Dan Walters

"The Browns of California," a new book about the state's dominant political family, falls short by omitting facts that don't square with the family's images.

A collection of commentaries by Dan Walters over the past week.

Gov. Jerry Brown talks about reforming the California Environmental Quality Act, calling it "the Lord's work." But he and the Legislature have failed to do it, while granting narrow exemptions from its provisions to particular projects, especially sports venues.

A new lawsuit alleges that state officials have failed to intervene in low-performing schools, leaving children unable to read. Meanwhile, new high school graduation data tell us that while graduation rates are low in big city districts, rural districts with large numbers of Latino kids are showing high rates.

California's 114 community colleges play a vital role in post-high school education but often don't get the respect they deserve. Now big changes are coming, some fostered by outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown, others by the colleges themselves.

Big moves are being made on water policy in the final months of Jerry Brown's second governorship, including twin tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a new water allocation policy and money for new water storage reservoirs.

A collection of commentaries by Dan Walters over the past week.

Universal health care is a big issue for California's Democratic Party but thanks to a budget "trailer bill," a decision on it can be delayed by at least three years while a new commission studies how to do it.

California's economy is booming and tax revenues are pouring into public treasuries, but schools and local governments say mandatory payments into pension funds are causing them to dip into reserves and ask taxpayers for more money.

The measure to split California into three states has been removed from the November ballot by the state Supreme Court. Opponents say it would violate the state constitution because revising the constitution can only be initiated in the Legislature.