Commentary

A group of five people, dressed in professional attire, sit on chairs on a stage in front of a crowd, with a banner behind them reading “Governor Candidate Forum.” Four of the five people sitting on stage have their hands up to answer the question while a crowd of people watches in the dark.

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.

Dan Walters

A person in medical protective clothing, wearing a face mask and a hair net, pushes a hospital gurney through a hallway inside a hospital, viewed from an open door.

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.

By Stephen Martinez

Two people face each other as they speak: the person on the left has a happy expression and her arm to her chest, while the person on the right wears a grey suit jacket and glasses. Both people are standing in a park area on a sunny day. In the background is a fence to a baseball field.

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.

Jim Newton

A close-up view of a person's hand holding a sign that reads "We wants answers! No more deaths!" and they stand at the front steps of a building surrounded by other people holding signs.

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.

By David Myers

The California State Capitol on December 3, 2018 in Sacramento, California.

Commentary

Property tax measure altered

Sponsors of a "split roll" ballot measure to increase property taxes on commercial real estate are withdrawing it from the 2020 ballot and will seek to place a revised version before voters next year.

Dan Walters

• August 15, 2019

Commentary

California must not repeat old mistakes as it seeks new ways to end homelessness

Chris Martin and Sharon Rapport, Housing California, and Corporation for Supportive Housing: Shelters are short-term responses, not the long-term solution to California’s homelessness crises. That’s why our policies and resources should focus on the right to housing, not a right to shelter.

Guest Commentary

• August 14, 2019

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.

Dan Walters

• August 14, 2019

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.

Guest Commentary

• August 13, 2019

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.

Guest Commentary

• August 13, 2019

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.

Guest Commentary

• August 12, 2019

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.

Guest Commentary

• August 12, 2019

As California lawmakers fine-tune the state's landmark data privacy law, which takes effect in 2020, new battles are shaping up. Photo credit: Anya Berkut for iStock

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 .

Guest Commentary

• August 12, 2019

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.

Dan Walters

• August 12, 2019

California political independent lawsuit theme image

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.

Guest Commentary

• August 11, 2019

California Voices

Viewpoints from across California