Posts Tagged: transparency

News

CalPERS makes debt, cost difficult to see

CalPERS' governing board during a 2013 meeting. (Photo: CalPERS board)

Calpensions: New annual CalPERS reports no longer prominently display the pension debt of local governments as a percentage of pay, making it more difficult for the public to easily see the full employer pension cost.

Analysis

A deep dive into Proposition 54

The state Capitol in Sacramento. (Photo: Feoktistoff, via Shutterstock)

By approving Proposition 54, California voters decided to shine a spotlight on the Legislature’s internal proceedings. It’s seemingly straightforward, but Proposition 54 leaves unanswered key questions of timing and transparency that will have to be resolved.

Opinion

A quest for government transparency

The state Capitol in Sacramento, viewed from 10th Street toward the West Steps.(Photo: Timothy Boomer)

OPINION: The California Public Research Interest Group (CALPIRG) is a consumer group that stands up to powerful interests when they threaten our health and safety, our financial security, or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. That is why we are strongly supporting Proposition 54, the California Legislature Transparency Act, on this November’s ballot.

Opinion

Climate change: Pollution hits low-income communities hardest

Downtown Los Angeles seen through the smog. (Photo: Justin Dennis, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: There are a lot of questions surrounding California climate policy right now. For me, growing up in Watts, Los Angeles, the most important question is: how will state climate policies help low-income communities and communities of color?

News

The Legislature: Let the sun shine in

Chamber of the state Assembly in the Capitol, Sacramento. (Photo: Felix Lipov)

Want to take a deep dive into the California Legislature? You may get your chance. Proposition 54 by Charles Munger Jr. and Sam Blakeslee on the November ballot would force the Legislature to record all its actions and post the video on the web for the public, except for certain proceedings. It would bar lawmakers from acting on any bill until its final form has been published online for at least 72 hours.

Podcast

Capitol Weekly podcast

Jim Heerwagen, left, and Shane McCloud, of Voters Right to Know. (Photo: Tim Foster, Capitol Weekly)

Voters Right to Know, a reform group seeking political transparency, has dropped a bid to qualify a constitutional amendment guaranteeing public access to campaign finance information. Instead, the group is backing a new bill, SB 1349 by Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, that would improve Californians’ access to campaign data. Jim Heerwagen, a leader of the group, and campaign manager Shane McLoud stopped by Capitol Weekly’s office to talk about the new strategy.

News

Cryptic fragrances: Questions, legislation linger in California

A woman carries a load of cleaning supplies, a key source of common fragrances. (Photo: Bikeriderlondon, via Shutterstock)

For Joyce Miller, one sniff of scented laundry detergent can trigger an asthma attack. “What happens is I feel like someone is standing on my chest,” says the 57-year-old professor of library science in upstate New York. “It’s almost like a choking feeling – pressure and choking. And then the coughing starts,” she said.

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

Disclosure, transparency for not-for-profit hospitals

In 2015, California’s push to expand health care coverage continues at a rapid pace. Consider this statistic: 12 million of our residents are enrolled in Medi-Cal – nearly one in three Californians. This greater demand is creating new challenges for California’s hospitals, both inside and outside of their walls.

News

Locals pay tab for open government

State Capitol, Sacramento. (Photo: Franco Folini)

State lawmakers and voters agreed on one thing: transparency in government. Local government, that is. State government remains exempt. Did voters know that when they approved Proposition 42 on June 3?

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