Sam Blakeslee said he was putting political aspirations aside and planned to work at a nonprofit focused on promoting common-sense solutions to big policy problems vexing Sacramento. [LATimes] However, an early strategic plan for the California Reform Institute shows a... (Continue reading)
By DANIEL BLACKBURN A plaintive, years-long cry from California farmers worried about an adequate supply of harvest laborers now is being heard statewide as the prediction – often scorned by critics — begins to materialize. And while the looming shortage... (Continue reading)
California auditors discovered an additional $119 million in untapped monies bringing the total to $286.5 million that lawmakers were unaware of while cutting government funded services and programs, California Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration announced on Friday. [LATimes] The review of... (Continue reading)
Even as California’s fire season reaches its peak, state officials are learning that a new prison policy will drastically affect the numbers of firefighters available in emergencies. (SF Chronicle) State prison trustees who have been trained to provide critical, physical... (Continue reading)
While California legislators vote to cut funding to schools and healthcare, state departments have underreported more than $2.3 billion, according to a analysis of 500 special funds by the Mercury News. Following the discovery that state parks had underreported $54... (Continue reading)
In an election-year swipe at President Barack Obama’s energy policies, the Republican-led House on Wednesday voted to revoke Obama’s five-year plan for offshore drilling, replacing it with its own more ambitious plan for gas development that opens up areas of... (Continue reading)
Test questions and answers posted online will delay release of the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) results for two weeks, state education officials said. (San Jose Mercury News) The annual posting usually occurs in mid-August, but when Department of Education... (Continue reading)
Medi-Cal patient numbers will expand dramatically over the next few years while more and more California physicians are curtailing their services to recipients of the state’s health care program. (San Jose Mercury News) Many doctors already view Medi-Cal reimbursements as... (Continue reading)
California judges who work in smaller communities, are elected or who have been previously disciplined were more likely to be sanctioned for misconduct during the past two decades, according to figures from the California Commission on Judicial Performance. [CaliforniaWatch] California... (Continue reading)
The Town Council of Mammoth Lakes Town voted unanimously on Monday to approve a bankruptcy filing, less than a month after Stockton filed for bankruptcy protection. The council said it was the only option it had left after its largest... (Continue reading)