Jerry Brown

Five California propositions, including Proposition 40 and its counterparts Prop 3 and Prop 43, ask voters who should pay billions in taxes to fund local public services. The measures range from Prop. 40's proposed 5% tax on the personal wealth of billionaires to efforts to permanently extend or limit various income surtaxes and special taxes.

California prison towns built their economies around incarceration until legislative changes and gubernatorial actions led to multiple prison closures. Towns like Susanville face economic instability due to the facility's scheduled closure, causing population decline and job losses.

A California Supreme Court ruling addresses how public employees can count accrued vacation time toward their pensions, limiting the amount they can cash out. The decision, involving a retired attorney's one-week salary discrepancy, may significantly impact government agencies and taxpayers.

The California Supreme Court ruled that public employees can only count vacation hours cashed out within a single calendar year toward their pension formulas, limiting retirees' ability to spread accrued time over multiple years. The decision centered on a case involving retired Ventura County Counsel Leroy Smith, who cashed out 240 hours of vacation time in a 12-month period but was denied pension credit for 40 hours exceeding his contract's annual limit.

A California Supreme Court ruling upheld limits on how many vacation hours public workers can cash out for pension calculations under Jerry Brown's 2013 pension reform law. The decision centered on Leroy Smith, a retired Ventura County attorney who attempted to count 240 vacation hours toward his pension, exceeding his contract's 200-hour annual limit.

A California bill proposes allowing survivors of human trafficking and intimate partner or sexual violence to use their abuse history as a legal defense for violent crimes, excluding most murder cases. Susan Bustamante, a domestic abuse survivor and advocate, supports the measure, which faces opposition from police and prosecutors.

California lawmakers are considering a bill for the fourth year to allow abuse survivors to cite trauma as a legal defense for violent crimes. Susan Bustamante, a former inmate advocating for the measure, argues it would help victims of trafficking and domestic violence, though police and prosecutors oppose it.

CalPERS achieved a 14.8% investment return in the 2025-26 financial year, surpassing its 6.8% target and marking its best performance since 2014. The improved returns reduced its underfunded status to 85% of liabilities, easing pressure on government agencies and taxpayers to cover shortfalls.

California lawmakers are advancing bills to increase pay and retirement benefits for police and firefighters, supported by unions and bipartisan majorities. However, the proposals face financial concerns due to potential hundreds of millions in annual costs and billions in long-term liabilities amid state budget deficits.

From the late 1970s to the 2000s, crime was a dominant political issue in California, driven by high-profile cases like the 1993 kidnapping and murder of Polly Klaas. Anti-crime legislation such as the three strikes measure and prison expansion under Republican governors like George Deukmejian and Pete Wilson reflected public demand for stricter criminal justice policies, while crime rates peaked in the 1980s and 1990s before declining significantly by 2025.

Jerry Brown argues that the push to close Aspire Golden State Preparatory Academy in East Oakland, a charter school serving low-income students of color, relies on a narrow interpretation of performance data. The school, which has high graduation rates despite students starting three years behind, is criticized for using a single high-stakes math assessment to justify its closure, contradicting California's broader school accountability framework.

California unions supported Gray Davis's 1998 gubernatorial campaign, leading to pension and unemployment insurance benefit increases that became unaffordable during the 2008 recession. Jerry Brown later enacted pension reforms in 2012 to address financial shortfalls, but unions now seek to reverse those changes.

The Board of Equalization, a California tax commission with minimal responsibilities, received over $3.3 million in campaign donations from lobbying groups and individuals, despite its reduced role. Donors supported lawmakers running for the board to maintain legislative influence and reward past support, with major contributions coming from labor unions and professional groups.

Xavier Becerra is poised to become California's next governor, facing Republican Steve Hilton in the November election. The article contrasts Becerra's governance-focused approach with Gavin Newsom's national ambitions and highlights California's historical trend of governors balancing state governance with higher office aspirations.

Judge Robert Draper is running for reelection to his Los Angeles County Superior Court seat despite being accused of seven ethics violations by the California Commission on Judicial Performance. The commission has not yet decided on disciplinary action, and Draper faces a challenge from deputy district attorney Tal Valbuena in the primary election.

Voter turnout remains low in Los Angeles County ahead of the June 2 primary election, with less than 8% of registered voters returning mail-in ballots. Governor Gavin Newsom has not endorsed any of the 61 candidates running for California governor, echoing Jerry Brown's approach from 2018. Tensions escalate in the mayoral race as Karen Bass and Spencer Pratt exchange accusations over electioneering violations.

California's Board of Equalization, once stripped of governing power in 2017, is now a sought-after position for state lawmakers. Three current lawmakers are competing for seats in the board's four geographic districts, with candidates including state Sen. Shannon Grove and incumbent Sally Lieber. The board, established in 1879, now focuses on taxpayer appeals and property tax equalization after losing tax collection responsibilities.