OPINION – The tax laws of most states are an offshoot of the federal tax laws contained in the Internal Revenue Code (IRC). States conform to the IRC on either a “rolling” or “static” basis for purposes of computing the state’s tax base ..read more

A professional communicator with decades of experience, this month's Capitol Spotlight subject Brian Green helps the California State Senate Democratic shape the stories it wants to tell ..read more

A once-heralded research venture by the state of California that targeted “don’t eat me” signals that protect cancer cells has now ended. The potential treatment’s obituary boiled down to one phrase repeated six times and buried deep in a corporate document ..read more

CAPITOL WEEKLY PODCAST: Is the use of NDAs as sinister as critics make out? Our guest today, former Speaker Robert Hertzberg argues that confidentiality agreements are a key part of building trust in sensitive legislative negotiations between diametrically opposed parties - and are sometimes the only way to get warring sides to the table ..read more

Lobbyist and McGeorge law professor Chris Micheli offers a quick look at what’s coming up this week under the Capitol Dome ..read more

OPINION - Every week, we are warned about the crisis of education in our state – but we need to move past alarmist headlines and to supporting real, tangible solutions happening right here in California that are strengthening our pathways to teaching ..read more

Delaine Eastin, an impassioned and feisty advocate for public education and the first – and only -- woman ever to serve as California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, has died at the age of 76. In a statement released after her death, Eastin was remembered not only as the state’s only female Superintendent of Public Instruction, but also only the fifth woman elected to statewide office in California ..read more

As part of California’s Administrative Procedure Act (APA), which is contained in the state’s Government Code, executive branch agencies and departments that adopt regulations are required to conduct an economic impact analysis. What is that economic impact analysis and how have the courts interpreted agency actions to comply with this statutory mandate ..read more

OPINION - Trying to manage a chronic disease can be overwhelming. Getting access to medications to treat the disease should not be. No one should have to choose between putting food on the table or getting life-saving medication to manage their health.  ..read more

Everyone is talking about Proposition 47 this year. So with that in mind, it’s time for our panel of experts to weigh in. The question: Californians are fed up with crime, and - correctly or not - Proposition 47 is getting much of the blame. Will either lawmakers or voters eventually make substantive changes to this law?  ..read more