Borenstein: School bond secrecy lobby prevails again in Sacramento
The school bond secrecy lobby prevailed again. Attempts to alert voters about the cost of school bonds have died in the state Legislature. Your school trustees would rather win than be transparent. At...
View ArticleHow watching his family’s home burn inspired Sen. Jim Beall to fight for...
Fourteen-year-old Jim Beall saw the black smoke from blocks away, wafting over the roofs of his San Jose neighborhood. But it wasn’t until the bus taking him home from summer school turned onto his...
View ArticleEditorial: Jerry Brown stops invasion of the cell phone antennas and other...
Sometimes good government is less about making good things happen than stopping bad things from happening. In that spirit — thank you, Gov. Jerry Brown. Related Articles Editorial: Don’t cave to Big...
View ArticleEditorial: #MeToo reaches Sacramento, where lawmakers live by different rules
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this editorial incorrectly stated that AB 403 died in the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The bill died in the Senate Appropriations Committee. Sexual harassment...
View ArticleBeall brings legislation, grant details to Saratoga City Council
State Sen. Jim Beall met with the City Council on Oct. 18 to discuss grant opportunities and legislation priorities that could affect Saratoga, part of the 15th district he represents. Beall encouraged...
View ArticleEditorial: Kate Steinle, too many others killed by stolen cop guns
Last week, Californians were again reminded that guns stolen from cops are repeatedly used to kill people — and that the Legislature has failed to take adequate steps to stop it. The issue came to...
View ArticleOpinion: New taxes, tolls, bonds and fees just keep coming
We are being bombarded with new taxes and bonds (a form of taxation) from all sides. Related Articles Opinion: A skilled Cal Fire firefighter as an inmate, she’s barred from career now that she’s free...
View ArticleAnother California lawmaker, Sen. Tony Mendoza, accused of sexual harassment
SACRAMENTO — Amid a continued outcry over the treatment of women in California’s Capitol, allegations have surfaced that in late August Sen. Tony Mendoza repeatedly invited a young woman seeking a job...
View ArticleAfter another woman accuses Sen. Tony Mendoza of inappropriate behavior,...
(If you’re having trouble viewing the gallery or video on a mobile device, click here.) SACRAMENTO — As more cases of sexual harassment in the Capitol come to light — intensifying concerns over how...
View ArticleOpinion: Use surplus to pay down California pension debt
California is about to get a welcome and unexpected windfall — enough new tax revenue to have $19 billion in reserve even after paying for the anticipated growth in all current programs and increases...
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Survey: California’s governor race tightens as Antonio Villaraigosa inches...
SAN JOSE — A new statewide survey shows Democrats Gavin Newsom and Antonio Villaraigosa in a closer than expected race for California governor, with Republicans so far behind that for the first time...
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Editorial: Stop the California bullet train in its tracks
Click here if you’re having trouble viewing this photo gallery on your mobile device. The latest $2.8 billion cost overrun is yet another reminder that the Legislature should apply the brakes to Gov....
View ArticleOpinion: Don’t believe plastics lobby claims about Latinos
Some of my fondest childhood memories are of cooking with my grandmother Maria. When I was in elementary school, she taught my cousins and me to make gorditas and stews in her kitchen — that is, after...
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California taxpayers could foot the bill to shutter old oil rigs in the Pacific
It’s been nearly three years since an oil pipeline ruptured in Santa Barbara County, coating seven miles of beaches with crude oil and killing dolphins, birds and sea lions. Area parks and fisheries...
View ArticleOpinion: Easing building rules near transit key for needed housing
California’s chronic and well-documented housing crisis has been generations in the making and will not be fixed overnight. But the days of legislative inaction or half measures may be nearing their...
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Editorial: AG Becerra’s delay enables more opioid deaths
While state Attorney General Xavier Becerra has fiddled, thousands more Californians have died from opioid overdoses. It’s been more than 16 months since Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation mandating...
View ArticleBill would create zero-tolerance policy for California doped drivers under...
SACRAMENTO — Under the age of 21 and thinking of driving high? Think again. A new bill from state Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, would create a zero-tolerance policy for any driver under the age of 21...
View ArticlePalo Alto: City officials oppose bill that allows tall, dense housing
Palo Alto officials say a pending state bill would strip their control of land uses in the city and possibly result in exceptionally tall housing developments along high-transit areas. State Sen. Scott...
View ArticleOpinion: Why bail reform will make California communities safer
Many California courts operate under the assumption that requiring offenders to pay bail keeps us safe and ensures they return for trial. With over 30 years of policing experience, including as chief...
View ArticleEditorial: Prop. 70 a colossal waste of state voters’ time
Backers of Proposition 70 on the June 5 statewide ballot claim it would protect taxpayers and ensure money to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is spent wisely. Opponents say the measure would enable...
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