California Voices

Stacy Torres, assistant professor of sociology at UC San Francisco: We’ve failed as a society when police are the primary responders to mental health crises. Urban police departments have begun increased training for handling interactions with emotionally disturbed people. But the efforts are uneven and inadequate.

Gavin Newsom's first year as governor has produced some successes but his big goals remain elusive.

Kirk Bloodsworth, Witness to Innocence: I look forward to the day when we count California among the jurisdictions in the U.S and the vast majority of countries that have come to recognize that the death penalty can never advance justice.

Some high-profile political issues appear headed for the ballot next year - unless they don't.

J.P. Rose and Tiffany Yap, Center for Biological Diversity: California should list mountain lions under the state endangered species act. Listing imperiled cougar populations under our endangered species law would finally give state and local decision-makers a clear legal requirement to protect them.

Tonia McMillian, Child Care Providers United: Child care workers are largely women of color. We have suffered for too long without a recognized voice in our industry. That’s why my provider sisters and I have spent the past two decades fighting to gain respect for the work we do, and for access to a union.

Shouldn't public schools be as accountable for outcomes as charter schools, for-profit colleges and community colleges?

Re: “Later school start times is no solution for teenagers,” Oct. 4, 2019 As a physician specializing in sleep medicine, I am concerned by the misleading statements in the Oct. 4 guest commentary. The commentary ignores the key health issue that schools that start too early for the sleep needs of adolescents are the primary modifiable […]

Alan Steinbrecher and Sean SeLegue, State Bar of California: Only 27% of low-income Californians received legal services when they needed them. People above the income threshold for legal aid barely fared better. In short, the vast majority of Californians who have a problem that could be resolved or mitigated with a legal solution instead struggle alone with their problems. The State Bar is working on solutions that could affect the legal profession.

Private colleges and universities educate many students who are parents. They should have equal access of CalGrants with student-parents at public universities and colleges.