Dan Walters

The fast-track handling of a controversial bail proposal tests a California law. Passed as a ballot measure in 2016, that law requires a bill to be in print and on the Internet for 72 hours before legislators vote on it.

There's a "low-profile revolution" is underway in California's thousands of local governments as lawsuits force more of them to abandon "at-large" voting for members of their governing boards and elect them, instead, from districts. It's a result of a 2002 law, the California Voting Rights Act, that makes it easier to overturn at-large systems.

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

Jerry Brown's second stint as governor of California has been marked by multiple legislative bills and ballot measures to soften the state's penalties for those who commit crimes. Their effects, whether positive or negative, will be a big part of his political legacy.

Legislative leaders decided to postpone action on legislation dealing with liability of utilities for wildfire damages, and that may be a signal that a more rational approach to policymaking is taking root in the Capitol.

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.

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.

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.