The plan for side-by-side casinos in Barstow could have gone belly up today, as a legal settlement crucial to the proposal was set to expire. But this afternoon, that settlement was extended– even though the casino projects in question still … Continue reading »

Filmmaker Michael Moore will bring his new documentary to Sacramento early next month, in a debut that will no doubt add some new fuel to the capital city's debate over health care reform. The new documentary, Sicko, debuted this month … Continue reading »

We should also mention that the new PPIC poll finds that a proposed initiative to change the term limits law for legislators has bare majority support, 52%-40%. Those kinds of numbers are, historically at least, a dangerous position for an … Continue reading »

There may finally be an answer as to why Californians want more government services, but not higher taxes. And it's a bummer: they don't understand how government works. The new poll from the Public Policy Institute of California finds that … Continue reading »

The above is one of the standards which federal officials will use to determine the fate of California's landmark tailpipe emissions law. This morning, a panel of regulators from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency traveled to Sacramento to hear more … Continue reading »

[update: audio is here] For almost two years, a pair of Indian tribes have watched their gaming agreements sit in limbo in the Legislature. And time may be running out. On this morning's edition of The California Report, my story … Continue reading »

California is facing a pretty severe shortage of skilled workers… so severe, suggests a new study, that state leaders may need to trim their hopes for economic expansion over the next two decades. The new study from the Public Policy … Continue reading »

Just so we're clear on the lingo, "CNP" is my new shorthand for the Capital Notes Podcast… the new weekly politics podcast featured here (and soon, via subscription/download through NPR). And yes, we've changed the name. Hence, the "soft" rollout. … Continue reading »

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's political campaign bank account keeps on growing… in most cases, from what could be called some familiar sources. In the last 10 days alone, the governor's California Recovery Team account has taken in $475,000. If you're keeping … Continue reading »

It was standing room only today in one Capitol hearing room, but the man sitting in the middle of the dais wasn't someone you would recognize… and probably is someone you haven't heard of. His name is Jon Gruber, a … Continue reading »