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Dan Walters,
CalMatters Commentary

Dan Walters has been a journalist for nearly 60 years, spending all but a few of those years working for California newspapers. He has written more than 9,000 columns about the state and its politics and is the founding editor of the “California Political Almanac.” Dan has also been a frequent guest on national television news shows, commenting on California issues and policies.

Stories by Dan Walters

Other States Do Housing Better Than California; a New Study Shows How They Do It

This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.Overwhelmingly Californians rate the intertwined issue...

/ 5 days ago

LA Feud Is Prime Example of Constant Clashes Between CA Cities and Counties

This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. When California became a state in 1850, it had fewer ...

/ 6 days ago

In California’s Capitol, Some Political Fights Span Decades

This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Were we able to transport ourselves back in time 50 y...

/ 1 week ago

As Dem Candidates for Governor Increase, They Wait for Harris to Decide

This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Irish playwright Samuel Beckett’s tragicomedy “Waitin...

/ 2 weeks ago

If California Bails Out LA’s $1 Billion Budget Deficit, Beware the Slippery Slope

This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. As fate would have it, the very destructive and deadl...

/ 3 weeks ago

The Real Crisis in California Schools Is Low Achievement, Not Cultural Conflicts

This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. When Gov. Gavin Newsom unexpectedly voiced opposition...

/ 3 weeks ago

A Hyundai Ioniq 6 at an Electrify America charging station in Oakland on Feb. 27, 2024. (CalMatters/Camille Cohen)

If Zero-Emission Cars Cut Gasoline Sales and Tax Revenue, How Will California Replace Them?

By Dan Walters CalMattersThis commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. When California motorists fi...

/ 3 weeks ago

Under Pressure From Trump, UC Abandons ‘Diversity Statement’ Requirement for Faculty

This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. It’s likely that most Californians have never h...

/ 3 weeks ago

Lobbyists Are a Growth Industry in Politically Complex California

This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. In the late 1990s, the late Jay Michael and I coautho...

/ 4 weeks ago

Newsom’s New CA Homelessness Plan Leaves Out Some Important Details

This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Let’s assume that there’s a theoretical p...

/ 4 weeks ago

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8 minutes ago

Fresno Police Arrest 14 for DUI During Weekend Enforcement Operation

The North Portico of the White House is illuminated in blue for Autism Awareness Day, in Washington, U.S. April 2, 2020. (REUTERS File)

14 minutes ago

Autism Rates in US Children Hit Record Level in 2022, CDC Data Show

The seal of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is seen at their headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 14, 2021. (REUTERS File)

18 minutes ago

Whistleblower Org Says DOGE May Have Caused ‘Significant Cyber Breach’ at US Labor Watchdog

44 minutes ago

Mexican National Sentenced for Trafficking Meth, Fentanyl Through Fresno County

President Donald Trump arrives at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., on April 11, 2025. A federal judge on April 14 temporarily blocked the Trump administration from using a wartime statute to deport to El Salvador Venezuelan immigrants in Colorado who have been accused of being violent gang members. (Tom Brenner/The New York Times)

59 minutes ago

Judge Pauses Trump’s Use of Alien Enemies Act to Deport Venezuelans in Colorado

1 hour ago

Up to $20 Million Lost After Thieves Tunnel Into LA Jewelry Store

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