California Politics & News
Stay updated with California news, including reporting, analysis, and commentary on state government, progressive overreach, and the conservative response to Golden State policies.
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opinion
Drunk Driving Is Down in California (Thanks to Uber)
There were only two drunk driving arrests last New Year’s Eve in San Francisco, the lowest it’s been since 2009, according to crime statistics from the San Francisco Police Department given to the Ferenstein Wire. This recent data comes on the heels of a new study revealing that the introduction of Uber’s low-cost service, UberX,… -
opinion
A California Judge Needs a Lesson in the First Amendment
Late Wednesday, the Los Angeles Superior Court issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) banning the Center for Medical Progress from releasing video of a meeting with three StemExpress employees at a restaurant last May, potentially violating fundamental First Amendment precedents that bar prior restraints on speech. The Center for Medical Progress (CMP), a group of… -
news
California Implements Strictest Fracking Regulations in US
California implemented new hydraulic fracturing regulations Wednesday, making the state home to perhaps the strictest fracking rules in the nation. The regulations force increased transparency and accountability through expanded monitoring and reporting of air and water quality, public disclosure of chemicals used in fracking procedures, and estimates of the environmental impact fracking activities may cause…. -
news
California Legislature Passes Mandatory Vaccination Bill
The California state legislature passed a controversial vaccination mandate Thursday requiring all schoolchildren receive vaccinations regardless of personal and religious beliefs. The law would end the ability of parents to exempt their children from vaccination unless a serious medical reason is given. Unvaccinated children are required to be homeschooled. Republican Assemblyman Rocky Chavez voted against… -
news
California to Subsidize Health Care for Illegal Immigrant Children
A California budget deal announced this week would provide state-funded health care coverage to children living in the U.S. illegally, making the state the first in the nation to do so. The deal between Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders would cover about 170,000 immigrants 18 and under and is expected to easily pass the… -
news
California Regulation Threatens to ‘Destroy’ Uber’s Business Model
Since its inception, Uber, the breakout ride-sharing app redefining traditional taxi service, has baffled government agencies grappling with ways to regulate one of Silicon Valley’s biggest startups. The latest battle occurred this week after the California Labor Commissioner’s Office decided that Barbara Berwick, a driver for Uber, should be defined as an employee of the… -
news
California to Provide Free Rides Home for Drunk Lawmakers
Forget the cab fare. Intoxicated California lawmakers now can hitch a ride home at the expense of their taxpayers. In view of four lawmakers arrested over the last five years for driving under the influence, the state has hired two part-time employees who will man a 24-hour car service for senators too drunk to drive… -
news
Billionaire Environmentalist Pushes New Oil Tax in California
In an effort to combat high gasoline prices in California, billionaire environmentalist activist Tom Steyer is pushing for a state ballot measure to pass an oil severance tax. Steyer, founder of NextGen Climate, announced support for the potential ballot measure earlier this month at the California Democratic Party convention. “I want to understand why Californians… -
news
How California Cities Are Making Millions Seizing Property and Money From Law-Abiding Citizens
In a small number of cities clustered in Los Angeles County, Calif., people are seeing their property and money seized by law enforcement through civil asset forfeiture, and it’s making police departments tens of millions of dollars. California has safeguards in place to protect innocent people from the harmful practices of civil asset forfeiture. However, a… -
news
Insiders Detail Culture of Secrecy at California’s Obamacare Exchange
Aiden Hill’s introduction to the secretive culture at Covered California came in his first days on the job. He had just been hired to head up the agency’s $120 million call center effort when he emailed a superior April 18, 2013, and got a text message in reply: Please refrain from writing a lot of… -
news
Incompetence, Mismanagement Plague California’s Obamacare Insurance Exchange
California’s health insurance exchange, established under the Affordable Care Act, has been held out as a national model for Obamacare. In some ways—not all of them good—it is. Whether it’s falling far short of 2015 enrollment goals or sending out 100,000 inaccurate tax forms, Covered California is struggling with its share of challenges. Now, several… -
news
Amidst Drought, California Struggles to Find Solution to #SaveOurWater
Yesterday, California Gov. Jerry Brown met with water, agricultural, and environmental leaders to collaborate and discuss solutions to address the state’s worsening drought. .@JerryBrownGov meets w/water, agricultural & environmental leaders from across CA to talk #CADrought. #SaveOurWater pic.twitter.com/KloExvGQtm — Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) April 8, 2015 Brown came under criticism last week for an… -
opinion
California Supreme Court Attempts to Ban State Judges From Volunteering with Boy Scouts
Last week, the California Supreme Court voted to bar any California state judge from belonging to youth organizations that “invidiously discriminate,” apparently with the Boy Scouts of America in mind. This policy is the latest example of ideologues using government coercion to force public servants to conform their private lives to government ideology—or resign from… -
news
California Might Replace Gas Sales Tax With Mileage Tax
Your fuel efficient car might be great for the environment, but if you live in California, it might not help you save money much longer. California lawmakers have introduced a plan to replace a sales tax on gasoline with a tax on motorists based on mileage. Under the new plan, drivers would have to log… -
news
California Has 15 Years to Hit a 50% Renewable Energy Goal. Will It Happen?
California Gov. Jerry Brown has set an ambitious new energy goal: getting the most populous state in the nation to derive 50 percent of its electric power from renewable sources in the space of 15 years. But can it be accomplished? And can it be done without sending electricity bills through the roof? Depends on… -
news
Obamacare Limiting Insurance Options in California
When Dennie Wright went to sign up for Affordable Care Act insurance last year, it wasn’t a hard decision. His insurance agent told him he had only one insurer—Anthem Blue Cross—that he could buy from on the exchange, Covered California. Wright lives in a modest house overlooking a pasture in Indian Valley. It’s a tiny alpine… -
opinion
California Just Started Another Insane Government Project
Talk about a trainwreck. Today, California broke ground on another disastrous government-funded project: high-speed rail that will eventually go from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The project is estimated to cost $68 billion. The plan is that the private sector will ultimately invest around one-third of the total cost, but so far, there have been… -
news
From California to D.C., These Cowboys Rode in Protest of Government Land Grab
A group of horseback riders and grassroots activists rode into Washington, D.C., last week after traveling nearly 2,800 miles from the California coast to raise awareness about the Bureau of Land Management’s decision to revoke their grazing rights and the federal government’s extensive ownership of land and natural resources in the West. The group, which calls… -
news
California Politician Claims Obamacare Contracts Went to Agency Director’s Cronies
California’s beleaguered Obamacare exchange is once again in the crosshairs of a state senator who is demanding answers following reports that millions in contracts never went out to bid and instead were awarded to friends of the agency’s director. Sen. Ted Gaines, who also is the GOP candidate for state insurance commissioner on the November… -
opinion
Scientists May Disagree on the Causes of the California Drought, but Policymakers with Agendas Don’t
California’s recent drought has many people, including policymakers, looking to point the finger at global warming. The authors of several recent scientific papers aren’t so sure. A report by the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society compiled the work of 20 research groups studying extreme weather events from 2013. The report concluded “that natural variability…