A strange thing is happening in Sacramento: voices on the political left and right are calling for the state to spend more money on services for Californians with developmental disabilities. The message is coming from Republican legislators, who have delivered boxes of petitions to Gov. Jerry Brown’s office, as well as labor unions that have […]
Posted inEducation, K-12 Education
Is a tax extension needed for California schools?
Gov. Jerry Brown campaigned up and down the state in 2012 to pass a temp orary measure known as Proposition 30, which raised the sales tax for four years and income taxes on high earners for seven years. It generated $8 billion a year to educate California’s 6.2 million elementary and secondary school students. This […]
Posted inCapitol
By the numbers: Analyzing the governor’s budget
Gov. Jerry Brown fired the opening salvo of California’s budget season on Jan. 7 when he unveiled his spending proposal for the fiscal year that will start July 1. While the final state budget will likely look much different in June when it is scheduled to be adopted by the Legislature, Brown’s proposal is the […]
Posted inPolitics
A lobbying rule to catch up with the times
Lobbyists in Sacramento talk about the “inside game” and the “outside game.” The inside game is the one they play under the Capitol dome: testifying in committee hearings, meeting with legislative staff, nabbing lawmakers in the hallway on the way to a crucial vote. “Other” lobbying is huge – and hard to track An excerpt […]
Posted inEducation, K-12 Education
School budgets are growing, but so are pension payments
Gov. Jerry Brown will propose another healthy budget on Thursday that will be vetted and adopted by the Legislature in June. That’s good news for K-12 public education, which accounts for more than 40 percent of state funds. So why aren’t school district officials jumping up and down? One reason is the growing pension contributions […]
Posted inEducation, K-12 Education
How much has California school spending grown in the last 5 years?
One of the biggest winners in Gov. Jerry Brown’s January budget was public schools, which has enjoyed a rapid funding rise in recent years. The governor proposed a $71.6 billion education budget in the fiscal year that starts this July. That marks a 51 percent increase in the minimum funding for California’s public schools — according to the formula set by […]
Posted inPolitics
Can a Sacramento insider build bridges for Uber?
A culture clash separates California’s Capitol from the Silicon Valley companies that are transforming the state’s economy. Technology entrepreneurs move fast, and see rewards for disrupting the status quo. In Sacramento, however, decisions unfurl slowly, with lots of pressure to keep things the way they are. The divide is significant because the stakes are high: […]
Posted inPolitics
What happens when a legislator quits?
Shortly after the new year begins, Gov. Jerry Brown will declare a special election to fill a vacant spot in the Legislature. The election will cost Fresno County, one of the poorest areas of the state, more than $500,000. A small fraction of voters will likely participate, creating the potential that the seat flips parties […]
Posted inEnvironment
On crowded roads, technology offers hope
Lawmakers are debating how to find money to fix the state’s deteriorating roads and bridges. But it will be almost impossible to end Californians’ top driving headache — congestion. Making roads wider is a traditional solution. But this holds little appeal in California, where land is expensive and and urban corridors are densely packed. Also, […]
Posted inCalifornia Divide
Paying by the mile to fix potholes
California is experimenting with a new way to raise money for road repairs by keeping track of the mileage of cars and trucks with stickers or electronics. A large-scale system won’t happen for many years, but officials say it may be needed because the influx of fuel-efficient or electric cars will shrink revenue from the […]