Political Stories Top stories Dan Walters: California’s cap-and-trade emissions auctions could face bleak future — With the situation in flux and the next auction scheduled in two months, the Legislature passed a 2016-17 budget without making any appropriations from auction proceeds, even money the state had banked from previous auctions. This is just the beginning […]

Political Stories Top stories  Dan Walters: Taxicabs collide in Capitol with Uber and Lyft over legislation – Hueso’s obvious antipathy to the ride-sharing services notwithstanding, the bills dealing with Uber and Lyft represent one of many instances in which the Legislature and the state’s regulatory agencies are facing difficulty in dealing with fast-growing new technologies […]

Political Stories Top stories  Obama gets personal in Yosemite in speech, long hike — President Barack Obama mixed business with pleasure here Saturday, touting the importance of national parks and then seeing one up close for himself as he took in the sights at what is arguably the crown jewel of the national park system. […]

Political Stories Top stories What got done in California’s new state budget and what didn’t — Every year in California’s state Capitol, some budget issues get resolved and others get pushed further down the road. And it’s a mixed bag in the new deal passed by lawmakers on Wednesday. More work on budget-related bills is expected next week. Although the […]

Political Stories Top stories California’s new motor voter law could add 2 million registered voters in first year, study says — A new study from the Public Policy Institute of California estimates that, if executed successfully, the state’s new motor voter law could add more than 2 million new voters to the rolls in its first year […]

Political Stories Top stories CD 21: Huerta makes the runoff in closely watched race – Emilio Huerta will face Congressman David Valadao in the 21st Congressional District general election race, according to a Californian analysis of results that flipped the contest Wednesday evening. Bakersfield Californian article Valley’s GOP congressional delegation falls in line behind Trump […]

Political Stories Top stories Jerry Brown calls Hillary Clinton ‘only path’ to stop Trump — California Gov. Jerry Brown, who feuded bitterly with Bill Clinton during the 1992 presidential campaign, on Tuesday endorsed Hillary Clinton, calling her nomination the “only path forward to win the presidency and stop the dangerous candidacy of Donald Trump.” Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article; San […]

Political Stories Top stories Dan Walters: Jerry Brown on the spot in final days of writing new state budget — Brown’s parsimonious attitude didn’t quiet the virtually unanimous demands by his fellow Democrats in the Legislature for more spending – or “investment” in the current parlance – on early childhood education, low-income housing, welfare and other […]

Political Stories Top stories Cathleen Decker: California officials ponder: Now that they’re registered, how do we keep new voters interested? — California’s elections officials are waiting for the answer to one question: Will the hundreds of thousands of Californians who recently signed up to voteactually show up for the June 7 primary? And they are contemplating a second […]

Political Stories Top stories Dan Walters: Extending California income tax to local governments a minefield — Local tax-the-rich schemes are probably ill-advised for many reasons. But if politicians want to move that way, they should take a long, hard look at practical effects and not just do something slap-dash in the dark of night for one […]