California
Blog
Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
Here Come the Democratic Socialists
Although democratic socialism is a fringe position at one extreme of the political spectrum, voters in the country’s two largest cities have been open to electing its proponents. Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City in July and Los Angeles has four democratic socialists on ...
Rafael Perez
August 21, 2025
Blog
SpaceX Vs. California – Again
It took Elon Musk’s rocket company about a week to challenge the commission in court, arguing in its October filing that it was “egregiously and unlawfully overreaching its authority.” “First, the commission has engaged in naked political discrimination against” SpaceX, reads the complaint, and, second, the agency “is trying to ...
Kerry Jackson
August 13, 2025
California
Advice from California: Pay attention to what Newsom does, not what he says
California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently barnstormed South Carolina on a two-day, presidential campaign-style tour, touting what he calls “the California Way.” Light on specifics and heavy on partisan red meat, Newsom told Palmetto State audiences that the California he leads is “the most un-Trump state.” When challenged to a debate ...
Tim Anaya
August 1, 2025
California
Goodbye Golden State: In-N-Out Burger says enough to California’s crushing business climate
California already has lost a number of its legacy companies to more business-friendly states, but when the owner of an iconic burger chain leaves for Tennessee, where she will take a chunk of employees and set up a second company headquarters, the sting has to hurt a little more. Lynsi ...
Kerry Jackson
July 31, 2025
California
Newsom’s misguided threat to gerrymander congressional districts
California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week threatened that if Texas redraws its congressional districts to boost the Republicans’ thin House majority, he would consider calling a special election to redraw California’s congressional districts. According to the Sacramento Bee, he suggested that “the constitution allows the legislative body ‘some latitude’ in ...
Daniel Kolkey
July 29, 2025
California
Watch the Free Cities Center Interview with Mayor Willie Brown
Watch as Free Cities Center director Steven Greenhut sits down for a wide-ranging discussion with legendary San Francisco Mayor and former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. In this candid interview, they discuss the challenges facing the West Coast’s urban centers including crime, housing, homelessness, education, and transportation. Brown also offers his ...
Pacific Research Institute
July 28, 2025
California
The California Left Coast Survivor’s Guide on C-SPAN’s Book TV
This C-Span interview was conducted at FreedomFest, an annual libertarian conference held in 2025 in Palm Springs, California.
Tim Anaya
July 7, 2025
California
Impact Magazine Spring 2025
READ THE MAGAZINE Since the last issue of Impact Magazine, a lot has happened. Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States and Republicans now have control of all three levels of government. And, just before the inauguration, Southern California was affected by disastrous fires that ...
Pacific Research Institute
July 1, 2025
California
Are Democrats abandoning Newsom’s “California Way”?
“The Seven Year Itch” is not only a great Marilyn Monroe movie, but a natural occurrence for California governors and legislators of the same party in the seventh year of an eight-year administration. Governors dominate legislators for most of their tenure, then lawmakers begin to push back and act more ...
Tim Anaya
June 27, 2025
Blog
Newsom and the National Guard
Newsom’s office stated that the president’s order and the presence of the guard: “not only caused widespread panic and chaos, but have unnecessarily created an additional diversion of resources as the state tries to calm a community terrorized by this reckless federal action.” In fact, the “panic and chaos” was ...
Steve Smith
June 23, 2025
Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
Here Come the Democratic Socialists
Although democratic socialism is a fringe position at one extreme of the political spectrum, voters in the country’s two largest cities have been open to electing its proponents. Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City in July and Los Angeles has four democratic socialists on ...
SpaceX Vs. California – Again
It took Elon Musk’s rocket company about a week to challenge the commission in court, arguing in its October filing that it was “egregiously and unlawfully overreaching its authority.” “First, the commission has engaged in naked political discrimination against” SpaceX, reads the complaint, and, second, the agency “is trying to ...
Advice from California: Pay attention to what Newsom does, not what he says
California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently barnstormed South Carolina on a two-day, presidential campaign-style tour, touting what he calls “the California Way.” Light on specifics and heavy on partisan red meat, Newsom told Palmetto State audiences that the California he leads is “the most un-Trump state.” When challenged to a debate ...
Goodbye Golden State: In-N-Out Burger says enough to California’s crushing business climate
California already has lost a number of its legacy companies to more business-friendly states, but when the owner of an iconic burger chain leaves for Tennessee, where she will take a chunk of employees and set up a second company headquarters, the sting has to hurt a little more. Lynsi ...
Newsom’s misguided threat to gerrymander congressional districts
California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week threatened that if Texas redraws its congressional districts to boost the Republicans’ thin House majority, he would consider calling a special election to redraw California’s congressional districts. According to the Sacramento Bee, he suggested that “the constitution allows the legislative body ‘some latitude’ in ...
Watch the Free Cities Center Interview with Mayor Willie Brown
Watch as Free Cities Center director Steven Greenhut sits down for a wide-ranging discussion with legendary San Francisco Mayor and former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. In this candid interview, they discuss the challenges facing the West Coast’s urban centers including crime, housing, homelessness, education, and transportation. Brown also offers his ...
The California Left Coast Survivor’s Guide on C-SPAN’s Book TV
This C-Span interview was conducted at FreedomFest, an annual libertarian conference held in 2025 in Palm Springs, California.
Impact Magazine Spring 2025
READ THE MAGAZINE Since the last issue of Impact Magazine, a lot has happened. Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States and Republicans now have control of all three levels of government. And, just before the inauguration, Southern California was affected by disastrous fires that ...
Are Democrats abandoning Newsom’s “California Way”?
“The Seven Year Itch” is not only a great Marilyn Monroe movie, but a natural occurrence for California governors and legislators of the same party in the seventh year of an eight-year administration. Governors dominate legislators for most of their tenure, then lawmakers begin to push back and act more ...
Newsom and the National Guard
Newsom’s office stated that the president’s order and the presence of the guard: “not only caused widespread panic and chaos, but have unnecessarily created an additional diversion of resources as the state tries to calm a community terrorized by this reckless federal action.” In fact, the “panic and chaos” was ...