Statewide Survey PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Their Government By Mark Baldassare, Lunna Lopes, Dean Bonner, David Kordus May 25, 2016 Some findings of the current survey: Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders are in a close race in the Democratic presidential primary; both candidates lead Donald Trump in potential November matchups. Democrats Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez lead the top-two primary for the U.S. Senate, but almost a third of likely voters are undecided. The Republican Party’s favorability rating has dropped sharply since December, while the Democratic Party’s favorability rating has held steady. Most Californians and likely voters support extending Proposition 30 income taxes, increasing the tax on cigarettes, and legalizing marijuana. Crosstabs: All Adults [PDF] Likely Voters [PDF] Time Trends: All Adults [PDF] Likely Voters [PDF] The survey was supported with funding from The James Irvine Foundation and the PPIC Donor Circle.
blog post Regulating Marijuana as a Crop By Patrick Murphy, Van Butsic May 9, 2016 How will legalizing marijuana affect California’s water and the environment?
blog post Video: Lessons on Marijuana Regulation By Linda Strean Apr 8, 2016 Regulators from Washington and Colorado told a Sacramento audience that California should start planning now to determine the information that would be needed to regulate recreational marijuana.
event Regulating Marijuana in California Apr 7, 2016 About the ProgramIf Californians vote to legalize recreational marijuana in November, what kind of regulatory framework would best accommodate the state's differing policy goals? And what can we learn from the experiences of Colorado and Washington, the first two states to legalize recreational marijuana? PPIC research director Patrick Murphy will provide an overview of a new report that addresses these questions, and a panel of experts will discuss the challenges of marijuana legalization. There is no charge to attend and lunch will be provided. This event has reached capacity. Please join us for the live webcast.
press release If Recreational Marijuana is Legalized, State Should Develop Tightly Controlled Market Apr 6, 2016
Report Regulating Marijuana in California By Patrick Murphy, John Carnevale Apr 6, 2016 If California legalizes recreational marijuana, the state should develop a single highly regulated marijuana market—for medical and recreational uses. Key policy goals will also need to be addressed—including limiting the illegal market, protecting public health and safety, and raising revenue for the state
blog post Linking Land Use and Water Decisions By Lori Pottinger Feb 24, 2016 The state recently held workshops on aligning land and water planning in rural California. We talked with Debbie Franco of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research about this process.
blog post Video: PPIC Survey Examines Election Landscape By Linda Strean Dec 7, 2015 Climate change/energy, political landscape, fiscal/governance reform, health & human services, K-12 education, economy, population, water
Report What If California’s Drought Continues? By Ellen Hanak, Jay Lund, Jeffrey Mount, Peter Moyle ... Aug 19, 2015 California is in the fourth year of a severe, hot drought—the kind that is increasingly likely as the climate warms. Although no sector has been untouched, impacts so far have varied greatly, reflecting different levels of drought preparedness. Urban areas are in the best shape, thanks to sustained investments in diversified water portfolios and conservation. Farmers are more vulnerable, but they are also adapting. The greatest vulnerabilities are in some low-income rural communities where wells are running dry and in California’s wetlands, rivers, and forests, where the state’s iconic biodiversity is under extreme threat. Two to three more years of drought will increase challenges in all areas and require continued—and likely increasingly difficult—adaptations. Emergency programs will need to be significantly expanded to get drinking water to rural residents and to prevent major losses of waterbirds and extinctions of numerous native fish species, including most salmon runs. California also needs to start a longer-term effort to build drought resilience in the most vulnerable areas.