Blog
Blog
New Polling Shows Free Market Ideas Still Hold Sway in Liberal California
The first weeks of 2019 have been dominated by the push from emboldened Sacramento liberals to enact measures increasing our tax burden, imposing new regulations on employers, and taking away some of our personal freedom. Most observers argue, based on the massive 2018 Democrat victories, that voters were giving a ...
Tim Anaya
February 11, 2019
Blog
What We’re Watching – Bad Laws Cause California’s Homeless Crisis
Ben Smithwick – Bad Laws Cause Homeless Crisis This latest video by John Stossel echoes what PRI’s Kerry Jackson has studied and written about extensively in recent months – well-intentioned laws are exacerbating the state’s housing and homeless crises. As the video concludes, we must unleash the power of free ...
Pacific Research Institute
February 8, 2019
Blog
Go Ahead and Enjoy That Coke and Coffee – The Nannies Have Lost, At Least For Now
It doesn’t happen often enough, but sometimes freedom wins in California. In the most recent of these rare events, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals – yes, the Ninth – affirmed late last month a lower-court ruling that said the San Francisco ordinance which forces beverage makers to post health warning ...
Kerry Jackson
February 7, 2019
Agriculture
CAPITAL IDEAS: The Ripple Effects of Scientific Illiteracy Can Have Dire Consequences
DOWNLOAD THE PDF There is currently a trend toward misunderstanding or misrepresenting science, and it starts early. A grade-school teacher asked the class whether a whale is a fish or a mammal. One boy raised his hand and offered, “Let’s take a vote!” This phenomenon, variously dubbed “the death of ...
Robert Wager and Henry I. Miller
February 6, 2019
Blog
Identity Politics Comes to STEM
In January, PRI had the pleasure of hosting Manhattan Institute fellow Heather Mac Donald at a luncheon in Southern California to discuss her new book The Diversity Delusion: How Race and Gender Pandering Corrupt the University and Undermine our Culture. One of the most disturbing points during her talk was ...
Rowena Itchon
February 5, 2019
Blog
Should We Allow Campaign Funds to Be Spent on Childcare?
Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) and a group of female Democrat legislators recently unveiled a proposal (Assembly Bill 220) to allow campaign funds to be spent on childcare expenses for the candidate’s children. New East Bay Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks spoke of the difficulties for parents with young children on the campaign ...
Tim Anaya
February 4, 2019
Blog
What We’re Watching – February 1
Kerry Jackson – How Much Land Would It Take for California to Go 100% Renewable? We’ve written a lot about California’s unrealistic and unworkable energy policies, and how they are increasing energy poverty for more and more people, especially in rural, inland, and minority communities. This staggering video shows what ...
Pacific Research Institute
February 1, 2019
Blog
Will LA Teachers Strike Settlement Lead to $11 Billion Tax Hike?
The settlement of the Los Angeles’ teachers strike last week made major news across the state. As PRI’s Lance Izumi wrote recently in the Daily Caller, “the Los Angeles teachers strike is a perfect storm of bad policies, bad management, bad demands, and, too often, bad actors.” One of the ...
Tim Anaya
January 31, 2019
Blog
Will Lawmakers Ever Be Held to Account For Their Legislative Malpractice?
California continues to rank last, or so near the bottom that it makes no difference, in quality-of-life lists, and it’s not quite clear if the news has made it to Sacramento yet. Because there are no efforts being made to turn things around. Instead, it seems the majority of lawmakers ...
Kerry Jackson
January 30, 2019
Blog
Oregon’s Scheme to Save Union Slush Funds
It’s not often that another state can top California when it comes to protecting public employee unions. But Oregon’s House Bill 2643 takes the prize so far for the most audacious attempt to thwart the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus decision. Janus v. AFCFME allowed government workers to opt-out of paying ...
Rowena Itchon
January 29, 2019
New Polling Shows Free Market Ideas Still Hold Sway in Liberal California
The first weeks of 2019 have been dominated by the push from emboldened Sacramento liberals to enact measures increasing our tax burden, imposing new regulations on employers, and taking away some of our personal freedom. Most observers argue, based on the massive 2018 Democrat victories, that voters were giving a ...
What We’re Watching – Bad Laws Cause California’s Homeless Crisis
Ben Smithwick – Bad Laws Cause Homeless Crisis This latest video by John Stossel echoes what PRI’s Kerry Jackson has studied and written about extensively in recent months – well-intentioned laws are exacerbating the state’s housing and homeless crises. As the video concludes, we must unleash the power of free ...
Go Ahead and Enjoy That Coke and Coffee – The Nannies Have Lost, At Least For Now
It doesn’t happen often enough, but sometimes freedom wins in California. In the most recent of these rare events, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals – yes, the Ninth – affirmed late last month a lower-court ruling that said the San Francisco ordinance which forces beverage makers to post health warning ...
CAPITAL IDEAS: The Ripple Effects of Scientific Illiteracy Can Have Dire Consequences
DOWNLOAD THE PDF There is currently a trend toward misunderstanding or misrepresenting science, and it starts early. A grade-school teacher asked the class whether a whale is a fish or a mammal. One boy raised his hand and offered, “Let’s take a vote!” This phenomenon, variously dubbed “the death of ...
Identity Politics Comes to STEM
In January, PRI had the pleasure of hosting Manhattan Institute fellow Heather Mac Donald at a luncheon in Southern California to discuss her new book The Diversity Delusion: How Race and Gender Pandering Corrupt the University and Undermine our Culture. One of the most disturbing points during her talk was ...
Should We Allow Campaign Funds to Be Spent on Childcare?
Assemblyman Rob Bonta (D-Oakland) and a group of female Democrat legislators recently unveiled a proposal (Assembly Bill 220) to allow campaign funds to be spent on childcare expenses for the candidate’s children. New East Bay Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks spoke of the difficulties for parents with young children on the campaign ...
What We’re Watching – February 1
Kerry Jackson – How Much Land Would It Take for California to Go 100% Renewable? We’ve written a lot about California’s unrealistic and unworkable energy policies, and how they are increasing energy poverty for more and more people, especially in rural, inland, and minority communities. This staggering video shows what ...
Will LA Teachers Strike Settlement Lead to $11 Billion Tax Hike?
The settlement of the Los Angeles’ teachers strike last week made major news across the state. As PRI’s Lance Izumi wrote recently in the Daily Caller, “the Los Angeles teachers strike is a perfect storm of bad policies, bad management, bad demands, and, too often, bad actors.” One of the ...
Will Lawmakers Ever Be Held to Account For Their Legislative Malpractice?
California continues to rank last, or so near the bottom that it makes no difference, in quality-of-life lists, and it’s not quite clear if the news has made it to Sacramento yet. Because there are no efforts being made to turn things around. Instead, it seems the majority of lawmakers ...
Oregon’s Scheme to Save Union Slush Funds
It’s not often that another state can top California when it comes to protecting public employee unions. But Oregon’s House Bill 2643 takes the prize so far for the most audacious attempt to thwart the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus decision. Janus v. AFCFME allowed government workers to opt-out of paying ...