blog post Commentary: State Water Regulators Are Listening to and Learning How to Promote Conservation By Ellen Hanak, David Mitchell May 6, 2024 In an op-ed for the Sacramento Bee, senior fellow Ellen Hanak and adjunct fellow David Mitchell commend the State Water Board for adjusting its draft urban water conservation regulations back in March. They say the changes will give needed flexibility to struggling water agencies and help protect low-income customers from extreme rate hikes.
blog post Testimony: Enhancing California’s Wage Data Can Help Improve Its Economic Future By Sarah Bohn Apr 30, 2024 At a hearing of the Senate Select Committee on Career Technology and the New Economy, PPIC researcher Sarah Bohn discussed how improvements in the state's collection of wage data could inform strategies for promoting economic growth and opportunity.
blog post What Are Baseflow Droughts—and Why Should We Care? By Sarah Bardeen Apr 23, 2024 For the six months when California receives no rain, how do its rivers keep flowing? The answer is groundwater. But increasingly frequent and intense droughts are having unexpected effects on this vital resource. We speak with two experts to learn more.
blog post Video: Californians and Education By Mary Severance Apr 19, 2024 Researchers Deja Thomas and Dean Bonner discuss key findings from the latest PPIC Statewide Survey, which examines Californians’ views on the quality of K–12 public education, school funding and resources, and state officials’ handling of the K–12 system.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Lauren Mora, Deja Thomas Apr 10, 2024 As the California Legislature considers placing a school facilities bond on the November 2024 ballot, around half of likely voters say they would vote yes on such a measure. About eight in ten public school parents see catching up academically or addressing the pandemic’s social-emotional impact as the biggest K–12 challenge.
press release Around Half Would Vote Yes on a State Bond Measure to Pay for School Construction Projects Apr 10, 2024
Report California’s Care Workforce By Shannon McConville, Daniel Payares-Montoya, Sarah Bohn Apr 3, 2024 State master plans on the aging population and early learning and care have prioritized workforce expansion and career pathways for care workers who provide key services to young children, older residents, and people with disabilities. A new report outlines current realities and highlights challenges and opportunities in growing this critical workforce.
blog post Video: Spotlight on Rural California By Mary Severance Mar 29, 2024 PPIC president and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye speaks with assembly Republican leader James Gallagher and then with a panel of local and regional leaders about key rural issues for state policymakers to address.
Policy Brief Policy Brief: The Political Views of Young Californians By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch, Dean Bonner, Stephanie Barton Mar 27, 2024 Younger Californians take a more liberal stance on policy issues and tend to lean more Democratic than older Californians. While young Republicans are more conservative than young Democrats or independents, they are also less conservative than older counterparts across a range of topics—making younger adults less polarized in their views.