One of the most contentious – and potentially far-reaching – bills of the current legislative session is Assembly Bill 5, which would draw a legal line between the definitions of employees and contractors. AB 5, carried by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, a San Diego Democrat, is an outgrowth of a state...
Proposed Sales Tax on Business Services Has Horrible Timing
California’s elected leaders are enjoying the fruits of a go-go economy, with record surpluses and record spending on education. So, naturally, there’s talk of tax increases. Californians have enjoyed nearly 10 years of economic growth, and one of the biggest beneficiaries has been the state budget. Since the depths of...
California Considers Health Care for Immigrants in US Illegally
SACRAMENTO — Lilian Serrano's mother-in-law had lots of stomach problems, but she always blamed food. Doctors at a San Diego-area clinic suspected Genoveva Angeles might have cancer, but they could not say for sure because they did not have the equipment to test for it and Angeles, who had been...
Walters: Can California Crack Its Housing Nut?
The state Department of Finance reported this month that California, which has a stubborn and growing shortage of housing, added just 77,000 houses, apartments and condos in 2018. Actually, private and public housing developers drew permits for well over 100,000 units, and about that many were constructed. But a whopping...
5 Takeaways From Newsom’s Revised Budget Plan
Buoyed by California’s strong economy, Gov. Gavin Newsom sent state lawmakers a revised budget Thursday that boosts his already-hefty January proposal to $213.6 billion. Ka-ching! Public schools will reap most of the gains if the Democratic-controlled Legislature rolls with him. Newsom also upped his ante on the housing crisis with a proposed...
Newsom’s Budget Proposal Tackles Homelessness in California
SACRAMENTO — Calling it "a stain on the state of California," Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday vowed to use part of a historic budget surplus to tackle homelessness in the nation's most prosperous state. "This homeless issue is out of control," Newsom told reporters on as he unveiled his revised...
Governor Newsom Proposes $213B State Spending Plan
SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a $213 billion state budget Thursday that boosts spending on K-12 education, wildfires and homelessness while putting more money toward state reserves and debt. The revised budget is up $4.5 billion from his first proposal in January and maintains a $21.5 billion surplus, the...
Newsom to Reveal Updated $200 Billion Spending Plan
SACRAMENTO — California is flooded with money and Gov. Gavin Newsom will outline how he thinks the nation's most populous state should spend it Thursday when he releases a revised version of his $200 billion-plus state budget. The Democratic governor has already proposed new spending to expand health care for...
Gov. Newsom Wants to End Tax on Tampons, Diapers
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, unveiled Tuesday what they call a "parents' agenda," including proposals to end the sales tax on tampons and diapers and to use revenue from legal marijuana sales to expand child care programs. "The governor and I are proud parents...
If California Stopped Giving Away Billions, It Wouldn’t Need New Taxes
You'd think that California, which boasts the world's fifth-largest economy, would have ample tax revenue for schools, roads, and a public safety net. But, in some people's eyes, the taxes and fees generated by our $2.75 trillion economy aren't sufficient to cover the Golden State's needs. Thus, on the 2020...