Image by Rawf8OPINION – Prop. 36 is a common-sense reform of Prop. 47 that is designed to address the unintended consequences that have emerged from that law ten years after its passage. As the Mayor of California’s 3rd largest city, I see the costly and deadly results of the flaws in Prop. 47 every day.
Frank Lanterman, photo courtesy of the Frank D. Lanterman Political Papers, Lanterman House ArchivesFor more than five decades, the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act has been the foundation for how California treats or fails to treat people with severe mental illness. Now, legislators from both parties seek to overhaul it in ways that reflect advances in medicine, and a better understanding of its failings.
A photo illustration of carbon-neutral wind power, and fossil-fuel power generation. (Photo: satit_srihin, via Shutterstock)California is known across the country as a trendsetter in climate regulations, with tough emissions standards and sweeping environmental protections. Freshman state Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), however, is pushing for more ambitious carbon-neutral rules that could move California further ahead of the rest of the nation. The effort, praised by environmentalists, has drawn fire from utility workers and gas companies.
Beachgoers in April at Huntington Beach, despite stay-at-home orders. (Photo: Matt Gush, via Shutterstock)California, like the rest of the nation, is seeing a dramatic rise in COVID infections and deaths — and Los Angeles County has some of the most dire statistics. Health officials reported more than 7,500 new cases in the county on Tuesday, shattering the old record, set last week.
High school students taking a test. (Photo: LStockStudio, via Shutterstock)OPINION: Twenty-four states will use the SAT and/or ACT this school year for state assessments and accountability. California students deserve the same opportunity to take these assessments for free at their schools and reap the benefit of increased access to higher education.
A manufactured home with a covered porch and vinyl siding. (Photo: Lindasj22, via Shutterstock)It’s no secret that California is a very expensive place to live. California homes are being sold at two-and-half times the national average and rents are twice as much. Perhaps, there is no greater example that the dream of home ownership is dead than a taxpayer-financed housing project in San Jose.
State Schools Superintendent Tony Thurmond at the Sacramento Press Club in September. (Photo: Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press) Abandoned by his father and orphaned at age 6 after the death of his mother to cancer, Tony Thurmond believes he could have easily ended up in prison. Instead, the 50-year-old Richmond resident is the new state superintendent of public education. He is the second African-American in the position after Wilson Riles, who served 1971-83.
Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the California Hospital Association. (Photo: Tim Foster)Carmela Coyle, president and CEO of the California Hospital Association, sat down with Capitol Weekly’s John Howard and Tim Foster to talk about ways to cut health care costs, including a new experiment in Maryland that seeks to replace per-patient payments with a single annual payment designed to focus on keeping patients healthier.
An artist's conception of the bullet train in operation. (Image, High Speed Rail Authority) California’s bullet train may be in trouble again, as a recent court ruling and potential funding obstacles have plunged the transportation project into further uncertainty. The latest setbacks add to lingering questions over whether the $64 billion project can both meet its scheduled completion date and guarantee enough funding.
A view across the rail years of downtown San Diego. (Photo: Welcomia, via Shutterstock)Calpensions: In another ruling allowing pension cuts, an appeals court last week overturned a state labor board ruling that a voter-approved San Diego pension reform was invalid because the city declined to bargain the issue with labor unions.