Image by eyegelbOPINION – The State of California General Fund budget more than doubled in size from $96.3 billion in fiscal year 2014 to $225.9 billion in fiscal year 2024 while the state population remained essentially flat. Do residents feel their state government services have doubled during this period? I doubt it.
Image by Sundry PhotographyIt has been one heck of a busy week, but even as we write these words lawmakers are wrapping things up and readying for their month-long vacation. Here’s a smattering of things you might missed from this week’s action.
Image by rarrarorroIt was a busy few days in the Capitol, with several moves on the ballot measure front, potentially huge changes to how PBMs operate in California, and an almost brawl in the Assembly.
Image by Yuliia BukovskaThe ongoing conflict in Gaza has sparked intense debates and protests all over the country. With that in mind, we asked our panel of experts to weigh in on how this might impact the November elections. The question: Will ongoing campus strife over the situation in Gaza negatively impact Dems at any level of government in November?
Sacramento, California, United States. Image by Png-StudioFriday is the deadline for bills to get out of their house of origin, so this week lawmakers are addressing hundreds of bills in short order. Here is just a sampling of some of those measures.
Image by zimmytws via istockWhen the California Chamber of Commerce added Sen. Steve Glazer’s SB 1327 – a proposal to tax revenue from the sale of digital advertising as a way to help fund local newsrooms – to its annual list of “Job Killer” bills on May 7th, the measure became only the 14th this year to receive the designation. If that number doesn’t change, it would mark the fewest number of bills to receive the moniker since 2001, when only 12 bills were on the list.
Image by tumsasedgarsCalifornia’s Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which is patterned after the federal APA, sets forth the procedures by which the state’s executive branch agencies and departments must adopt regulations. In that vein, there are a few items of interest for those who participate in the rulemaking projects of state agencies.
Image by metamorworksOPINION – While our communities receive “poor connection” messages online, commercials advertise blazing-fast internet speed to LA consumers. In the predominantly Latino/a Southeast Los Angeles (SELA) neighborhoods, affordable internet at basic speeds is unavailable.
The flags fly in front of Sacramento's Capital Building, image by ChrisBoswellThe new edition of Capitol Quick Hits: a look at a little-known but potentially hugely impactful change in how our regulates corporations and antitrust law, the real oomph of a California Senate seat and some pushback on state workers returning to the office.
Book with California taxes on a desk.OPINION – The tax laws of most states are an offshoot of the federal tax laws contained in the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). States conform to the IRC on either a “rolling” or “static” basis for purposes of computing the state’s tax base.