Tim Anaya
Blog
Would ACA 25 Greenlight a Legislative Power Grab During State of Emergency?
Kiefer Sutherland taught us in “Designated Survivor” the importance of having strong processes in place to ensure continuity of government during an extreme crisis. Spurred on by the coronavirus, lawmakers are trying to put a legislative emergency contingency plan in the State Constitution. If approved by voters, Assembly Constitutional Amendment ...
Blog
What We’re Watching – June 5
Tim Anaya – Digging Up Ways to Lower Costs for High Value but Expensive Drugs In the latest video in the “Escape the Drug Pricing Maze” video, Sage the Detective Dog digs up clues on biologics and gene therapies – drugs that offer tremendous value for patients but are some ...
Blog
PRI’s 2020 Summer Reading List
After months of “sheltering in place” in our homes due to the COVID-19 crisis, and with so much distressing news on television every night, we’re all look for a little bit of an escape. Since we can’t really travel anywhere yet, we’ll have to settle for trying to escape in ...
Blog
Assembly’s Festivus-Style ‘Airing of Grievances’ Does Not Disappoint
In my last blog post, I previewed the Assembly’s unusual “Committee of the Whole” hearing on the state budget, comparing it to Seinfeld’s Festivus “Airing of Grievances.” Little did I know how clairvoyant I really was. Last Tuesday’s five hour session could charitably be called a “gripe fest” as lawmakers ...
Blog
Budget Update: A Capitol ‘Airing of Grievances’ and No More Blank Checks for Newsom
Last week, the center of the budget universe moved upstairs at the State Capitol as budget subcommittees in the Senate and Assembly held hearings to explore all aspects of Gov. Newsom’s plan to close the budget deficit he pegs at $54 billion. A few interesting developments foreshadow what may be ...
Blog
Governor’s May Revise: Everything Old is New Again
Gov. Gavin Newsom released his May Revise budget plan on Thursday – a dramatically different budget from his January plan that anticipated a $5.6 billion surplus. California now faces a $54.3 billion deficit. In a press conference that lasted more than an hour (brief for Newsom), I was reminded of ...
Blog
Sweeping Expansion of Workers Comp Benefits Could Hit Struggling CA Businesses Hard
There’s been a growing debate in California and nationally about extending workers’ compensation benefits for workers who are impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Some states are moving to make front line workers battling COVID-19 to be eligible for workers’ comp. Politico reports that “at least five smaller states have made ...
Blog
Growing Chorus Says Time to Reopen Areas with Few to Zero COVID-19 Cases
When is California going to lift the shelter-in-place orders? As temperatures soar and people gain cabin fever after weeks of being stuck inside, it’s the question on everyone’s minds these days. In his April 28 press conference, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that “we believe we are weeks, not months away, ...
Blog
Can Taxpayers Afford a Big Spending Sacramento “Economic Recovery Plan”?
Speaker Pelosi and her allies in Congress received significant pollical pushback for using the COVID-19 crisis to enact their budget wish list in the $2 billion “phase 3” stimulus. Recently, Rowena Itchon wrote on Right by the Bay about tens of millions being spent on priorities for Democrats like propping ...
Blog
First Legislative Budget Hearing on Coronavirus Promises Tough Questions
This afternoon, the Senate Budget Committee will hold its first hearing on the state’s response to the coronavirus. Today’s hearing promises to be memorable for two reasons. It will be the first hearing with “social distancing” practices that have become a way of life enforced. And it also promises to ...
Would ACA 25 Greenlight a Legislative Power Grab During State of Emergency?
Kiefer Sutherland taught us in “Designated Survivor” the importance of having strong processes in place to ensure continuity of government during an extreme crisis. Spurred on by the coronavirus, lawmakers are trying to put a legislative emergency contingency plan in the State Constitution. If approved by voters, Assembly Constitutional Amendment ...
What We’re Watching – June 5
Tim Anaya – Digging Up Ways to Lower Costs for High Value but Expensive Drugs In the latest video in the “Escape the Drug Pricing Maze” video, Sage the Detective Dog digs up clues on biologics and gene therapies – drugs that offer tremendous value for patients but are some ...
PRI’s 2020 Summer Reading List
After months of “sheltering in place” in our homes due to the COVID-19 crisis, and with so much distressing news on television every night, we’re all look for a little bit of an escape. Since we can’t really travel anywhere yet, we’ll have to settle for trying to escape in ...
Assembly’s Festivus-Style ‘Airing of Grievances’ Does Not Disappoint
In my last blog post, I previewed the Assembly’s unusual “Committee of the Whole” hearing on the state budget, comparing it to Seinfeld’s Festivus “Airing of Grievances.” Little did I know how clairvoyant I really was. Last Tuesday’s five hour session could charitably be called a “gripe fest” as lawmakers ...
Budget Update: A Capitol ‘Airing of Grievances’ and No More Blank Checks for Newsom
Last week, the center of the budget universe moved upstairs at the State Capitol as budget subcommittees in the Senate and Assembly held hearings to explore all aspects of Gov. Newsom’s plan to close the budget deficit he pegs at $54 billion. A few interesting developments foreshadow what may be ...
Governor’s May Revise: Everything Old is New Again
Gov. Gavin Newsom released his May Revise budget plan on Thursday – a dramatically different budget from his January plan that anticipated a $5.6 billion surplus. California now faces a $54.3 billion deficit. In a press conference that lasted more than an hour (brief for Newsom), I was reminded of ...
Sweeping Expansion of Workers Comp Benefits Could Hit Struggling CA Businesses Hard
There’s been a growing debate in California and nationally about extending workers’ compensation benefits for workers who are impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Some states are moving to make front line workers battling COVID-19 to be eligible for workers’ comp. Politico reports that “at least five smaller states have made ...
Growing Chorus Says Time to Reopen Areas with Few to Zero COVID-19 Cases
When is California going to lift the shelter-in-place orders? As temperatures soar and people gain cabin fever after weeks of being stuck inside, it’s the question on everyone’s minds these days. In his April 28 press conference, Gov. Gavin Newsom said that “we believe we are weeks, not months away, ...
Can Taxpayers Afford a Big Spending Sacramento “Economic Recovery Plan”?
Speaker Pelosi and her allies in Congress received significant pollical pushback for using the COVID-19 crisis to enact their budget wish list in the $2 billion “phase 3” stimulus. Recently, Rowena Itchon wrote on Right by the Bay about tens of millions being spent on priorities for Democrats like propping ...
First Legislative Budget Hearing on Coronavirus Promises Tough Questions
This afternoon, the Senate Budget Committee will hold its first hearing on the state’s response to the coronavirus. Today’s hearing promises to be memorable for two reasons. It will be the first hearing with “social distancing” practices that have become a way of life enforced. And it also promises to ...
