California Voices

Laura W. Brill, The Civics Center: People who care about democracy want to know whether young people will turn out to vote in November 2020. More than 3.5 million students graduate from high school every year. Those who register can be expected to turnout at rates above 75% in the November election. Whether or not they register depends, first and foremost, on whether we ask.

A new state report explores the effects of climate change on California's water supply and says more storage and other infrastructure is needed to cope.

David Rattray, David Gordon and Bruce Fuller, LA-Unite, Sacramento Unified & UC Berkeley: The new Proposition 13 offers a chance to reinvigorate educational facilities and fund innovative schools, to invest in our long-term prospects, together.

James Strock and Winston Hickox, former California Environmental Protection Agency secretaries: One of the only remaining healthy parts of the California recycling industry is scrap-metal recycling. Now comes the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, a part of the California Environmental Protection Agency. Out of the blue, the department has begun designating metal-recycling facilities as “hazardous waste treatment” facilities.

Assemblyman Vince Fong: Californians are free spirited by nature. They want flexibility to support themselves and their families as they see fit. So why do the Democrats in the Legislature want them all to work for corporations?

California may be on the verge of adopting a tougher attitude about dealing with its ever-increasing crisis of homelessness.

Sen. Scott Wiener, San Francisco Democrat: Oil companies knew their products would cause climate change, and they responded with an unprecedented and multifaceted disinformation campaign that sowed confusion among the public and policymakers. Now, they should pay their fair share to clean the mess.

Liane Randolph, California Public Utilities Commission: California policy makers are considering how to manage the long-term transition away from fossil fuels. This highly complex undertaking will have tremendous potential economic, social, and environmental impacts. But California can make the right decisions that keep our energy system safe, affordable and reliable.

Tom Dalzell, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1245: Sen. Bernie Sanders released a proposal, originally advanced by the Democratic Socialists of America, to convert PG&E from an investor owned utility to a ward of that state. I am deeply troubled by how it was developed and announced. Sen. Sanders and his team did not consult with us or a single affected worker before announcing this scheme.

Assemblymembers Lorena Gonzalez and Phil Ting: For California, a state that has proudly seized the role of a progressive alternative to the chaos and madness of the Trump White House, President Elizabeth Warren would be a match made in heaven.