Guest Commentary

By deciding that unsheltered people have no constitutional protection to camp on public property, the divided Supreme Court reflects the political polarization around homelessness — where everyone is correct depending on which side of the glass they choose to look through. What if the legal, moral and policy choice was different?

A cosmetologist who relocated to Davis after a family tragedy spent six months trapped in state bureaucracy before she could legally resume her trade in California. A legislative fix could make it easier for others who relocate to California, she says, especially those without loved ones to provide cover.

Indian Americans bear a special responsibility to educate neighbors and lawmakers in California, and to prevent Hindu nationalism from gaining a foothold, as a series of violent incidents and protests signal has found support.

In recent years, California lawmakers have targeted coastal protections that impede housing, leading to heated debate in the Capitol and elsewhere. A former attorney for the Coastal Commission says California's landmark Coastal Act has failed to deliver on what it envisioned.

Efforts to weaken California's coastal protections and ease housing development have generated fierce debate. It's created a false choice, argues the Santa Cruz mayor.

What if California "prescribed" housing to homeless people? As the state seeks a Medicaid waiver to help unhoused patients find and pay for housing, writing a prescription for housing could soon be possible.

California's so-called Gifted and Talented Education program can be socially limiting and psychologically hurtful for students. Excluding students on standard or remedial tracks from these courses can equally cap their potential.

Instead of closing prisons to help close a budget deficit, Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to close 46 total housing blocks. The cost of housing inmates will keep growing unless access to rehabilitation programs improves.

The Salton Sea region has long been a vital part of California's farm industry. In the coming years, it will also be critical for the state's water supply and global lithium production. A proposed climate bond offers key investments to solidify that future.

Even though California was accepted into the union as a free state, it had a significant role in perpetuating racial discrimination and inequality. An official apology from the state of California would be a crucial step toward reconciliation and healing.