Commentary
Westlands contract shakes the waterscape
The federal government is poised to give California's huge Westlands Water District a long-sought permanent supply contract, and it's shaking up the state's water picture.
No clear frontrunner for governor, but new poll names five with the best shot
A poll shows three Democrats and two Republicans have voter support percentages in the teens. The top two vote-getters in June will face off in November.
She spent six of her last years in arbitration with her HMO. Her husband’s still fighting the system
Arbitrators in medical disputes are supposed to be unbiased, but this couple suspected there is an incentive to favor HMO’s in arbitration.
A former political ally tests LA liberals’ allegiance to Mayor Karen Bass
Mayor Karen Bass isn't vulnerable on her right, but she may be on her left, as City Councilmember Nithya Raman, a Democratic Socialist and ex-supporter, runs against her.
California promised accountability for inmate deaths in jails. A year later, no results.
Lawmakers passed a law creating a state department to review inmate deaths, but it hasn’t completed a single death review in its first year.
Yousef Baig
California Voices Editor
Denise Amos
California Voices Deputy Editor
Dan Walters
Columnist
Jim Newton
Contributor
Pedro Rios
Contributor
Robert Greene
Contributor
Commentary
California needs to take these three actions needed to improve our energy system—and the environment
Kathryn Phillips and Evan Gillespie, Sierra Club: Wildfires and blackouts show how wildly unprepared California is for the impacts of climate change. Californians, environmentalists included, have to talk more openly about what we must do to adapt to survive the effects we’re already experiencing.
Commentary
Science has identified common threads in school shootings
Vern Pierson, El Dorado County District Attorney: The problem of mass shootings is not simple. An actual solution will not be simple either, but we can mitigate the threat by analyzing the commonality in mass shooters.
Commentary
California’s new renters’ protection act reflects tenants’ power
R.J. Taggueg and Katherine Nasol, Bulosan Center for Filipinx Studies: In a historic victory for renters and tenants, California will soon become the third state in the country to implement statewide rent cap. The legislation that created the cap is one of the strongest tenant protection laws in the country, and it shows what is possible. This is only the beginning of what tenants can achieve.
Commentary
Our laws protect criminal cops
A project by journalists reveals that dozens of California cops who committed serious crimes are still on the job.
Commentary
When San Francisco and L.A. show lower overdose death rates than the rest of the country, it’s time to take notice
Mike Males, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice: The dismal reality is that America stumbles from crisis to crisis, allowing epidemics to soar out of control. If serious researchers can get the politicians, ideologues, and authorities who haven’t had a new idea in 50 years out of the way, perhaps the nation can learn from California’s unexpected trends.
Commentary
Local governments are in distress
Two reports from state Auditor Elaine Howle frame the fiscal distress being felt by many school districts and cities.
Commentary
DACA, Proposition 187, and the legacy of the Trump immigration enforcement revolution
Kevin R. Johnson, UC Davis School of Law: The outcome of the DACA case being argued on Tuesday will determine the fate of hundreds of thousands of young people. The long term reaction to the Trump immigration approach that the elimination of DACA exemplifies may ultimately lead to larger political changes across the nation similar to those that occurred in California after voters passed Proposition 187.
Commentary
California needs you: A veteran’s call to service
Josh Fryday, chief service officer of California: California is facing challenges such as homelessness, climate change, poverty, and natural disasters, to name a few. If we are going to be successful in tackling these issues, we need to harness the power of our greatest asset, the 40 million people who call California home. This is why California Volunteers is hard at work mobilizing Californians to serve in their communities.
Dan Walters
Legislating by whim
When the Legislature acts on whim, it often violates common sense and constitutional law, so adults must step in.