Dan Walters

Cases pending before the state Supreme Court could have a huge impact on the pensions of public employees. They specifically involve challenges to a mild pension reform sponsored by Gov. Jerry Brown but could result in a broader ruling that would open the door to pension benefit reductions.

One of U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris' top aides resigned after the Sacramento Bee reported the secret settlement on a harassment suit against him, but incredibly, Harris professes ignorance about the suit or the settlement.

California lacks a comprehensive data system to track how well its K-12 students are learning, but that may change with Gavin Newsom's succession to the governorship.

With the state's big, investor-owned electric utilities on the hot seat for wildfire damages, maybe it's time to consider making them into fully public entities.

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

Gov. Jerry Brown, Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy have a deal on water in the San Joaquin Valley but its future is not certain.

The California Legislature reconvenes with stronger Democratic majorities that its leaders and Gov.-elect Gavin Newsom hope to use for an expansionist agenda, leading off with a comprehensive array of early childhood education services.

When Jerry Brown departs the governorship, he will leave behind a barely-started, financially and managerially challenged bullet train project. Getting on track or abandoning it will fall to successor Gavin Newsom.

California's two major parties are becoming more polarized, leaving middle-of-the-road Californians without representation. Two new organizations, however, are trying to change that.

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