California Voices

California, once a leader in government transparency, has descended into secrecy and opacity, making it difficult for the public to know what's happening.

California public school financing has been clobbered in recent years, and intensified a long-running battle over charter schools.

Since Ticketmaster and Live Nation merged in 2010, ticket prices for live events in California have skyrocketed. A bill seeking to restore competition and finally give fans more choice on the market faces fierce opposition from California's billion-dollar sports franchises.

California has a multibillion-dollar budget deficit, but we still don't know how much and what should be done to close it with key deadlines quickly approaching.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on housing impact fees has given California lawmakers an opening to address a key barrier to construction: cost.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom complains that local government officials have not been effective in dealing with homelessness. But he appears to be shifting the political onus from his own administration.

Many of the Southern California children that were affected by the Aliso Canyon gas leak are now registering to vote for the first time and are looking for election candidates to back an outright ban on fracking.

California's failure to build important infrastructure is at the heart of our overreliance on cars. It was once estimated that 50% of the land in American cities is devoted to vehicular infrastructure, and nearly one-quarter is dedicated to parking lots. The solution is right under our noses. 

Californians once supported criminal justice reforms to lighten penalties for crime but attitudes have changed. A November ballot measure could be a test for just how much.

The growth of Los Angeles in recent decades has renewed discussions around how best to represent such a large, diverse city. After city leaders were exposed in 2022 for wanting to carve city council districts to serve narrow interests, the argument for expanding the council has become more viable.