California Voices

Senate Bill 1437 doesn’t abolish the felony murder rule. Rather, it clarifies that a person may only be convicted of murder if the individual personally killed, acted with an intent to kill, or acted as a “major participant” in the felony with “reckless indifference to human life.” Prosecutors no longer will be able to substitute the intent to commit a crime for the intent to commit murder.

California's state government and its 58 counties have had a rocky relationship for decades and a new flareup may be coming.

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

Our next lieutenant governor will have an obligation to balance stark differences in access to education and economic mobility based on race, ethnicity, and gender. The majority of California’s K-12 students are of color and low-income. They face numerous barriers to attaining bachelor’s degrees and comprise a small proportion of public university graduates. That must change, and the lieutenant governor can help.

The Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown enacted landmark legislation that eliminates cash bail for criminal defendants and substitutes a system of evaluating pre-trial flight risk. However, the legislation is just the opening salvo of a multi-front legal and political war over the issue.

Transportation is responsible for 50 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and 80 percent of smog-forming pollutants. To tackle this challenge, we must rapidly accelerate the transition to electric vehicles.

Voter participation is the key to whether Democrats score big in California congressional races. Republicans hope a gas-tax repeal measure will lure GOP voters to save targeted seats.

California’s completed HPV cancer vaccination level has remained stagnant, changing from 46 percent to only 53 percent in the past five years. Too many Californians are left unprotected from HPV-related cancers. To achieve the same success as Virginia, D.C., and Rhode Island, California should require that the HPV vaccination become a school entry requirement, and it has the power to do so.

Jeffrey Sheff, Santa Rosa I hope teacher Maria Hassan knows the difference between respecting one’s heritage and displaying the current flag of the country she comes from. Does she believe that we should celebrate Chinese New Year by displaying the flag of Mainland China or Taiwan? The incorporation of different ethnic groups and respect for their traditions is […]

Jerry Brown will scoot out in the nick of time. His successor will face the vice grip of a slowing economy and rising costs for pension-plan contributions and more bond payments.