event Women in California’s Legislature Mar 8, 2023 This year’s legislative class includes the largest number of women in state history. As we celebrate Women’s History Month, we invite you to join PPIC’s president and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye and a panel of women leaders from California’s legislature as they share their experiences and discuss the dynamics of diversity in setting better policy for the state.
blog post Californians’ Views on Governor Newsom and the State of the State By Mark Baldassare Mar 7, 2023 Majorities of California adults (58%) and likely voters (57%) approve of Governor Newsom—good news for him as he forgoes the traditional state of the state address to speak directly with communities around the state.
blog post Testimony: Adapting California’s Water Rights System to the 21st-Century Climate By Ellen Hanak, Brian Gray, Jeffrey Mount Feb 28, 2023 PPIC Water Policy Center director Ellen Hanak and senior fellows Brian Gray and Jeffrey Mount testified before the Assembly Water, Parks, and Wildlife Committee Informational Hearing, “How Should California’s Water Right System Adapt to a 21st Century Climate?” today. Read their prepared remarks.
blog post Poverty Varies across California’s Regions By Patricia Malagon Feb 23, 2023 The expansion of the social safety net during COVID-19 contributed to a decline in statewide poverty between 2019 and fall 2021, according to the most recent California Poverty Measure (CPM). However, poverty rates vary widely across counties and legislative districts.
Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Dean Bonner, Rachel Lawler, Deja Thomas Feb 1, 2023 Key findings include overwhelming majorities say housing affordability and homelessness are a big problem; many Californians worry younger generations will be unable to afford a home. Majorities expect bad times ahead for the state financially. Approval of Newsom and Biden has remained steady, while approval has fallen for the US Supreme Court and Congress.
blog post Redistricting and the Changing Demographics of the California Legislature By Eric McGhee, Jennifer Paluch Feb 1, 2023 The November 2022 election has transformed the demographics of California’s state legislature and congressional delegation, adding greater numbers of Latinos and women in particular. Newly redrawn political districts are one of the factors driving this change.
event A Conversation with California’s Legislative Leadership Jan 26, 2023 What are the most pressing issues the legislature should address in the next session? Legislative leaders— Toni Atkins, President Pro Tempore of the California State Senate and Brian Jones, California State Senate Minority Leader—will talk about their priorities and why these issues are important to California’s future.
blog post Tackling “Forever Chemicals” in the Water Supply By Sarah Bardeen Jan 19, 2023 Much has been made of two drinking water pollutants recently: PFAS and microplastics. We spoke with Jason Dadakis of the Orange County Water District to learn more about these pollutants—and to find out how worried we should be.
Report English as a Second Language at California’s Community Colleges By Olga Rodriguez, Laura Hill, Daniel Payares-Montoya Nov 28, 2022 Colleges began implementing reforms aimed at improving English as a Second Language pathways in fall 2021—during a historic pandemic. We cannot yet disentangle the impact of reforms from the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, but an analysis of early implementation finds that colleges have made significant progress.
