Environment
Blog
New Assembly Bill Seeks to Expand Dysfunctional CEQA
Assembly Bill 1001, a bill that expands upon and brings new, highly subjective standards to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), continues to successfully move through the California State Legislature. California enacted CEQA over five decades ago to reform the public decision-making process to incorporate environmental considerations. A leader in ...
Blog
Oh Canada! Oh California! – Climate Change and the Wildfire Season
I’ve just returned from a train vacation through the Canadian Rockies. They were truly majestic – I felt a little closer to heaven. Thanks to an unusually cold spring, the Rockies were still snow-capped and glistening. It was also that time of the year when the wildlife was out and ...
Blog
Is California Reconsidering Its Decision to Eliminate Nuclear Energy?
By Kerry Jackson & Wayne Winegarden As expected, the Newsom administration has asked Washington about qualifying for federal funds to help keep the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant open beyond its planned retirement date – “to maximize options to maintain electricity reliability as new projects come online,” Cabinet Secretary Ana ...
Blog
Elon Musk is Right – California is Now the Land of Taxes, Overregulation and Litigation
A trio of troubles, says Elon Musk, is ruining California. He didn’t reveal anything new. He didn’t have to. Much of the world understands. Only those blinded by their blue-tinted glasses don’t know what’s wrong in this state. Speaking virtually earlier this month for a conference in Miami, Musk, an ...
Blog
State Budget Update – Nonpartisan Analyst Says May Revise Puts State on Path to Serious Budget Problems
Now that the calendar page has turned to June, it’s crunch time for lawmakers and the Governor to reach a budget agreement before the June 15 constitutional deadline to pass a balanced budget. However, a new multi-year analysis of the state budget’s picture released last week suggests that enacting the ...
Agriculture
Mental Health Awareness Month matters on the farm too
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and, with farm work in full swing, is an ideal time to check in with members of the agricultural community about how they are doing. Recent research suggests the stigma around mental health in farm country is beginning to break down, but it will ...
Business & Economics
Here’s why gas prices could skyrocket again
We’re all looking for relief from record-high gas prices these days. Gas prices are the highest in the United States history at a nationwide average of $4.59 as of May 19, according to AAA. Many states surpass this average with California at $6.050, Nevada at $5.224, Washington at $5.148, and ...
Agriculture
Beating Back Inflation: Team Reagan vs. Team Biden
Last week, the U.S. Labor Department reported that the consumer price index (CPI), a broad measure of the prices for everyday items like groceries, rents, and gas rose 8.3 percent in April from a year ago, just below March’s surge of 8.5 percent. Could this be a sign that inflation ...
CEQA
Let’s End the Suspense
On Thursday, the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees held their “suspense hearings.” For those of you who are not Capitol insiders, every bill that has a fiscal impact greater than $150,000 is sent to the “suspense file”. Every one of these bills is weighed against one another for their fiscal ...
California
California Population Falls Again – The Start Of A Long-Term Trend Or A Short-term Blip?
By Kerry Jackson & Wayne Winegarden California lost population for the second straight year in 2021. Just as 2020’s loss was the first in state history, the repeat is unprecedented. This is not supposed to happen in America’s most dynamic state. Is California’s time at the top over? California is ...
New Assembly Bill Seeks to Expand Dysfunctional CEQA
Assembly Bill 1001, a bill that expands upon and brings new, highly subjective standards to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), continues to successfully move through the California State Legislature. California enacted CEQA over five decades ago to reform the public decision-making process to incorporate environmental considerations. A leader in ...
Oh Canada! Oh California! – Climate Change and the Wildfire Season
I’ve just returned from a train vacation through the Canadian Rockies. They were truly majestic – I felt a little closer to heaven. Thanks to an unusually cold spring, the Rockies were still snow-capped and glistening. It was also that time of the year when the wildlife was out and ...
Is California Reconsidering Its Decision to Eliminate Nuclear Energy?
By Kerry Jackson & Wayne Winegarden As expected, the Newsom administration has asked Washington about qualifying for federal funds to help keep the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant open beyond its planned retirement date – “to maximize options to maintain electricity reliability as new projects come online,” Cabinet Secretary Ana ...
Elon Musk is Right – California is Now the Land of Taxes, Overregulation and Litigation
A trio of troubles, says Elon Musk, is ruining California. He didn’t reveal anything new. He didn’t have to. Much of the world understands. Only those blinded by their blue-tinted glasses don’t know what’s wrong in this state. Speaking virtually earlier this month for a conference in Miami, Musk, an ...
State Budget Update – Nonpartisan Analyst Says May Revise Puts State on Path to Serious Budget Problems
Now that the calendar page has turned to June, it’s crunch time for lawmakers and the Governor to reach a budget agreement before the June 15 constitutional deadline to pass a balanced budget. However, a new multi-year analysis of the state budget’s picture released last week suggests that enacting the ...
Mental Health Awareness Month matters on the farm too
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and, with farm work in full swing, is an ideal time to check in with members of the agricultural community about how they are doing. Recent research suggests the stigma around mental health in farm country is beginning to break down, but it will ...
Here’s why gas prices could skyrocket again
We’re all looking for relief from record-high gas prices these days. Gas prices are the highest in the United States history at a nationwide average of $4.59 as of May 19, according to AAA. Many states surpass this average with California at $6.050, Nevada at $5.224, Washington at $5.148, and ...
Beating Back Inflation: Team Reagan vs. Team Biden
Last week, the U.S. Labor Department reported that the consumer price index (CPI), a broad measure of the prices for everyday items like groceries, rents, and gas rose 8.3 percent in April from a year ago, just below March’s surge of 8.5 percent. Could this be a sign that inflation ...
Let’s End the Suspense
On Thursday, the Senate and Assembly Appropriations Committees held their “suspense hearings.” For those of you who are not Capitol insiders, every bill that has a fiscal impact greater than $150,000 is sent to the “suspense file”. Every one of these bills is weighed against one another for their fiscal ...
California Population Falls Again – The Start Of A Long-Term Trend Or A Short-term Blip?
By Kerry Jackson & Wayne Winegarden California lost population for the second straight year in 2021. Just as 2020’s loss was the first in state history, the repeat is unprecedented. This is not supposed to happen in America’s most dynamic state. Is California’s time at the top over? California is ...
