tAs part of California’s Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which is contained in the state’s Government Code, executive branch agencies and departments that adopt regulations are required to conduct an economic impact analysis. What is that economic impact analysis and how have the courts interpreted agency actions to comply with this statutory mandate?
Open cafe or restaurant. Open sign board on glass door in modern cafe coffee shopOPINION – California’s large, iconic companies are most often in the spotlight, but small businesses are what drive our economy. These locally owned employers are the lifeblood of community prosperity, particularly for women and people of color who often see entrepreneurship as a path to financial independence.
Image by CozineOPINION – California’s State Water Board is wrestling with what terms to set for water conservation regulation for urban areas. This regulation implements state policy designed to Make Conservation a California Way of Life. But the only way to make that vision equitable is to ensure the needs of low-income communities are taken into account.
Photo by 3rdtimeluckystudio via ShutterstockDespite the stakes readily apparent to virtually everyone working in AI, the technology is largely unregulated in the United States. And, no surprise, California legislators have been quick to jump into the void.
Photo by zimmytws via ShutterstockAn ongoing lawsuit against the wealthy law firm Girardi Keese reveals the dark underbelly of how the lawsuit lending industry targets the most vulnerable Californians.
OPINION: The domestic maritime industry must continue to play a leading role in helping California and the U.S. reach net-zero emissions. American companies and government partners are already making strides to reach this goal by advancing low and zero emission harbor vessels and efficient port infrastructure. Together, we can do more to clean our air without risking our economy or energy supply.
Environmentalist Heidi Sanborn.(Photo: Screen capture via YouTube, from California insider)California recently approved three sweeping environmental laws: SB 54, SB 343, and AB 1201. Hopefully, this game-changing legislation will shape national policy about recycling, composting, plastic pollution, and human health. We have many people to thank for the recent measures to reduce plastic pollution and increase plastic recycling, but we citizens rarely know who. Heidi Sanborn is one of those people.
CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Today we present a Special Episode of the Capitol Weekly Podcast, recorded live, Thursday May 26 at CALIFORNIA VOTES, A 2022 Election Preview. Panelists Kathy Fairbanks and David Miller discuss the merits of the proposition, moderated by Sigrid Bathen of Capitol Weekly.
Water streams from a hose in Scotts Valley during the 2021 drought. (Photo: Michael Barajas, via Shutterstock)OPINION: While nobody disputes that everyone should have safe, clean drinking water, not every Californian does. According to the Public Policy Institute of California, more than 250 water systems serving 900,000 Californians were out of compliance with drinking water standards in 2020.
A dialysis nurse checks his equipment. (Photo: Saengsuriya Kanhajorn, via Shutterstock)Close your eyes. Think about all the problems facing California. Think about the top 10 problems. Now think about the top 100 problems. Now open your eyes. We doubt anyone reading this thought about staffing in kidney dialysis centers. Yet this year proposition 23 was asking voters in California to have a say on the staffing requirements for kidney dialysis centers.