Jerry Brown

Justice

California’s governor once opposed sanctuary status. Have time—and Trump—changed his mind?

(Update: Gov. Jerry Brown signed the “sanctuary state” law on October 5, saying in a statement: “These are uncertain times for undocumented Californians and their families, and this bill strikes a balance that will protect public safety, while bringing a measure of comfort to those families who are now living in fear everyday.”) If Gov. Jerry Brown […]

By Elizabeth Aguilera • May 3, 2017

Politics

Purple Reign: Two legislators from opposite parties host town halls together

The right-leaning Democrat, Sen. Steve Glazer, and the left-leaning Republican, Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, represent overlapping suburban districts some 40 miles east of San Francisco. Once opponents who ran for the same seat (she won), the pair have forged an unusual bipartisan alliance driven by their centrist approach to politics.

By Laurel Rosenhall • April 26, 2017

Education

Open Reporting: Inside my quest to unravel school funding

Every person has a right to inspect any public record during a public agency’s normal business hours. That’s what the California’s Public Records Act promises, with a few exceptions, but it’s not what I got in January when I visited two Los Angeles County school districts and asked to review their budgets.

By Jessica Calefati • March 29, 2017

Education

Inside my quest to unravel school funding

Every person has a right to inspect any public record during a public agency’s normal business hours. That’s what the California’s Public Records Act promises, with a few exceptions, but it’s not what I got in January when I visited two Los Angeles County school districts and asked to review their budgets.

By Jessica Calefati • March 29, 2017

Justice

New look at how local jails lock up deportable immigrants

Update: On Oct 5, Gov. Jerry Brown signed a scaled-down version of SB 29— placing a moratorium on local governments entering into new immigration detention contracts with federal immigration authorities or private corporations.  Trash-strewn cells, moldy showers, broken telephones, excessive use of solitary confinement, and “slimy, foul-smelling lunch meat.” These are the conditions that detainees […]

By Ben Christopher • March 28, 2017