May 13, 103 By Steven Greenhut California and Texas officials have been having an ongoing tit-for-tat over which of the nation’s two mega-states is the better place to live and do business -- something that has become a proxy issue for the broader philosophical debate over the proper size an...
RegulationsFreedom safer than regulationsMonday, May 13th, 2013Lawmakers learn what farmers already know about sustainable agricultureFriday, May 10th, 2013 May 10, 2013 By Katy Grimes SACRAMENTO -- During two hours of expert testimony Wednesday, California Assembly members learned future commercial and housing developments should not be built on prime agricultural land, which should continue to be used for farming. The committee acted as if ... Homeless bill hurts more than helpsMonday, May 6th, 2013May 6, 2013 By Steven Greenhut SACRAMENTO -- The Homeless Bill of Rights, the name applied to a bill that recently soared through the California Assembly's Judiciary Committee on a 7-2 vote, is the latest in a long line of legislation that has grabbed national attention for its sheer outlandis... Politically connected HealthCare Partners sidestepped licensing for 10 yearsFriday, May 3rd, 2013 Part One of a series May 3, 2013 By Katy Grimes One of the original pioneers of the Obamacare patient networks, HealthCare Partners, has been operating in California without the required state license. But according to health care experts and a new lawsuit, the California Departme... ‘Job killer’ bill could increase CEQA litigationFriday, April 26th, 2013April 26, 2013 By Dave Roberts There has been discussion by Sacramento politicians in the past year about the need to reform the California Environmental Quality Act in order to remove litigious roadblocks to new development, thereby boosting the state economy. But so far, the Democrats who co... Flawed study tries to link smog with childhood cancerFriday, April 26th, 2013April 26, 2013 By Wayne Lusvardi Anyone who remembers the choking smog of 1960s Los Angeles knows of the great advances since then in cleaning the air. But as Nobel economist Milton Friedman once quipped, "Nothing is so permanent as a temporary government program." To keep "temporary"... Bill to ban plastic bags in California clears Senate committeeFriday, April 19th, 2013 April 19, 2013 By Josephine Djuhana The war on plastic bags has returned with a vengeance, as legislators introduce new regulations that dictate what kinds of bags California shoppers are allowed to use when out shopping for groceries. SB 405, authored by state Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Los Ange... CA fire chiefs warn state fire tax will hurt, not helpFriday, April 12th, 2013 April 12, 2013 By Dave Roberts The $89 million annual fire prevention fee imposed on rural Californians for the first time last year could, ironically, increase the chance that their houses will burn down in the event of a fire. The $135-$150 per home annual assessment, which critics believe i... It’s mind over mattress with more regulationsTuesday, April 9th, 2013 April 9, 2013 By Katy Grimes As if manufacturers need any more California regulations to contend with, a new bill would require mattress manufacturers to organize, operate and pay for all mattress recycling in the state. But it’s already illegal to dump a mattress, isn’t it? Yes it ... |