California Voices

Geoffrey Fettus, Natural Resources Defense Council: We need a solution for the waste stuck at San Onofre and the other California reactors. But in their desperation to move the threat away from the Golden State, some California lawmakers are making two grave errors.

California's ongoing debate over K-12 education usually centers on money, but data indicate that spending more doesn't necessarily translate into better academic achievement.

Mark Herbert, California director for Small Business Majority, Concord Although California leads the nation in expanding healthcare coverage, too many middle income entrepreneurs and small business employees are struggling to afford health insurance. Something is being done about this problem, but it isn’t quite enough just yet. As part of the next state budget, California […]

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

Marc Marcantonio: Public drinking water suppliers’ financial stability is threatened if they are saddled with the cost of damage caused by fires they don’t start. And that could put the safety of our drinking water at risk.

The recent state Democratic Party convention was dominated by the party's left-wing activists, but the broader array of Democratic voters doesn't lean as far to the port.

John Mirisch: Scores of housing bills circulate in Sacramento, one worse than the next. Collectively, they threaten to destroy our unique and dynamic communities to various degrees, many in the service of Wall Street and other special interest groups. Wall Street is notorious for not caring about the path of destruction it leaves in its wake in search of ever-greater profits.

A new bill would water down the requirement that local governments be upfront on the taxation effects of their tax and bond ballot measures.

Nicole Haynes and Mai Mizuno: AB 1510 would give Dr. George Tyndall's 'patients' a choice: Join the federal class action, or fight it out alone in state civil court, a venue that could more fully hold Tyndall and USC accountable. We are fighting to put the past and our shared secret behind us and move forward with our lives. We hope California legislators will understand, and not suppress our individual voices and rights.

Terry Tamminen: Federal agencies plan to ignore new state requirements in order to deliver more San Francisco Bay-Delta water to powerful San Joaquin Valley farmers in the Westlands Water District.  This would do more than harm salmon fishermen and the West Coast’s largest estuary. An elegant solution lies in Senate Bill 1 by Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins.