blog post Abortion Rights Are Number One for Californians this November By Mark Baldassare Sep 14, 2022 A strong majority of likely voters favor Proposition 1, which would enshrine abortion rights in the state constitution. Still, Californians’ attitudes toward abortion are more nuanced than might be expected, even in a solidly pro-choice state.
blog post Good Budget News for Higher Education By Kevin Cook Jul 19, 2018 Governor Brown's final budget includes just over a billion dollars in new funding for California's higher education systems.
blog post Tax Day: Californians Feel Overburdened By Alyssa Dykman Apr 17, 2018 Tax day is here, and Californians are feeling particularly burdened.
event A Conversation with California’s Legislative Leadership Jan 28, 2016 About the Program What are the most pressing issues the legislature should address in the next session? Kevin de León, senate president pro tem, and Chad Mayes, assembly Republican leader, will talk about their priorities and why these issues are important to California's future.
blog post California’s Leading Role in Providing Criminal Defense to the Poor By Heather Harris Mar 16, 2023 This week is the 60th anniversary of a landmark US Supreme Court decision that established a constitutional right to legal representation for defendants in state criminal courts, regardless of their ability to pay. We look at California’s approach to indigent defense and how it has changed over time.
blog post Video: California’s 2021 Recall Election By Vicki Hsieh Sep 10, 2021 A panel of leading political journalists—Carla Marinucci (POLITICO), Jennifer Medina (The New York Times), and Seema Mehta (Los Angeles Times)—discuss the gubernatorial recall and the state’s electoral landscape.
blog post What Approval Ratings Say about Jerry Brown’s Legacy By Mark Baldassare Dec 17, 2018 One of Jerry Brown's most important legacies as governor of California is the role he played in restoring the public's confidence in state government.
Fact Sheet The Initiative Process in California By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Sonja Petek, Jui Shrestha Oct 7, 2013
Report Public Safety Realignment: Impacts So Far By Magnus Lofstrom, Brandon Martin Sep 28, 2015 Prompted by a federal court order to reduce prison overcrowding, California’s 2011 historic public safety realignment shifted many correctional responsibilities for lower-level felons from the state to counties. The reform was premised on the idea that locals can do a better job, and it was hoped that incarceration rates and corrections costs would fall. At the same time, critics predicted crime would rise. Four years since its implementation, realignment has made several important impacts: Realignment significantly reduced the prison population, but the state did not reach the court-mandated population target until after the passage of Proposition 47 in November 2014, which reduced penalties for many property and drug offenses. The reform challenged county jails and probation departments by making them responsible for a greater number of offenders with a broader range of backgrounds and needs. The county jail population did not rise nearly as much as the prison population fell, reducing the total number of people incarcerated in California. Realignment did not increase violent crime, but auto thefts rose. Research so far shows no dramatic change in recidivism rates. State corrections spending remains high, but there is reason to believe expenditures could drop in the future. Realignment has largely been successful, but the state and county correctional systems face significant challenges. The state needs to regain control of prison medical care, which is now in the hands of a federal receiver. And the state and counties together must make progress in reducing stubbornly high recidivism rates.
