First Lady Rosalynn Carter, photo courtesy of APTributes to First Lady Rosalynn Carter invariably cite her lifelong commitment to improving care for people with severe mental illness. As she stumped for her husband during the closing days of the 1976 presidential campaign, she brought that advocacy to the unlikely locale of Bakersfield.
PODCAST: The California Republican Party Convention kicks off Friday in Anaheim with a luncheon featuring former president and current GOP presidential frontrunner Donald Trump. So, what to expect? We asked Mike Madrid, a longtime Republican strategist and expert on Latino politics who denounced the party’s embrace of Trumpism in 2016. He joined us to talk about the state of the state Republican Party and about where the Republican Party is nationally.
Image by PHOTOCREO Michal BednarekOPINION – In a state as large and important as California, it makes little sense for us to continue allowing ourselves to be so vulnerable to the vagaries of each shifting budget cycle. Instead, it makes much more sense to develop a more strategic, long-term social investment approach.
California law, image by Yuriy KANALYSIS – Even though the 29 California Codes, in which there are over 155,000 sections, contain guidance on interpreting their provisions, the attorneys in California’s Office of Legislative Counsel (OLC) continue to modernize our state’s statutes. This important work includes the use of gender-neutral drafting of legislation for bills, resolutions, and constitutional amendments.
John Eastman, photo via Associated PressJohn Eastman has been alternatively described as a brilliant legal scholar, a mild-mannered political animal and co-conspirator in a plot to illegally overturn an election. But just who is John Eastman really? Since he transmogrified from a relatively anonymous, dial-a-quote law professor in Orange County to one of the supposed masterminds of Donald Trump’s Hail Mary ploy to hold onto the presidency, Eastman and his once-sterling reputation have been irrevocably tarnished, putting both his career and freedom in jeopardy.
Civil rights law, image by Vitalii VodolazskyiOPINION – Sometimes, what looks like “more” government is actually “better” government. But California offers a cautionary tale of what happens when the federal government fails at its job.
Reps. Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff, Katie Porter. Photo courtesy of the U.S. House of RepresentativesDianne Feinstein’s announcement she will not seek another term has sparked a furious three-way battle for the Democratic nomination to replace her. But is there a Republican dark horse in the mix? Or maybe even California Gov. Gavin Newsom? We asked our experts to weigh in.
California law, image by Vitalii VodolazskyiANALYSIS – The Enrolled Bill Rule is based upon the separation of powers doctrine. However, the EBR should not be used anymore to prevent a challenge that constitutional provisions or state statutes were allegedly violated when the Legislature enacted a bill.
Capitol and flag, by Karin Hildebrand LauANALYSIS – Around the country, and at the federal level, there is an ongoing debate among legislative lawyers whether a severability clause must be included in legislation.
FILE - This combination of photos shows California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaking in Sacramento, Calif., on June 24, 2022, left, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaking in Sioux Center, Iowa, May 13, 2023, right. (AP Photo, File)While mostly political, the feud between California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis occasionally veers into the personal.