Guest Commentary

Proposition 6 would repeal a 12-cent per gallon gasoline tax. Former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio calls it an unfair tax on working people. Skip Carter, a former Highway Patrol official, says it will make roads safer.

Now, in the final days of the legislative session, proponents of a water tax are trying to move a different proposal – a twist on the water tax. Here's why it's still not a good idea.

With California’s commitment to renewable energy and the growing concern about wildfires, biomass electrical generation is increasingly being promoted at the state Capitol as a tool. For a number of reasons, this approach has a lot to overcome.

Senate Bill 320 would give college students at University of California and Cal State campuses access to abortion pills at their campus health center. The Assembly should support students who need access to these health care services.

The dairy industry is responsible for 75 percent of agriculture’s methane emissions, but it has focused on unproven bio-digester technology. California should look at less costly alternatives.

Gov. Jerry Brown can undo a mistake from his first term by signing legislation—assuming it is approved by the legislature—that would maintain protections that officers enjoy regarding personal information while allowing the public to evaluate the performance of officers who have previously run into trouble.

CalSTRS provides retirement, disability and survivor benefits for 933,000 prekindergarten through community college educators and their families. Their average benefit is $4,475 per month.

Legislation by Sen. Cathleen Galgiani would ban the sale of personal care products in California that have been tested on animals. Retailers say it would harm consumers.

Senate Bill 100 would mandate 100 percent renewable electricity in California by 2045. That will mean better lives for the residents of California — more jobs, less pollution, more innovation and lower costs — and it will reduce state and national dependence on fossil fuel.

By Mary Martin Mary Martin is retired Superintendent of the Mojave National Preserve and Lassen Volcanic National Park, qsmamo@frontiernet.net.  She wrote this commentary for CALmatters. California policymakers are the last line of defense against the federal government’s attempt to facilitate a water heist from beneath our Mojave Desert. Cadiz Inc. seeks to extract 50,000 acre-feet […]