Working Families Benefit From A Fairer Debt Relief System

By State Senator Bob Wieckowski

The Great Recession, safe to say, is finally behind us. The jobless rate in California has dropped to 6.2 percent — right where it was in 2007 before the financial crisis and housing bust. Even in the poverty lands of the San Joaquin Valley, unemployment has now fallen below double digits for the first time in years.

But left in recession’s wake is a faul…

Clean Energy California Launches Advertising, Social Media Campaign Targeting Key Legislators on Climate Legislation

by Steven Maviglio

Clean Energy California today launched a social media advertising campaign targeting key California legislators who have been featured in ads promoted by the oil industry in the battle over SB 350, climate change legislation sponsored by State Senate President pro Tem Kevin De León.

The ads, which began today on Twitter and Facebook, mock the ads placed by the o…

Top California Attorney Clark Kelso: AG Harris Correct in Noting DeMaio/Reed Pension Measure Eliminates Retirement Security for Public Servants

by Steven Maviglio

University of Pacific McGeorge Law School Professor Clark Kelso, one of California’s most respected attorneys, said today that California Attorney General Kamala Harris’ ballot title and summary of the ballot measure to slash retirement and health benefits is an accurate assessment of the impact of the measure.

“The Attorney General got it right,” notes Kelso, who…

CalSTRS Says Pension Ballot Measure Would Negatively Impact Teacher Retirement Security

by Assemblymember Rob Bonta

The retirement security of California’s retired, current, and future teachers and the stability of the state’s pension fund for educators would be put at risk if a ballot measure addressing those issues is approved by California voters next November, according to an internal analysis by CalSTRS that I requested as chairman of the Assembly’s Committee …

LAO Analysis Says Pension Measure Raises “Significant Uncertainty”

by Steven Maviglio

California’s Legislative Analysts Office today reported there is “significant uncertainty” about the impacts of the pension ballot measure proposed by former San Diego City Councilman Carl DeMaio and former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed that could drive up costs for taxpayers, affect the ability to attract and retain public employees, and put death and disability benefits for …

Senator Jackson’s Oil Spill Bills Clear Key Assembly Committee

by Steven Maviglio

Two bills introduced by State Senator Hannah Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) in the wake of the Refugio oil spill in Santa Barbara County in May have won key votes in the Assembly Government Organizations committee today.

Senate Bill 295, designed to reduce the risk of oil spills from pipelines, and Senate Bill 414, which will speed oil spill response efforts, both receive…

Large-Scale Solar Doesn’t Want Your Rooftop To Count

by Peter Allen

Each house of the California legislature recently produced a bill that calls for our state to get 50% of its energy from renewable resources by the end of the year 2030. It’s a goal that many of us on the side of progress can support wholeheartedly. But in an interesting twist, rooftop solar is excluded from the count in both bills…I’ll allow your heads to spin around a co…

That’s No Small Moon, It’s the GOP Ticket

by Gabriel Sanchez

In a humorous attempt to show voters’ dissatisfaction with their choices in the GOP presidential field, a recent Washington Post article discussed the results of a survey that included various fictional villains with the current crop of Republican presidential contenders.

But what if one of those bad guys – I’m talking about the characters, not the cand…

Plastic Bag Company, Up for Auction, Urged to Drop Bag Ban Referendum Effort

by Steven Maviglio

Proponents of the effort to protect California’s plastic bag ban today urged Chicago-based Wind Point Partners, the company that owns South Carolina-based plastic bag manufacturer Novolex, to end its effort to overturn the law by a referendum slated to appear on the November 2016 ballot.

According to a report issued late last week, Wind Point Partners has hired two bank…