California Budget

California unions are at odds and spending heavily in an election at CalPERS, the pension fund that provides retirement benefits to 2 million people.

CalPERS is putting more money in private equity as it seeks higher returns. That's a contested issue in an election for two seats on its board.

When Gov. Gavin Newsom approved $750 million in tax credits for Hollywood, he added to $100 billion in annual tax breaks or kickbacks California companies already enjoy.

Whether federal cuts are legal is still undecided. But local health departments have closed clinics, stopped programs, cut immunization appointments, and laid off workers anyway.

California should audit the the Capitol annex project, examining its contracts, scope, budget decisions and financial dealings.

The tools and tricks employed to close California's budget deficits come from an inventory of techniques developed over decades. A recent lawsuit spotlighted a strategy used in 2004.

A San Francisco Democrat wants to streamline permitting and speed up the state’s high-speed rail construction. His proposal just died in the Legislature’s secretive “suspense file” hearing, following strong objections from local governments and utilities.

Gov. Gavin Newsom says these popular weight-loss drugs cost the state too much. But California could save about $3,000 per patient who lost weight. Other health conditions also would improve.

The structural deficit afflicting California's budget is fueling preliminary cogitating over a tax increase of some kind, which would probably have to be ratified by voters this decade.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has moved to close five state prisons because of California's falling incarcerated population. The next one in line is in Riverside County.