California

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Spending Watch

California’s FY2025-26 Budget Failed to Address the State’s Long-term Financial Risks

California’s FY2025-26 Budget Failed to Address the State’s Long-term Financial Risks Wayne Winegarden October 2025 Politicians too often assume that California’s fiscal health is synonymous with the state of its annual budget. When revenue growth is strong, the state is allegedly in a sound fiscal position. It is only when ...
California

California’s weak job market is a cry for help. Is anyone listening?

California’s job market continues to suffer from largely self-inflicted wounds, despite the fact that the overall economy is growing. In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom projected that California’s economy had grown larger than Japan’s, making it the fourth largest in the world (if it were its own economy, which it’s not). ...
AI

Has California Created A Free Speech Problem?

He is deliberating whether to sign or veto Senate Bill 771, which would impose civil penalties of up to $1 million against social media companies that knowingly or recklessly aid their users in violating the state’s hate speech and civil rights laws. “Hate speech” isn’t mentioned by name, but the bill contains references to ...
Blog

Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center

It’s not just AI: California city minimum wages also kill jobs

As if it didn’t kill enough jobs, 39 cities have imposed their own, even higher minimums. A dozen of the cities did so on July 1. The highest general minimum is Emeryville’s, at $19.90. Some cities also mandate higher minimums for certain jobs. For the city of Los Angeles, the ...
California

Watch Tim Anaya discuss California’s crime challenges with “America’s Criminologist”

Watch PRI vice president of marketing and communications Tim Anaya discuss California’s ongoing crime challenges and his book The California Left Coast Survivor’s Guide on “America’s Criminologist with Dr. Currie Myers” on KMET Radio in San Bernardino.
California

Assembly Republican Leader Emeritus James Gallagher – The Exit Interview

Our special guest this week is outgoing Assembly Republican Leader – and the very first guest on Next Round podcast – James Gallagher. He looks back on his time as GOP leader, reflecting on his biggest accomplishments, what surprised him the most during his leadership, his partisan battles with Speaker ...
Blog

Not Even Jay Leno Can Get Lawmakers to Update State’s Antiquated Classic Car Rules

California requires all cars built from 1976 on to pass a smog inspection every two years. A bill introduced in the current session would have moved that date to 1990, “making it easier to own and maintain classic cars,” says Car Buzz. But the legislation, Senate Bill 712, introduced by Sen. Shannon ...
Blog

Spending Watch

Legislators Did Not Relieve California’s Energy Poverty Problem

Legislators Did Not Relieve California’s Energy Poverty Problem Wayne Winegarden September 2025 The legislative year is over and there is lots to be concerned about. Paramount among these concerns, the legislature passed several bills that will worsen the state’s energy affordability problems. Perhaps most disappointing, though not unexpected, legislators passed ...
Blog

YIMBYs win political victories, but where are the new houses?

Gov. Gavin Newsom even held up passage of the state budget until lawmakers approved two reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Assembly Bill 130 exempts a broader number of environmentally friendly infill housing projects from CEQA. Senate Bill 131 exempts nine types of projects from CEQA. These include ...
California

The PRI All Stars 2025 End of Session Wrap Up

This week, we present our annual end of session look back at the just-concluded legislative session. Steven Greenhut, Matt Fleming and Tim Anaya share their thoughts on the hot issues debated in the final weeks of the legislative session, including the cap-and-trade deal, high-speed rail funding, charter school legislation, housing ...
Blog

Spending Watch

California’s FY2025-26 Budget Failed to Address the State’s Long-term Financial Risks

California’s FY2025-26 Budget Failed to Address the State’s Long-term Financial Risks Wayne Winegarden October 2025 Politicians too often assume that California’s fiscal health is synonymous with the state of its annual budget. When revenue growth is strong, the state is allegedly in a sound fiscal position. It is only when ...
California

California’s weak job market is a cry for help. Is anyone listening?

California’s job market continues to suffer from largely self-inflicted wounds, despite the fact that the overall economy is growing. In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom projected that California’s economy had grown larger than Japan’s, making it the fourth largest in the world (if it were its own economy, which it’s not). ...
AI

Has California Created A Free Speech Problem?

He is deliberating whether to sign or veto Senate Bill 771, which would impose civil penalties of up to $1 million against social media companies that knowingly or recklessly aid their users in violating the state’s hate speech and civil rights laws. “Hate speech” isn’t mentioned by name, but the bill contains references to ...
Blog

Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center

It’s not just AI: California city minimum wages also kill jobs

As if it didn’t kill enough jobs, 39 cities have imposed their own, even higher minimums. A dozen of the cities did so on July 1. The highest general minimum is Emeryville’s, at $19.90. Some cities also mandate higher minimums for certain jobs. For the city of Los Angeles, the ...
California

Watch Tim Anaya discuss California’s crime challenges with “America’s Criminologist”

Watch PRI vice president of marketing and communications Tim Anaya discuss California’s ongoing crime challenges and his book The California Left Coast Survivor’s Guide on “America’s Criminologist with Dr. Currie Myers” on KMET Radio in San Bernardino.
California

Assembly Republican Leader Emeritus James Gallagher – The Exit Interview

Our special guest this week is outgoing Assembly Republican Leader – and the very first guest on Next Round podcast – James Gallagher. He looks back on his time as GOP leader, reflecting on his biggest accomplishments, what surprised him the most during his leadership, his partisan battles with Speaker ...
Blog

Not Even Jay Leno Can Get Lawmakers to Update State’s Antiquated Classic Car Rules

California requires all cars built from 1976 on to pass a smog inspection every two years. A bill introduced in the current session would have moved that date to 1990, “making it easier to own and maintain classic cars,” says Car Buzz. But the legislation, Senate Bill 712, introduced by Sen. Shannon ...
Blog

Spending Watch

Legislators Did Not Relieve California’s Energy Poverty Problem

Legislators Did Not Relieve California’s Energy Poverty Problem Wayne Winegarden September 2025 The legislative year is over and there is lots to be concerned about. Paramount among these concerns, the legislature passed several bills that will worsen the state’s energy affordability problems. Perhaps most disappointing, though not unexpected, legislators passed ...
Blog

YIMBYs win political victories, but where are the new houses?

Gov. Gavin Newsom even held up passage of the state budget until lawmakers approved two reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Assembly Bill 130 exempts a broader number of environmentally friendly infill housing projects from CEQA. Senate Bill 131 exempts nine types of projects from CEQA. These include ...
California

The PRI All Stars 2025 End of Session Wrap Up

This week, we present our annual end of session look back at the just-concluded legislative session. Steven Greenhut, Matt Fleming and Tim Anaya share their thoughts on the hot issues debated in the final weeks of the legislative session, including the cap-and-trade deal, high-speed rail funding, charter school legislation, housing ...
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