The sight of criminals running free in our streets gets the blood up. But while the looting and violence, as ugly as they are, will decelerate, there’s a relatively invisible hand of crime that has the potential to cause harm on a long-term basis. At roughly...
Tim Anaya - Digging Up Ways to Lower Costs for High Value but Expensive Drugs In the latest video in the "Escape the Drug Pricing Maze" video, Sage the Detective Dog digs up clues on biologics and gene therapies – drugs that offer tremendous value for...
After months of “sheltering in place” in our homes due to the COVID-19 crisis, and with so much distressing news on television every night, we’re all look for a little bit of an escape. Since we can’t really travel anywhere yet, we’ll have to settle...
Support for Medicare for All continues to rise in PRI’s Single-Payer Poll Watch. The June update shows the overall average support at 57 percent, while opposition slightly dropped to 34 percent. Last month’s update showed a ten-point jump in support during the height of shelter-in-place orders...
California’s Assembly Bill 5 has not been broken, but given a couple of recent developments, it might soon be showing some cracks. On May 20, Assembly Bill 1850, which would exempt some professions from AB5, a law that virtually outlaws independent contract work, was passed 7-0...
In my last blog post, I previewed the Assembly’s unusual “Committee of the Whole” hearing on the state budget, comparing it to Seinfeld’s Festivus “Airing of Grievances.” Little did I know how clairvoyant I really was. Last Tuesday’s five hour session could charitably be called a “gripe...
Kerry Jackson - California: The Exodus from the Golden State Anyone who still doesn't think California's future is questionable at best, bleak at worst, needs to spend 10 minutes watching this video. https://youtu.be/eJcT3JbrDRw Ben Smithwick - Protecting Your Right to Run a Business from Home In this video from the...
It’s said that timing is everything -- it’s especially true in politics. And it’s why those who want to bring back racial preferences in California’s public education, government employment and contracting, chose the here and now to try and repeal Prop. 209, the 1996 California...
California, like the rest of country, is slowly opening cities and counties after more than two months of shelter-in-place and stay-at-home orders. California Governor Gavin Newsom has been the unequivocal face of the pandemic response. As the state legislature prepares to vote on a trimmed-down budget...
Last week, the center of the budget universe moved upstairs at the State Capitol as budget subcommittees in the Senate and Assembly held hearings to explore all aspects of Gov. Newsom’s plan to close the budget deficit he pegs at $54 billion. A few interesting developments...