California
California
Assembly Republican Leader Emeritus James Gallagher – The Exit Interview
Our special guest this week is outgoing Assembly Republican Leader – and the very first guest on Next Round podcast – James Gallagher. He looks back on his time as GOP leader, reflecting on his biggest accomplishments, what surprised him the most during his leadership, his partisan battles with Speaker ...
Pacific Research Institute
September 22, 2025
Blog
Not Even Jay Leno Can Get Lawmakers to Update State’s Antiquated Classic Car Rules
California requires all cars built from 1976 on to pass a smog inspection every two years. A bill introduced in the current session would have moved that date to 1990, “making it easier to own and maintain classic cars,” says Car Buzz. But the legislation, Senate Bill 712, introduced by Sen. Shannon ...
Kerry Jackson
September 22, 2025
Blog
Spending Watch
Legislators Did Not Relieve California’s Energy Poverty Problem
Legislators Did Not Relieve California’s Energy Poverty Problem Wayne Winegarden September 2025 The legislative year is over and there is lots to be concerned about. Paramount among these concerns, the legislature passed several bills that will worsen the state’s energy affordability problems. Perhaps most disappointing, though not unexpected, legislators passed ...
Wayne H Winegarden
September 19, 2025
Blog
YIMBYs win political victories, but where are the new houses?
Gov. Gavin Newsom even held up passage of the state budget until lawmakers approved two reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Assembly Bill 130 exempts a broader number of environmentally friendly infill housing projects from CEQA. Senate Bill 131 exempts nine types of projects from CEQA. These include ...
Steven Greenhut
September 18, 2025
California
The PRI All Stars 2025 End of Session Wrap Up
This week, we present our annual end of session look back at the just-concluded legislative session. Steven Greenhut, Matt Fleming and Tim Anaya share their thoughts on the hot issues debated in the final weeks of the legislative session, including the cap-and-trade deal, high-speed rail funding, charter school legislation, housing ...
Pacific Research Institute
September 16, 2025
Blog
The Train To Nowhere Goes Somewhere – Maybe
The promise of a bullet train connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco, and maybe even extending to San Diego to the south and Sacramento to the north, was broken longer before ground was broken in 2015 for the project. The route has been shortened, the construction timeline endlessly extended, and ...
Kerry Jackson
September 3, 2025
Blog
Jury Still Deliberating On California’s Push To Build More Homes
This year’s devastating wildfires decimated upwards of 13,000 homes. In response, California has passed two new laws that seek to streamline the process of housing development. Will they have the desired effect? That remains to be seen. Under AB130, new housing developments that meet certain size, density, location, and use requirements ...
Nikhil Agarwal
September 2, 2025
California
A Conversation with Assemblyman Joe Patterson
We wrap up our series of podcasts on the hot issues being debated in the final weeks of the 2025 legislative session with a conversation with Assemblyman Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin. They discuss the Gavin Newsom redistricting proposal, the bills that aren’t getting the attention they should be at the end ...
Pacific Research Institute
September 1, 2025
Blog
Bed, Bath & Bye-Bye
Does Vegas have a betting line on which company will next abandon California? Maybe it should. But then the field of possibilities is just too large to fit them all on a casino board. Following a business plan that has worked for so many others, Bed, Bad & Beyond is ...
Kerry Jackson
August 29, 2025
Blog
Get the inside scoop on what's going on under the Capitol dome
Three Big Issues to Watch as 2025 Legislative Session Draws to Close
Assembly Bill 84: Yet Another Attack on California Charter Schools Ever since charter school supporter Gov. Jerry Brown left office in 2019, charter schools have been under attack in Sacramento. The latest attack is Assembly Bill 84 (Muratsuchi), which would – if enacted – would impose huge new restrictions that ...
Tim Anaya
August 25, 2025
Assembly Republican Leader Emeritus James Gallagher – The Exit Interview
Our special guest this week is outgoing Assembly Republican Leader – and the very first guest on Next Round podcast – James Gallagher. He looks back on his time as GOP leader, reflecting on his biggest accomplishments, what surprised him the most during his leadership, his partisan battles with Speaker ...
Not Even Jay Leno Can Get Lawmakers to Update State’s Antiquated Classic Car Rules
California requires all cars built from 1976 on to pass a smog inspection every two years. A bill introduced in the current session would have moved that date to 1990, “making it easier to own and maintain classic cars,” says Car Buzz. But the legislation, Senate Bill 712, introduced by Sen. Shannon ...
Spending Watch
Legislators Did Not Relieve California’s Energy Poverty Problem
Legislators Did Not Relieve California’s Energy Poverty Problem Wayne Winegarden September 2025 The legislative year is over and there is lots to be concerned about. Paramount among these concerns, the legislature passed several bills that will worsen the state’s energy affordability problems. Perhaps most disappointing, though not unexpected, legislators passed ...
YIMBYs win political victories, but where are the new houses?
Gov. Gavin Newsom even held up passage of the state budget until lawmakers approved two reforms to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Assembly Bill 130 exempts a broader number of environmentally friendly infill housing projects from CEQA. Senate Bill 131 exempts nine types of projects from CEQA. These include ...
The PRI All Stars 2025 End of Session Wrap Up
This week, we present our annual end of session look back at the just-concluded legislative session. Steven Greenhut, Matt Fleming and Tim Anaya share their thoughts on the hot issues debated in the final weeks of the legislative session, including the cap-and-trade deal, high-speed rail funding, charter school legislation, housing ...
The Train To Nowhere Goes Somewhere – Maybe
The promise of a bullet train connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco, and maybe even extending to San Diego to the south and Sacramento to the north, was broken longer before ground was broken in 2015 for the project. The route has been shortened, the construction timeline endlessly extended, and ...
Jury Still Deliberating On California’s Push To Build More Homes
This year’s devastating wildfires decimated upwards of 13,000 homes. In response, California has passed two new laws that seek to streamline the process of housing development. Will they have the desired effect? That remains to be seen. Under AB130, new housing developments that meet certain size, density, location, and use requirements ...
A Conversation with Assemblyman Joe Patterson
We wrap up our series of podcasts on the hot issues being debated in the final weeks of the 2025 legislative session with a conversation with Assemblyman Joe Patterson, R-Rocklin. They discuss the Gavin Newsom redistricting proposal, the bills that aren’t getting the attention they should be at the end ...
Bed, Bath & Bye-Bye
Does Vegas have a betting line on which company will next abandon California? Maybe it should. But then the field of possibilities is just too large to fit them all on a casino board. Following a business plan that has worked for so many others, Bed, Bad & Beyond is ...
Get the inside scoop on what's going on under the Capitol dome
Three Big Issues to Watch as 2025 Legislative Session Draws to Close
Assembly Bill 84: Yet Another Attack on California Charter Schools Ever since charter school supporter Gov. Jerry Brown left office in 2019, charter schools have been under attack in Sacramento. The latest attack is Assembly Bill 84 (Muratsuchi), which would – if enacted – would impose huge new restrictions that ...