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
Why Hispanics Thrive in Texas, But Not in California
The world provides us with countless case studies on the relative merits of free markets and central planning. In Asia and Europe we have seen the controlled experiments of the Koreas and the two postwar Germanys, admittedly extreme examples. In South America, we have consistently successful Chile and perennially chaotic Argentina. In this country, we… -
news
California to Triple Tax Credits to Hollywood
In an effort to revive a struggling entertainment industry, California Gov. Jerry Brown and state legislative leaders announced a five-year expansion to the state’s film and television tax credit program. According to the Los Angeles Times, the governor approved a bipartisan plan to raise the annual allocated tax credits to $330 million, over three times the… -
news
California Requires Insurers to Cover Abortion Services
A California state regulatory agency has issued a health care directive requiring health insurers to cover the costs of elective abortions, according to the Associated Press. Last week, California’s Department of Managed Health Care informed seven insurance companies that they must comply with the Knox Keene Act, a state provision passed in 1975 that guarantees… -
opinion
There Is No California Comeback
News media from coast to coast are celebrating a “California comeback” after a near-decade-long Golden State economic collapse. But even this latest recovery may be much more fragile than has been reported, and the state’s structural defects still imperil the left-coast economy. Certainly there are reasons for optimism. Tax collections were way up last year,… -
news
Proposal to Divide California into Six States Clears Hurdle to Qualify for 2016 Ballot
Californians are one step closer to casting votes in November to decide whether the state will remain as is or be broken into six separate states. The “Six Californias” campaign announced yesterday it submitted 1.3 million signatures to the state for a ballot initiative that would divide the Golden State into six separate states, pending… -
news
California Mayor Says There’s No End in Sight to Border Crisis, Concerned for ‘Safety of All’
As busloads of illegal immigrants arrive in the Southern California city of Murrieta, Mayor Alan Long spoke to Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly about the brewing border crisis. Long expressed his concern for the “safety of all”—locals and migrants alike—and the “inhumane” conditions for the illegal immigrants. -
news
Protesters Block Busloads of Illegal Immigrants in California
Busloads of illegal immigrants attempting to reach a Border Patrol processing station in Murrieta, Calif., were met with backlash from locals yesterday. Three buses with about 140 detainees were forced to turn around and return to a San Diego-area Border Patrol facility after 100 to 150 protesters blocked the buses from coming through, according to… -
opinion
California Diminishes Union Power in Schools
Teachers unions—already experiencing a drop in membership and public sentiment— took another large blow last week when Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Rolf M. Treu struck down five California laws that govern the hiring and firing of teachers. The decision, Vergara v. State of California, will significantly diminish the influence of unions over personnel decisions… -
news
California Can’t Convince Drivers to Trade in Clunkers for Cash
California is paying drivers to get their air-polluting cars off the road—and will throw in some cash to get a newer, more fuel-efficient model. But during its first year, only 21 Californians have actually gotten a new vehicle from this cash-for-clunkers-esque program. Government employees even sent out more than 12,000 letters notifying people they were eligible for… -
opinion
Was the California Teacher Tenure Decision Judicial Activism?
This week, in Vergara v. California, California Superior Court Judge Rolf Treu struck down five state laws governing teacher tenure, layoffs and dismissals as unconstitutional under the California constitution. The result of this ruling is certainly good for children in California, too many of whom are stuck in classrooms with “grossly ineffective” teachers. But was… -
news
Union Vows to Appeal Teacher Tenure Ruling as California Braces for Sweeping Change
Court-ordered reform of California’s teacher tenure program won’t happen without a fight. The California Teachers Association announced plans to appeal yesterday’s landmark court decision on teacher tenure which, many say, is a victory for students. The lawsuit, Vergara v. California, aimed to strike down statutes that make it difficult for administrators to dismiss poorly performing… -
opinion
A Defeat for Terrible Teachers in California
It won’t be as simple from now on for ineffective California teachers to coast off to a lifetime career on easy street. In a Los Angeles Superior Court ruling today, Judge Rolf M. Treu “found five California laws governing teacher tenure, layoffs and dismissals unconstitutional,” reports Politico. “Treu found,” reporter Stephanie Simon wrote, “that the…