California

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Reparations Bill Back, Opposed by Everyone

Two important events recently happened on the “reparations” beat. First, the U.S. House, led by Representative Ayanna Pressley, re-introduced H.R. 40, “federal legislation to study reparations for slavery.” At the same time, 2024-25 data began to circulate widely – showing greatly increased opposition to reparations and support for President Donald ...
California

Rebekah Paxton – Would You Like a Higher Minimum Wage with Your Fries?

Rebekah Paxton of the Employment Policies Institute joins us to discuss EPI’s high-profile research on the impact of California’s $20 fast food minimum wage on jobs, workers, prices. They also discuss the Los Angeles’ plan for a $30 minimum wage for hotel and airport workers.
Blog

Spending Watch

Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis

Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden June 2025 It’s budget crunch time for Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders. The immediate problem is closing the estimated $12 billion budget shortfall for the FY2025-26 budget. Despite this serious fiscal challenge, the Governor’s budget proposal demonstrates an unseriousness ...
California

Susan Crabtree – Fool’s Gold

This week, we talk with Susan Crabtree, award-winning investigative journalist and senior White House and national political correspondent for RealClearPolitics, author of the new book on Gavin Newsom, Fool’s Gold. We discuss the impact of the governor’s policy agenda on people’s ability to achieve the California dream and how California’s ...
Blog

Read the latest on California's growing budget problem

Deficits as Far as the Eye Can See

In its Multiyear Budget Outlook, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) summed up the dire state of California’s fiscal state. According to the LAO, Both our office and the Department of Finance (DOF) project operating deficits ranging from $10 billion to $20 billion over the multiyear period. These shortfalls represent future ...
California

Newsom’s ed budget: high spending, low results

Despite a $12 billion budget deficit, Governor Gavin Newsom still proposes to spend more on the state’s public schools, despite findings of a Georgetown University study showing that California is not getting education bang for its taxpayer buck. Newsom’s updated budget includes $137.8 billion in total education funding, which consists ...
California

Can California afford costly climate change programs in a grim budget year?

It was not supposed to be this way. In the throes of last year’s budget turmoil, California’s spending plan at that time was supposed to bring stability. Yet here we are. Another May Revision, another budget deficit — this time for $12 billion. While Gov. Gavin Newsom is right — ...
Blog

Spending Watch

Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis

Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden May 2025 A previous Spending Watch analysis estimated the fiscal and economic impact of funding Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrants. The analysis estimated that the expansion will require an additional $11.6 billion in expenditures, which will impose large economic ...
Blog

How does California’s employment growth compare with the rest of the US?

Gov. Gavin Newsom and California’s progressives point to the Trump Administration’s imposition of tariffs as a reason for its economic slowdown, and the LAO acknowledges that unpredictable policymaking at the federal level puts California’s ‘fragile economy at risk.’ But while California’s ports have seen a decline in economic activity over ...
California

Professor Michael Mische – Just How Much Will We Pay for Gas When 2 Big Refineries Shut Down?

This week on Next Round, we talk with Michael Mische, Associate Professor of the Practice of Management and Organization at the University of Southern California, about his new study showing just how much more Californians will pay at the pump for gas when two of the state’s major refineries shut ...
Blog

Reparations Bill Back, Opposed by Everyone

Two important events recently happened on the “reparations” beat. First, the U.S. House, led by Representative Ayanna Pressley, re-introduced H.R. 40, “federal legislation to study reparations for slavery.” At the same time, 2024-25 data began to circulate widely – showing greatly increased opposition to reparations and support for President Donald ...
California

Rebekah Paxton – Would You Like a Higher Minimum Wage with Your Fries?

Rebekah Paxton of the Employment Policies Institute joins us to discuss EPI’s high-profile research on the impact of California’s $20 fast food minimum wage on jobs, workers, prices. They also discuss the Los Angeles’ plan for a $30 minimum wage for hotel and airport workers.
Blog

Spending Watch

Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis

Budget Gimmicks Will Not Solve The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden June 2025 It’s budget crunch time for Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders. The immediate problem is closing the estimated $12 billion budget shortfall for the FY2025-26 budget. Despite this serious fiscal challenge, the Governor’s budget proposal demonstrates an unseriousness ...
California

Susan Crabtree – Fool’s Gold

This week, we talk with Susan Crabtree, award-winning investigative journalist and senior White House and national political correspondent for RealClearPolitics, author of the new book on Gavin Newsom, Fool’s Gold. We discuss the impact of the governor’s policy agenda on people’s ability to achieve the California dream and how California’s ...
Blog

Read the latest on California's growing budget problem

Deficits as Far as the Eye Can See

In its Multiyear Budget Outlook, the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) summed up the dire state of California’s fiscal state. According to the LAO, Both our office and the Department of Finance (DOF) project operating deficits ranging from $10 billion to $20 billion over the multiyear period. These shortfalls represent future ...
California

Newsom’s ed budget: high spending, low results

Despite a $12 billion budget deficit, Governor Gavin Newsom still proposes to spend more on the state’s public schools, despite findings of a Georgetown University study showing that California is not getting education bang for its taxpayer buck. Newsom’s updated budget includes $137.8 billion in total education funding, which consists ...
California

Can California afford costly climate change programs in a grim budget year?

It was not supposed to be this way. In the throes of last year’s budget turmoil, California’s spending plan at that time was supposed to bring stability. Yet here we are. Another May Revision, another budget deficit — this time for $12 billion. While Gov. Gavin Newsom is right — ...
Blog

Spending Watch

Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis

Covering Undocumented Immigrants Will Worsen The State’s Fiscal Crisis Wayne Winegarden May 2025 A previous Spending Watch analysis estimated the fiscal and economic impact of funding Medi-Cal benefits to undocumented immigrants. The analysis estimated that the expansion will require an additional $11.6 billion in expenditures, which will impose large economic ...
Blog

How does California’s employment growth compare with the rest of the US?

Gov. Gavin Newsom and California’s progressives point to the Trump Administration’s imposition of tariffs as a reason for its economic slowdown, and the LAO acknowledges that unpredictable policymaking at the federal level puts California’s ‘fragile economy at risk.’ But while California’s ports have seen a decline in economic activity over ...
California

Professor Michael Mische – Just How Much Will We Pay for Gas When 2 Big Refineries Shut Down?

This week on Next Round, we talk with Michael Mische, Associate Professor of the Practice of Management and Organization at the University of Southern California, about his new study showing just how much more Californians will pay at the pump for gas when two of the state’s major refineries shut ...
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