexibility, focusing more on the needs of individual students, creating education delivery options beyond the classroom, and offering access to resources that were more relevant to student life skills and needs.
Vice President Kamala HarrisThe latest Capitol Weekly polling of California voters shows continued strength for Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential race, with 59% of voters supporting Harris and 34% supporting former President Donald Trump.
Metalworking CNC milling machine. Cutting fibreglass parts in modern processing technology. Image by valdisskudreOPINION – Water use in California is typically thought of in three parts: water for the environment (50%), water for agriculture (40%), and water for communities (10%) per the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). As a result, “ag” is the sector of the economy that comes to mind first when we talk about the state’s water supply. But the rest of California’s economy also requires water. California’s manufacturers – one of the state’s largest industry sectors, accounting for 11.8% of state GDP – need water.
Image by Maliutina AnnaOPINION – Families across California experienced a decline in violence and poverty in the wake of COVID-19, but according to the Public Policy Institute of California, the rate of poverty has since grown from 11.7% in 2021 to 13.2% in 2023.
Laura Wilcox, whose shooting death in Nevada County inspired "Laura's Law." (Family photo)Ever since Ronald Reagan signed the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act in 1967 granting people with severe mental illness greater rights and speeding the emptying of state asylums, governors have been sidestepping the issue, until now. Unlike governors before him in this state or perhaps any other, Newsom is confronting the issue of untreated mental illness.
Offshore wind turbines, image by New AfricaCalifornia ports are positioned to be key hubs in the offshore wind industry with the capacity for the manufacturing, staging and integration, and deployment of floating offshore wind turbines. But our ports need significant infrastructure upgrades to reach the goals set by the California Energy Commission (CEC) of up to 5 gigawatts (GW) by 2030 and 25 GW by 2045.
Photo by Ray Buse via ShutterstockIn counties like Los Angeles, we see almost no increase in Latino share of votes cast from 2014-2022, and even drops in electoral impact of older Latinos.
The state Capitol in Sacramento. (Photo: PPIC)The midterm campaign season enters its final stretch after Labor Day — in the context of rising consumer prices and higher interest rates that have created financial turbulence and uncertainty about job growth. Meanwhile, Californians are feeling the impact of climate change: severe drought, heat waves, and wildfires. Recently passed federal and state legislation aims to address these issues ahead of the highly consequential Nov. 8 election.
A photo illustration of a voter casting a ballot. (Image: PPIC)With the special election to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom less than two weeks away, the share of California likely voters who say they would remove Newsom still falls short of a majority, while about half of likely voters do not currently have a choice for a replacement. Among California likely voters, 39 percent would vote yes to remove Newsom, while 58 percent would vote no.