SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom was sworn in Monday and immediately drew sharp battle lines with President Donald Trump, pledging to enact "progressive, principled" policies as the antidote to the White House's "corruption and incompetence." "People's lives, freedom, security, the water we drink, the air we breathe — they...
Watch the Newsom Inauguration Live Here
To watch the inauguration of Gavin Newsom as California governor in Sacramento, just click on the picture in the tweet below. https://t.co/zw3XuVEPYQ — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) January 7, 2019
My Turn: Higher Ed Is a Prerequisite for Our Future. Community Colleges Are Key to That.
Pick an issue, any issue, and you’ll hear from the well-meaning throngs that theirs is a top priority for California’s long-term success. But the multitude of issues and solutions won’t bring about real, lasting change without addressing the common denominator that could make or break the Golden State: higher education....
Brown's Last Act Includes Keeping High-Speed Rail Leaders
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown reappointed two leaders of California's embattled high-speed rail board on Wednesday, days before leaving office. He gave Dan Richard of Piedmont and Tom Richards of Fresno fresh four-year terms on the board of directors that oversees the California High-Speed Rail Authority, which is tasked with...
2019 Shapes up as Another Big Political Year
While 2018 has been a pivotal year in California’s political history – particularly the Republican Party’s losing half of its congressional seats – 2019 may be even more significant. The state’s politics will likely be dominated by two rolling events: the beginning of Gavin Newsom’s governorship and California’s bid to...
Newsom May Not Be So Lucky on the Economy
Outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown offered a pithy observation about the nature of politics during a wide-ranging interview before the Sacramento Press Club this month, to wit: “A lot of politics is timing, circumstances and luck.” While predecessor Arnold Schwarzenegger contended with the state’s worst recession since the Great Depression, which...
My Turn: Peace in California’s Water Wars Is Within Grasp
Dare we say it? The outlines of a truce in California’s unending water battles began to come into focus last week, though not everyone is willing to sign the treaty. The State Water Board adopted the first phase of a far-reaching revision to the Water Quality Control Plan for the...
Gov.-elect Newsom Giving Up Control of His Businesses
SACRAMENTO — Incoming California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday he would give up control of his wine and hotel business and plans to issue an executive order barring state agencies from doing business with the company to avoid conflicts of interest. The PlumpJack Group, founded by Newsom in 1992, includes...
Can California Afford Newsom's Vision for Schools? Here's Your K-12 Primer.
Early childhood education. A top-tier national ranking for K-12 per-pupil spending. A data system that would track kids from nursery school through state universities. California’s Legislature won’t reconvene until 2019, but the Christmas wish list for public schools is already long and pricey. On the first day of session, Democratic lawmakers...
Former California Judge Newsom Dies at 84
SACRAMENTO — William Newsom III, a former California judge, environmental advocate and the father of governor-elect Gavin Newsom, died Wednesday after a long illness. He was 84. "Justice Newsom was a proud, lifelong Californian, a public servant of profound accomplishment and a powerful voice for individual rights and environmental protection,"...