Posts Tagged: report

Opinion

Twitter is Sacramento’s ‘Fourth House’

A Twitter user logs on with her digital tablet. (Photo: Daniel Krason, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: It is a colossal mistake for those who desire to influence state policy to ignore Twitter, brushing it off as a playground for pop stars, professional athletes and the President. As demonstrated in Randle Communications’ inaugural Digital Influencer Report, digital advocacy, and specifically Twitter, remains a growing and potent tool for those who seek to shape outcomes in California’s Capitol.

News

New state water director appointed

Karla Nemeth, newly named director of the state Department of Water Resources. (Photo: Video screen capture)

Karla Nemeth, a veteran water official and a ranking member of the Brown administration, was named the new director of the state Department of Water Resources, part of a major shakeup at the agency,  officials said Tuesday.

News

PolitiFact: Does Prop. 67 money go to environment?

A reusable green shopping bag with disposable plastic bags.(Photo: John Nightingale)

A ‘Yes’ vote on California’s Proposition 67 would ban thin plastic carryout bags at grocery and convenience stores statewide. The ban is supported by environmental groups that argue the bags choke wildlife and cause problems for recycling centers when they wrap around machinery.

Opinion

CEQA: This law has done a good job

A view of downtown L.A. from the Whittier Bridge. (Photo: Shalunts, via Shutterstock

OPINION: The California Environmental Quality Act has long been the punching bag of business interests and some policy makers. It has been blamed for everything from a dearth of affordable housing to a sluggish economy during financial downturns. Yet, until now, precious little objective research has been conducted to understand the costs and benefits associated with this 46-year-old law.

News

Road dangers, digital billboards linked

Digital billboards and advertising in downtown Toronto. (Photo: SurangaSL, via Shutterstock)

Digital billboards clearly catch the eye of passing motorists. But what is also increasingly clear is that such distractions can heighten safety risks in heavy traffic and other complex driving conditions, a Berkeley-based roadway researcher says.

News

Asbestos-like mineral raises concern in arid West, including California

Recent research is focusing new attention on an asbestos-like mineral, blamed for staggering rates of a deadly cancer in Turkey, that also is found in the rocks and soil of 13 Western states, including California. The U.S. Geological Survey has identified 95 sites where the mineral, erionite, exists. Nine of the identified locations are in California.

News

Stem cell agency to begin review of human genetic changes

A depiction of human genetics. (Image: Crystal Image Photo, via Shutterstock)

California’s stem cell agency has embarked on what is likely to be an exhaustive review of genetic alteration of human embryos with likely recommendations for changes in the $3 billion research effort. The 11-year-old agency plans to examine a host of issues ranging from inadvertent, inheritable changes in the human race to informed consent on the part of patients.

News

Daily fantasy sports: skill or luck?

An illustration of an online dashboard for a participant in daily fantasy sports, which is growing in popularity.(Illustration: Tim Foster, Capitol Weekly)

Daily fantasy sports: What started as a seasonal pastime in offices around America has morphed into a daily, multibillion-dollar business, fueled by national TV advertising and the internet. Unlike the traditional office pool, DFS offers same-day cash rewards to winners – a big incentive. And, in California as in most states, it’s not gambling.

Opinion

Targeting the schools’ ‘reserve cap’

School kids at work in a California classroom. (Photo: Monkey Business Images)

OPINION: California voters passed Proposition 2 last November to establish a statewide “rainy day” fund. Unfortunately, a one-size-fits-all law, SB 858, also passed last year as part of the state budget process. SB 858 prevents school districts from saving adequately to prepare for their own rainy day by setting a maximum average “reserve cap” of 6 percent on school districts reserves.

Opinion

Tax debate must get beyond politics

The California state Capitol in Sacramento. (Photo: Shutterstock)

OPINION: With more than a dozen major tax measures moving through the Legislature or toward the November 2016 ballot, California’s perennial debate about taxes is set to begin anew — with millions of dollars in political campaigns preparing to shape how the state will raise billions of dollars in revenue, and provide public services, for years to come.

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