In summary

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

New water deal isn’t a political certainty

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.

Legislature, Newsom have an ambitious agenda

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.

Newsom will inherit troubled bullet train project

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.

Where do middle-of-the-road voters go now?

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.

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Dan Walters has been a journalist for more than 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers. He began his professional career in 1960, at age 16, at the Humboldt Times...