California Voices

California legislators routinely use two processes, the "suspense file" and "trailer bills," to bypass full discussion and consideration of legislative proposals, and one big example, affecting the state's criminal justice system, has backfired.

The two leaders of the California legislators, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins, want to re-establish centralized power in the Capitol and are sponsoring legislation that would give them vastly more power to raise and spend campaign funds.

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

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 […]

Bill Jurkovich, Citrus Heights President Donald Trump has been attacked constantly by some of the major media outlets in editorials and with biased and slanted news. Is it surprising that he fights back? I believe these outlets do this on purpose to increase their circulation. Trump can only bluster. He can do nothing about the First […]

The NFL and Major League Baseball should not be permitted to run exclusive 50/50 raffles unless and until a comprehensive review and audit are conducted. Charitable raffles should not become gambling operations and revenue sources for business.

By Gregory Favre Gregory Favre, the former executive of The Sacramento Bee and retired vice president of news for the McClatchy Company, is a CALmatters board member, gregory@calmatters.org. He wrote this commentary for CALmatters. The men who wrote the First Amendment were not journalistic innocents, nor were they admirers of journalists. The journalism of their […]

California is one of the few states that don't require comprehensive reports on students' academic achievement, which makes it impossible for policymakers to know what's working in the schools and what's not.

Sen. Henry Stern's Senate Bill 1477 offers a roadmap for California to lead on climate action and housing equity.

State legislators complain about hours-long waits at Department of Motor Vehicles offices, but refuse to audit the agency to determine causes and enjoy having a private DMV office to serve their needs. The situation fuels public disdain for state and local officials.