Dan Walters

Facing a vicious circle of conflicting demands and priorities, the California Public Employees Retirement System is turning to debt - a risky scheme to borrow billions of dollars in hopes of juicing its investment returns.

The Legislature has passed a placeholder state budget that protects lawmakers from losing ther salaries, but the end game may be a battle over taxes.

California clearly has problem with police violence and it will be up to the Democrats who control the state's politics to fix it.

A final version of the new state budget is still being negotiated, but it's evident that it will include billions of dollars in new state debt.

A new resolution supported by most state assembly members could be the beginning of the end for California's much-troubled bullet train project.

Advocates of governmental transparency scored two recent wins, one of which will affect the aftermath of George Floyd demonstrations.

The George Floyd suffocation protests generate both opportunity and peril for politicians, including those in California.

The COVID-19 pandemic is altering the state's budget and has sparked a conflict between Gov. Gavin Newsom and legsislators over how to deal with a $54 billion deficit.

How will California evolve after pandemic, recession and civic unrest abate? We have a choice.

Four years ago, California voters passed a measure to increase legislative transparency. However, a newly drafted measure would undercut its safeguards.