Environment

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Time to Cut Gas Taxes?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced earlier this month that energy prices in the U.S. rose 33 percent for the 12 months ending November.  In many regions of California, prices rose even higher. In the L.A.-Long Beach-Anaheim region, energy prices jumped 35 percent. In the Inland Empire, prices shot up ...
Blog

Cadiz Water Project a Victim of Can’t Do/Won’t Do California

An innovative project to squeeze water from the desert to help quench perpetually thirsty Southern California showed some promise – until the Biden administration decided to halt the plans. The courts might rule against the White House, but for now it looks just like another day in Can’t Do/Won’t Do ...
Agriculture

Will the Supreme Court overrule California’s Proposition 12?

By The Hon. Daniel Oliver History repeats itself in California with a law that may prevent pork from being imported into the state. In 1986 and ’87 when I was Chairman of the Federal Commission, I (actually “we” at the FTC) took on then-New York State Agriculture Commissioner Joseph Gerace ...
Blog

Is Gann Limit Next Item on Budget Chopping Block?

Last week, I wrote about the “key values” put forward by Senate Democrats for their approach to the 2022-23 state budget process.  Assembly Democrats quickly followed up by releasing their own “budget blueprint,” which like their Senate counterparts, would spend the state’s budget surplus largely on new and expanded government ...
Agriculture

No Water Yet Says DWR

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced a zero percent water allocation on Dec. 1. The water agency said that the drought has forced state water regulators to prioritize “health and safety water needs” and that water deliveries are essentially on hold until the state recovers from the ongoing ...
Blog

Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity Would Do More to Build ‘Equitable’ California Than Higher Spending

Shortly after the New Year’s holiday, Gov. Gavin Newsom will kick off “state budget season” when he releases his 2022-23 state budget proposal on January 10. In a sign that perhaps lawmakers won’t be ceding as much of the spotlight to Newsom in 2022 that they have in 2021, Democratic ...
California

Dr. Joshua Rhodes – How Does California Rate on New Electricity Competition Scorecard?

Dr. Joshua Rhodes, research associate with the Webber Energy Group at the University of Texas, Austin, joins us to discuss the findings of a new national scorecard on electricity competition in the 50 states, and discusses why electricity competition is key to reducing costs, increasing reliability, and lowering emissions in ...
Blog

Baby You Can Drive My Car, But In California It’s Really Expensive

No drum roll needed. The answer to the question “which state is the worst for drivers?” is obvious. It’s California. An analysis of “diverse datasets covering cost, safety, driving quality and weather” by Bankrate yielded the most unsurprising results. For the fourth time since Bankrate began looking at “the driving ...
California

The nuclear option can keep the lights on in California

A funny thing has happened on the way to California closing all of its nuclear power plants. Biden administration official Jennifer Granholm says the state should rethink its commitment to scrapping atomic energy. In an interview that will be released at an energy conference this week, the U.S. energy secretary ...
Agriculture

How well do you know your federal government? Take the Deep State Quiz

Our colleagues at Open The Books did a deep dive into the deep state with their outstanding new report: Mapping the Swamp: A Study of the Administrative State, FY 2020.  This eye-popping report shows just how big and bloated — not to mention costly — the federal government has become.  ...
Blog

Time to Cut Gas Taxes?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced earlier this month that energy prices in the U.S. rose 33 percent for the 12 months ending November.  In many regions of California, prices rose even higher. In the L.A.-Long Beach-Anaheim region, energy prices jumped 35 percent. In the Inland Empire, prices shot up ...
Blog

Cadiz Water Project a Victim of Can’t Do/Won’t Do California

An innovative project to squeeze water from the desert to help quench perpetually thirsty Southern California showed some promise – until the Biden administration decided to halt the plans. The courts might rule against the White House, but for now it looks just like another day in Can’t Do/Won’t Do ...
Agriculture

Will the Supreme Court overrule California’s Proposition 12?

By The Hon. Daniel Oliver History repeats itself in California with a law that may prevent pork from being imported into the state. In 1986 and ’87 when I was Chairman of the Federal Commission, I (actually “we” at the FTC) took on then-New York State Agriculture Commissioner Joseph Gerace ...
Blog

Is Gann Limit Next Item on Budget Chopping Block?

Last week, I wrote about the “key values” put forward by Senate Democrats for their approach to the 2022-23 state budget process.  Assembly Democrats quickly followed up by releasing their own “budget blueprint,” which like their Senate counterparts, would spend the state’s budget surplus largely on new and expanded government ...
Agriculture

No Water Yet Says DWR

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced a zero percent water allocation on Dec. 1. The water agency said that the drought has forced state water regulators to prioritize “health and safety water needs” and that water deliveries are essentially on hold until the state recovers from the ongoing ...
Blog

Breaking Down Barriers to Opportunity Would Do More to Build ‘Equitable’ California Than Higher Spending

Shortly after the New Year’s holiday, Gov. Gavin Newsom will kick off “state budget season” when he releases his 2022-23 state budget proposal on January 10. In a sign that perhaps lawmakers won’t be ceding as much of the spotlight to Newsom in 2022 that they have in 2021, Democratic ...
California

Dr. Joshua Rhodes – How Does California Rate on New Electricity Competition Scorecard?

Dr. Joshua Rhodes, research associate with the Webber Energy Group at the University of Texas, Austin, joins us to discuss the findings of a new national scorecard on electricity competition in the 50 states, and discusses why electricity competition is key to reducing costs, increasing reliability, and lowering emissions in ...
Blog

Baby You Can Drive My Car, But In California It’s Really Expensive

No drum roll needed. The answer to the question “which state is the worst for drivers?” is obvious. It’s California. An analysis of “diverse datasets covering cost, safety, driving quality and weather” by Bankrate yielded the most unsurprising results. For the fourth time since Bankrate began looking at “the driving ...
California

The nuclear option can keep the lights on in California

A funny thing has happened on the way to California closing all of its nuclear power plants. Biden administration official Jennifer Granholm says the state should rethink its commitment to scrapping atomic energy. In an interview that will be released at an energy conference this week, the U.S. energy secretary ...
Agriculture

How well do you know your federal government? Take the Deep State Quiz

Our colleagues at Open The Books did a deep dive into the deep state with their outstanding new report: Mapping the Swamp: A Study of the Administrative State, FY 2020.  This eye-popping report shows just how big and bloated — not to mention costly — the federal government has become.  ...
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