Is 'Blue Fatigue' Building in Liberal California? Polls Suggest Yes. 
 

GV Wire | Kerry Jackson
April 27, 2022

The results of a poll released, appropriately, on Tax Day, indicate that Californians, no matter their partisan alignment, have grown weary of having to hand over so much of their money to the state and local governments. A separate poll arriving four days later shows that an increasing portion of Californians support building more nuclear plants rather than phasing them out, as the state is doing.

It would be foolish to take these numbers as a sign that California is turning red. It’s still a long way from purple. But it’s reasonable to think that the political ground is shifting.
 

Permanent Solutions or Band-Aids: Solving the Decades-Old California Homelessness Crisis

Right by the Bay | Emily Humpal
April 25, 2022

California’s budget last year contained $12 billion, a record number, to address homelessness. Yet, California has the largest homeless population in the nation with, as of January 2020, around 161,500 individuals. California is one of the few states that experienced one of the largest homelessness increases between 2019-2020 with a 6.8% increase, adding over 10,000 more individuals in one year.

How is it that after the state has experienced almost four decades of severe homelessness, lawmakers have not reached a viable solution other than increased spending?
 

Don't Spend Your Gas Tax Rebate Just Yet ...
 

Right by the Bay | Tim Anaya
April 27, 2022

Not much progress has been made in the effort to enact a gas tax rebate or gas tax holiday since lawmakers and Gov. Newsom released competing proposals last month.

Californians have been waiting for Sacramento to take action to provide relief from gas prices that, even though may have dipped from record highs a few weeks ago, are still an astronomically-high $5.69 on average as of April 20, according to AAA.

Based on the latest news from the State Capitol, drivers shouldn’t count on getting relief at the pump from lawmakers any time soon.


Read more. . .

National Crime Victims Week 2022
 

Right by the Bay | Steve Smith
April 28, 2022

For over 40 years America has recognized the last week of April as National Crime Victims Week.   California honors Crime Victims Week in a variety of ways at the State and Local level.

This year, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation adopted a theme of “Rights, Access and Equity” for their commemoration, which was accompanied by a 4 minute video on their website.  The video features CDCR Director Kathleen Allison and CDCR Director of Victims Rights and Survivors Katie James describing their commitment to serving victims of crime.


Read more. . .