Commentary
Big issues still up in the air
The Legislature is now in the final month of its 2019 session and many high-profile issues are still pending.
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
In the new normal of wildfires, California must build a reliable energy system
Tim Edwards, Cal Fire Firefighters: Experts have recognized the benefits of microgrids, but regulatory roadblocks and resistance from investor-owned utilities have stymied their deployment. Gov. Newsom and the Legislature must seize their opportunity to establish California as an energy leader that can incorporate both sustainability and resiliency into its electrical power systems.
Commentary
How California can fight climate change by helping to save tropical forests
Jonah Busch, Earth Innovation Institute: Rather than merely brace for impact of climate change, Californians have the chance to act decisively to prevent the worst by embracing one of the biggest—and most overlooked—solutions: protecting tropical forests. Here's how.
Commentary
We’re choking on plastic. California must take the lead in reducing its use
Genevieve Abedon, Clean Seas Lobbying Coalition: We’re choking on plastic. California must take the lead in reducing its use, We in the Clean Seas Lobbying Coalition are asking Californians to contact their legislators to urge their support for legislation that would significantly reduce plastic waste.
Commentary
What The El Paso Moment portends for the Republican Party
Mike Madrid, former political director of the California Republican Party: In El Paso, Americans clearly saw what Latinos have been saying about what is happening to us in this country. Too many in the United States do not want our "kind" here. The silence from far too many is deafening.
Commentary
For the sake of the economy, California legislators must fix the flawed California Consumer Privacy Act
John Kabateck, National Federation of Independent Business: The Legislature must fix the California Consumer Privacy Act. It riddled with unclear definitions, overly broad mandates, and small errors that will lead to unnecessary costs and confusion .
Commentary
Achievement gap question still unanswered
California is spending billions to close the "achievement gap" in the state's K-12 schools but we don't know whether it is having the promised impact.
Commentary
An unlikely way to diversify California’s legal profession
Debbie A. Mukama and Robert Weisberg, Stanford Law School: As our nation takes steps to cure its addiction to mass incarceration and at a time when we recognize the benefits of diverse workforces, we should welcome—not discourage—qualified individuals with criminal records to join the legal profession.
Commentary
Ethnic studies time bomb explodes
The draft of a "model curriculum" for ethnic studies in the state's high schools has sparked an outpouring of criticism.
Commentary
What Gavin Newsom’s apology for genocide against Native Americans signifies
James C. Ramos, Democrat representing Assembly District 40: Gov. Gavin Newsom’s apology for California’s genocide against Native Americans reflects an understanding of the state’s true history. This apology should become a landmark moment in bringing resources, support, and justice to the 700,000 Native Americans who make the California their home.