NATIONAL SCHOOL CHOICE WEEK CELEBRATES EDUCATION ALTERNATIVES

Good morning!

Last week, Justice Ming W. Chin announced his retirement from the California Supreme Court. When he was appointed to the then-conservative court over 25 years ago, Justice Ming served as a moderate voice. However, in a sign of the state’s political shifts, Ming is now the most conservative member. Governor Newsom, who will make his first appointment to the court, called his responsibility “sacrosanct.” He told reporters, “I don’t do this from an ideological lens. We have a very, very deliberative process that’s also not political, and we vet people.” Right. Just don’t expect Newsom to call Leonard Leo at the Federalist Society for recommendations.

Meanwhile, in the California Senate, state Sen. Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) is proposing a bill to raise taxes on California companies based on the gap between their highest-paid executives and their employees. According to the Los Angeles Times, “The proposal would apply only to companies that post at least $10 million of taxable income from business conducted in California [and] would apply to about 2,000 companies nationwide.” With proposals like these, it’s just a matter of time before companies begin considering not doing business in California at all. 

In addition, the California legislature’s attempts to “solve” the state’s housing crisis is only making the problem worse. CPC fellow Edward Ring explores the topic of “density ideology” and how this is driving up housing costs. Read here.

Last year, California battled in court to require Prop 65 cancer warning labels for coffee. Despite the state’s loss, it continues its labeling campaign, often ignoring the science itself. On Monday, a panel of scientists appointed by the governor will seek to label acetaminophen -- a.k.a. Tylenol -- a carcinogen. While studies linking the drug to cancer are inconclusive, the panel is moving ahead anyway. The Los Angeles Times even notes, “Evidence for acetaminophen’s link to cancer has been weak enough that the International Agency for Research on Cancer declined to list it as a possible carcinogen after reviews in 1990 and 1999.” 

Next week is National School Choice Week, a time to celebrate educational alternatives to the traditional district schools that are beholden to teacher unions and failing California’s kids. Gov. Newsom continues to wage war against charter schools despite the fact that they provide lifelines for hundreds of thousands of students. Supporters must make their voices heard or risk losing them. CPC contributor Larry Sand reminds parents this week about why it’s so important for them to get involved in their child’s education. Read here.

Firefighters are among the best paid public employees in the state. While we all agree that California firefighters should be well compensated, taxpayers must question whether their current pay is appropriate and affordable. CPC fellow Edward Ring examines firefighter pay and finds that 69 California cities currently pay their firefighters over $200,000 per year in compensation on average. The average compensation for Manhattan Beach firefighters is even higher. Read here.

One county over, Placentia city officials are standing up for taxpayers by cutting ties with the Orange County Fire Authority. In an effort to prevent public employee compensation from crowding out the city budget, Placentia is forming its own city fire department and shifting its firefighters to a defined-contribution retirement plan. The plan will save the city $28 million in the next decade. Bonus: If you’re interested in learning more about how firefighting can be reformed statewide, check out the following piece from our president, Will Swaim. Read here.

CPC President Will Swaim and Board Member David Bahnsen tackle the implications of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Espinoza case, cronyism in Anaheim, and the internal contradictions of squatters’ “rights” in Oakland. Listen here.

Finally, are you affected by AB 5, California’s new law that harmed the ability of people to work as independent contractors or in the gig economy? If you have been hurt by AB 5, we would like to know your story. Please contact me at [email protected].

Upcoming Events:

The Lost History of Western Civilization 
The National Association of Scholars and the Pepperdine School of Public Policy are hosting a half-day conference on January 24th to celebrate the launch of “The Lost History of Western Civilization," a new report by Stanley Kurtz demolishing the idea that Western Civilization was nothing but a myth invented by American warmongers during World War I. The event is free of charge. To register for this event, click here.

California School Choice Celebration
California School Choice will celebrate the start of National School Choice Week on Saturday, January 25 at USC Verdugo Hills Hospital in Glendale. The event will feature a special town hall discussion with featured speakers Rebecca Friedrichs, Gina Gleason, Dr. Vicki Alger and Larry Sand. Lunch will be provided. Click here to register.

Parent Union’s 5th Annual School Choice Fair
Come have fun and support the Parent Union as they celebrate National School Choice Week on Saturday, January 25 at the Santa Ana Zoo! The event will take place from 12:00-3:00 pm and will include food and several fun activities. To RSVP, click here. 

Free Screening of Miss Virginia
Please join Reason Foundation in West Hollywood on January 29th for a special screening of Miss Virginia. Hailed as a "must-see" movie by USA Today, the film follows a struggling inner-city mother who sacrifices everything to give her son a good education. Unwilling to allow him to stay in a dangerous school, she launches a movement that could save his future—and that of thousands like him. Doors open at 7:00pm and the screening begins at 7:30pm. Following the film, Reason Foundation's Director of School Choice Corey DeAngelis and Gregory McGinity of the California Charter Schools Association will host a discussion on “Beyond Test Scores: How Miss Virginia Shows Us the Real Need for School Choice.” Click here to register. 

The Role of Religion in Politics and the Role of Politics in Religion
The Pepperdine School of Public Policy hosts Rabbi Stu Halpern on Thursday, February 6 to discuss his new book, Proclaim Liberty Throughout the Land: The Hebrew Bible in the United States. He will be joined by Pepperdine’s Wilfred McClay and Rabbi Meir Y. Soloveichik for a dynamic conversation on the role the Bible has, can and should play in the American public conversation. To register for this event, click here.

Franklin and Washington: The Founding Partnership
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Edward Larson will speak at the Commonwealth Club on Monday, February 10 and discuss his joint biography of our two most influential Founding Fathers. Tickets are $20 for non-members and will include a book-signing as well. For more information, and to register, click here.

If you have any upcoming events in the state, please send them to me!

As always, if you’d like to join our movement to save California, we invite you to support us. Click here to donate to CPC.