Two years ago, Democratic newcomers across the state were swept into Congress atop a frothing “blue wave” of anti-Trump fervor — a result that only became apparent late in the vote count. This year’s election has been playing out a little like 2018 in reverse. This time the Democrats led early...
Expired Unemployment Boost, EDD Debacles Sink Jobless Californians
As coronavirus resurges 10 months into a devastating pandemic, many jobless Californians have exhausted their options and are hanging on to what little government support remains. Once padded by an extra $600 a week from the federal coronavirus relief bill, many of the state’s unemployed say their benefits are just enough to...
Opinion: Votes Show We’re Deeply Divided; Where Do We Go From Here?
Joe Biden has won the presidency of the United States but will lead a country both deeply divided and disappointed: Republicans upset that President Donald Trump lost while many Democrats are upset that the race was far too close. Nearly 50% of American voters cast a ballot for Trump –...
Newsom’s Pick? Here’s Who Might Fill Kamala Harris’ Senate Seat
Updated November 7, 2020 The victory of Joe Biden and California’s junior senator, Kamala Harris in the 2020 presidential race brings to a close one of the most protracted post-Election Day waiting games in modern political history. It also opens up a relatively rare thing in the Golden State: the prospect of...
Home State Advantage: What a Vice President Kamala Harris Means for California
Goodbye, state of resistance. Hello, state of influence. California’s status has shifted dramatically with the election of Joe Biden as the next president. The reasons are both political — deep blue California will have more inroads to a White House controlled by Democrats — and personal: For just the second...
California’s Counters Still Have Millions of Ballots to Go
About 4.5 million ballots remain to be counted in the November presidential election, the California Secretary of State’s office said late Thursday. Most of those remaining — slightly more than 4 million — are vote-by-mail ballots. Every voter in California was mailed a ballot because of the pandemic. “In California, we work...
California Must Take These Two Steps to Better Combat Labor Trafficking
Two women, enticed by promises of well-paid work and plentiful opportunities, left their homelands for a better life in California. A nightmare awaited them. Upon arrival, Angela Guanzon was told she owed $12,000 to her employer and had to work 10 years at a nursing home to repay her debt....
Reform the Brown Act to Enhance Transparency and Public Access
The Ralph M. Brown Act represented major progress for transparency in California government when it was enacted in 1953. The law has ensured that generations of Californians have access to their local officials, that the public’s business be conducted in public and that decision-makers hear from their constituents before they...
What We Know So Far About School Reopenings in California
As more California public schools get set to reopen their campuses to students and teachers with a rhythm unseen in previous months, the pool of schools that have reopened so far have largely avoided triggering coronavirus outbreaks. Most of the school districts in the state that have physically reopened have implemented...
No Return to Lock ’Em Up — California Voters Stick With Less Punitive Justice
Over the last three decades, Californians have swung from “tough on crime” conservatism to a more lenient, less punitive approach to criminal justice. Based on the results of this year’s election, it doesn’t look like the pendulum is swinging back anytime soon. Already the state had gradually eased up on...