Dan Walters

Gov. Jerry Brown signs clean energy bills on the deck of a hybrid ferry in San Francisco, Sept. 13, 2018.

Commentary

Gov. Jerry Brown’s carbon-free legacy—at what cost?

Gov. Brown wants California to be a global leader in reducing or eliminating carbon emissions to fight global warming. But what that entails, and how much it costs, are blanks to be filled in later.

By

Dan Walters

• September 16, 2018

Commentary

Weekly Walters 09/14/2018

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

By

Dan Walters

• September 14, 2018

Commentary

Two education bills do the right things

Overcoming powerful opposition, the Legislature passed two bills that would, if signed, make it easier for adolescent students to learn and easier for older students to obtain college degrees.

By

Dan Walters

• September 13, 2018

Commentary

Feinstein, Harris pursue agendas in Kavanaugh hearings

California's U.S. senators, Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris both played big roles in last week's confirmation hearings on Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. While Feinstein was critical of the circus-like atmosphere of the hearings, Harris contributed to it. But both were pursuing personal political goals.

By

Dan Walters

• September 12, 2018

Commentary

Once again, most ‘job killer’ bills rejected

Despite the overall left-of-center tone to the Legislature's just-concluded session, the California Chamber of Commerce sidetracked all but one of the 29 liberal bills it labeled as "job killers."

By

Dan Walters

• September 10, 2018

Group of elementary school kids running at school, back view

Commentary

Would more money close our education gap?

California's school children rank near the bottom on nationwide tests of academic achievement and educators and their political allies argue that more money is needed to close an "achievement gap." But how much, where would it be found and would it actually do the job?

By

Dan Walters

• September 9, 2018

Commentary

Weekly Walters 09/07/2018

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

By

Dan Walters

• September 7, 2018

Commentary

Only the powerful get relief from environmental law

The Legislature eagerly grants special treatment under the California Environmental Quality Act for sports arenas and other high-profile projects but refuses to undertake broader CEQA reform, even for vital transportation and housing projects.

By

Dan Walters

• September 6, 2018

The state prison officers' union is backing Tony Thurmond, right, in his race for schools chief against Marshall Tuck, left.

Commentary

State’s most interesting contest is over education

The most interesting statewide political contest this year is for state superintendent of schools, and it's a proxy war for the years-long conflict between the education establishment and reformers over how to close the "achievement gap" among California's six million K-12 students.

By

Dan Walters

• September 4, 2018

Union members protest the Janus case at the California Democratic Party convention in San Diego. Photo by Laurel Rosenhall for CALmatters

Commentary

Unions enjoy big clout, but membership declining

Labor unions enjoy huge clout in the California Legislature, but in the real world, union membership has been slipping in California and could decline even more with a new U.S. Supreme Court decision on union dues.

By

Dan Walters

• September 3, 2018