California Voices

Southern California Gas Co.’s business model depends on selling natural gas. So while many California utilities have begun to plan for the state’s clean energy future, SoCalGas uses ratepayer money to help pay for its lobbying to undermine that future.

The California Public Employees' Retirement System is building for the future and staying true to its mission of providing retirement security to public sector workers while respecting the taxpayers who benefit from their dedicated service. My hope is that everyone’s grandparents who depend on us will be able to retire in dignity.

When Jerry Brown departs the governorship, he will leave behind a barely-started, financially and managerially challenged bullet train project. Getting on track or abandoning it will fall to successor Gavin Newsom.

Ellen O. Tauscher: Democrats flipped seven congressional seats by organizing and talking directly to voters about issues that mattered most to them. Tom Epstein: Democrats cannot abandon the rest of the country. To win, they must directly engage with rural voters and focus on issues that matter to them.

California's two major parties are becoming more polarized, leaving middle-of-the-road Californians without representation. Two new organizations, however, are trying to change that.

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

The Legislature has now made it quasi- legal for state legislators to live outside their districts and one who had been prosecuted has been pardoned by Gov. Jerry Brown

Earthquakes, floods, mega-fires, a recession and other unforeseen events can disrupt the best-laid plans of any California governor. Potential disasters aside, Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom should hit the ground running. Here are five policy initiatives for him to consider:

Democrats enjoy political control of California, but are splitting into three factions that struggle for power within the party.

Julie Meier Wright, San Diego This race for Insurance Commissioner was too close to call for more than a week. One could take a different view: that an independent candidate, despite the lack of the institutional infrastructure of the two major parties, as well as the brand—positive or negative—did exceedingly well and gave centrists hope […]