April 11, 2025

Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis at the State of the State ceremony on March 8, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Politics

California’s lieutenant governor leases offices to the state. What if she’s elected governor?

Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis told CalMatters she will address potential conflicts of interest with her extensive property investments by establishing a blind trust if she is elected governor of California next year.

By Alexei Koseff • April 11, 2025

A teacher sits at a table with a small group of students in a classroom, leading a discussion. A whiteboard behind them displays vocabulary words like “enough” and “jewelry.” The walls are covered with educational posters and a word wall. Empty desks and bins of supplies are visible in the foreground.

Commentary

Wide school disparities persist 54 years after California’s landmark funding decision

Several decades of fighting over how to "equalize" education funding have landed California back where it started, with an inequitable, taxpayer-funded public education system that can't close achievement gaps.

By Dan Walters • April 11, 2025