My-turn

Alex Morris, California Energy Storage Alliance: California’s future can be powered by both renewable and reliable energy, but we must have the foresight to make the right investments in storage capacity now.

Rob Stutzman, Mitt Romney campaign alum: Many of us hope that Mitt Romney’s decision is a moment of leadership that sears consciences and emboldens people to treat our politics with more dignity and complexity than Trump, cable news and the petulance of many Democrats present to us daily. A good place to start in doing your part to resist our slouch toward banal tribalism is in defending Romney for his act of conscience, even if you disagree.

Adam Freed and Panama Bartholomy: Approximately 20% of the U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are associated with the electricity and fuels used in our commercial and residential buildings. Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg is offering solutions.

Gov. Gavin Newsom: Inaction, recalcitrance, and adherence to the status-quo puts our water future at risk. The alternative to the voluntary agreements is a contentious regulatory process that will take many years and require adjudicating a thicket of litigation in every direction before restoring river flows.

Marten Roorda, ACT: Test equity and fair access to higher education must be meaningfully evaluated and addressed on an ongoing basis. But attempting to fix the problem by reducing or eliminating standardized testing such as the SAT or ACT will create several unintended consequences that need to be fully considered.

Susanna Cooper and Michal Kurlaender, UC Davis: Allowing high school students to take college-level courses while they are still in high school is good for students, good for high schools, and good for community colleges, which are the primary vehicle for dual enrollment. Asian American students are more than twice as likely to enroll in college-level courses as African American students. And there are 1,260 high schools in California in which zero students are dual enrolled.

Bill Magavern, Coalition for Clean Air: California’s vehicles are responsible for the vast majority of its emissions of toxic diesel particulate matter and smog-forming NOx and are the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. We must do much better, and quickly.

Chuck Ingoglia, National Council for Behavioral Health: California is leading the nation in creating a health care model that recognizes mental wellness cannot be separated from physical health, a model every state in the nation must adopt. Integrating trauma-informed care into primary care will require a fundamental change in the established health care model.

Marc Joffe, Reason Foundation: K-12 school districts and community college districts have placed bond measures on local ballots authorizing an additional $17 billion in borrowing. While not all the local bond measures are objectionable, voters should take a critical look at the bonds on their ballots. If the proposals lack specificity, result in overcapacity, or lead to excessive district debt, a “no” vote would be the judicious choice.

Wendy Ridderbusch, CalDesal: Recognizing the need for a drought-proof water supply, efforts are underway to develop several seawater desalination facilities throughout California. We need to utilize all existing supply strategies including increased conservation, reuse, and both brackish water and seawater desalination into the mix.