California
Blog
After Voters Pass Prop. 50, What Comes Next?
First, despite what President Obama said in Prop. 50 commercials, its passage does not protect the independent redistricting commission in any way. By enacting Prop. 50, voters have done away with the independent commission’s work for the rest of this decade. Remember that California stands to lose two more congressional ...
Blog
Spending Watch
Spending Watch: The Unpleasant Arithmetic of a California Wealth Tax
Spending Watch: The Unpleasant Arithmetic of a California Wealth Tax Wayne Winegarden October 2025 A just proposed initiative to impose a one-time wealth tax on billionaires summarizes why California has fallen from the fourth to the fifth largest economy in the world. State policymakers continually view the private sector as ...
Blog
Is Declining Homeownership Driving Support for Democratic Socialism?
My previous post “On young Americans and their Growing Acceptance of Socialism” connected the popularity of democratic socialism among Americans aged 18 – 39 to inequality. Inequality concerns are not the only factor driving Gen Z’s embrace of democratic socialism. Gen Z’s growing support for democratic socialism is occurring along ...
California
The PRI All Stars Election 2025 Preview
This week, Tim Anaya and Matt Fleming preview the 2025 election, starting with a deep dive on Prop. 50, where we are just a few days before the election, and how the outcome will impact California policy and Gavin Newsom’s political future. Plus, they discuss the wild campaign for Mayor ...
Blog
Read about San José's transformation under Mayor Mahan
San José Mayor Shows Market-Based Ideas Can Improve Urban Quality of Life
Major cities in California have decayed in recent years as elected officials and city bureaucrats have doubled down on a mix of government mandates, excessive regulations, high fees and lax enforcement of public safety laws that have created an unattractive quality of life driving away businesses, jobs, tax revenue and ...
Blog
San Diego Banned Digital-Only Coupons. Then The Deals Went Away.
Last week, another “first in the nation” law took effect in the City of San Diego. There’s usually a reason no one decides to jump in front of California to grab “first in the nation” honors for themselves – it is a bad idea. Such is the case with San ...
Blog
Spending Watch
California’s FY2025-26 Budget Failed to Address the State’s Long-term Financial Risks
California’s FY2025-26 Budget Failed to Address the State’s Long-term Financial Risks Wayne Winegarden October 2025 Politicians too often assume that California’s fiscal health is synonymous with the state of its annual budget. When revenue growth is strong, the state is allegedly in a sound fiscal position. It is only when ...
California
California’s weak job market is a cry for help. Is anyone listening?
California’s job market continues to suffer from largely self-inflicted wounds, despite the fact that the overall economy is growing. In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom projected that California’s economy had grown larger than Japan’s, making it the fourth largest in the world (if it were its own economy, which it’s not). ...
AI
Has California Created A Free Speech Problem?
He is deliberating whether to sign or veto Senate Bill 771, which would impose civil penalties of up to $1 million against social media companies that knowingly or recklessly aid their users in violating the state’s hate speech and civil rights laws. “Hate speech” isn’t mentioned by name, but the bill contains references to ...
Blog
Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
It’s not just AI: California city minimum wages also kill jobs
As if it didn’t kill enough jobs, 39 cities have imposed their own, even higher minimums. A dozen of the cities did so on July 1. The highest general minimum is Emeryville’s, at $19.90. Some cities also mandate higher minimums for certain jobs. For the city of Los Angeles, the ...
After Voters Pass Prop. 50, What Comes Next?
First, despite what President Obama said in Prop. 50 commercials, its passage does not protect the independent redistricting commission in any way. By enacting Prop. 50, voters have done away with the independent commission’s work for the rest of this decade. Remember that California stands to lose two more congressional ...
Spending Watch
Spending Watch: The Unpleasant Arithmetic of a California Wealth Tax
Spending Watch: The Unpleasant Arithmetic of a California Wealth Tax Wayne Winegarden October 2025 A just proposed initiative to impose a one-time wealth tax on billionaires summarizes why California has fallen from the fourth to the fifth largest economy in the world. State policymakers continually view the private sector as ...
Is Declining Homeownership Driving Support for Democratic Socialism?
My previous post “On young Americans and their Growing Acceptance of Socialism” connected the popularity of democratic socialism among Americans aged 18 – 39 to inequality. Inequality concerns are not the only factor driving Gen Z’s embrace of democratic socialism. Gen Z’s growing support for democratic socialism is occurring along ...
The PRI All Stars Election 2025 Preview
This week, Tim Anaya and Matt Fleming preview the 2025 election, starting with a deep dive on Prop. 50, where we are just a few days before the election, and how the outcome will impact California policy and Gavin Newsom’s political future. Plus, they discuss the wild campaign for Mayor ...
Read about San José's transformation under Mayor Mahan
San José Mayor Shows Market-Based Ideas Can Improve Urban Quality of Life
Major cities in California have decayed in recent years as elected officials and city bureaucrats have doubled down on a mix of government mandates, excessive regulations, high fees and lax enforcement of public safety laws that have created an unattractive quality of life driving away businesses, jobs, tax revenue and ...
San Diego Banned Digital-Only Coupons. Then The Deals Went Away.
Last week, another “first in the nation” law took effect in the City of San Diego. There’s usually a reason no one decides to jump in front of California to grab “first in the nation” honors for themselves – it is a bad idea. Such is the case with San ...
Spending Watch
California’s FY2025-26 Budget Failed to Address the State’s Long-term Financial Risks
California’s FY2025-26 Budget Failed to Address the State’s Long-term Financial Risks Wayne Winegarden October 2025 Politicians too often assume that California’s fiscal health is synonymous with the state of its annual budget. When revenue growth is strong, the state is allegedly in a sound fiscal position. It is only when ...
California’s weak job market is a cry for help. Is anyone listening?
California’s job market continues to suffer from largely self-inflicted wounds, despite the fact that the overall economy is growing. In April, Gov. Gavin Newsom projected that California’s economy had grown larger than Japan’s, making it the fourth largest in the world (if it were its own economy, which it’s not). ...
Has California Created A Free Speech Problem?
He is deliberating whether to sign or veto Senate Bill 771, which would impose civil penalties of up to $1 million against social media companies that knowingly or recklessly aid their users in violating the state’s hate speech and civil rights laws. “Hate speech” isn’t mentioned by name, but the bill contains references to ...
Read the latest from PRI's Free Cities Center
It’s not just AI: California city minimum wages also kill jobs
As if it didn’t kill enough jobs, 39 cities have imposed their own, even higher minimums. A dozen of the cities did so on July 1. The highest general minimum is Emeryville’s, at $19.90. Some cities also mandate higher minimums for certain jobs. For the city of Los Angeles, the ...
