With all of the complex issues surrounding federal and state laws regulating voting machines, one factoid stood out in a hearing this morning in the state Senate: only 5 California counties have systems in place that are fully compliant with … Continue reading »

Members of various Indian gaming tribes across California often remind reporters not to lump all tribes into any one opinion or sentiment. Tribes are sovereign nations, goes the often repeated advice, and do not speak with one voice. Today, new … Continue reading »

Just a note to say that the audio for this weekend's newsmagazine edition of The California Report is now online here. In addition to my story on budget firewalls, you might also be intetested in a couple of other stories … Continue reading »

If you remember the scene from Star Wars where Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca felt the walls of the Death Star's trash compactor closing in on them, then you might have a sense of how some advocates for social service … Continue reading »

That's the initial assessment of Legislative Analyst Elizabeth Hill, in a report just released this morning. In many ways, the non-partisan analyst's assessment mirrors the concerns of partisan critics of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's 2006-2007 budget– concerns based mainly on the … Continue reading »

It's no secret that the state's official political watchdog, the Fair Political Practices Commission, has had budget woes in recent times. Now, the FPPC has found a creative way to solve the problem: the commission has hired a temp. More … Continue reading »

The odds don't look good for the first phase of infrastructure and public works bonds being placed on the June 6 statewide ballot… that, according to Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland). In a Q&A with reporters this morning, … Continue reading »

That was Governor Schwarzenegger's comment today about all of the work that goes into a budget proposal. But it also seems to be a pretty good summary of the work that lies ahead for him– after a day in which … Continue reading »

Love or hate Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, but it's hard to deny that he's pretty good at telling a joke. Before he got to the details of the budget (more to come on that this afternoon), he offered this quip to … Continue reading »

The public works proposal unveiled last week by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is sure to trigger a number of discussions in the weeks to come about where the money should be spent, how soon, and who should ultimately pay. And among … Continue reading »