Capitol Alert

Dan gives a history of school finance in California and says the latest budget adds another controversial chapter to that saga.

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The only constant in California is change, Dan says, which means the state faces unique challenges.

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California legislators are busy giving themselves a pat on the back over the latest state budget deal while the state's court system is getting hammered, Dan says.

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Dan takes a look at the enterprise zone overhaul that Gov. Jerry Brown wanted but didn't get in the latest state budget deal.

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With Gov. Jerry Brown's education spending proposal relatively unscathed in the new budget deal, Dan says its successes and failures fall on Brown's shoulders.

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California lawmakers face a constitutional deadline Saturday for passing a state budget, which is bringing a long-running conflict to the fore, Dan says.

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With less than a week to go, Dan contemplates California's unsolved budget issues, particularly Gov. Jerry Brown's education reform plan.

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Dan comments on the unfolding events surrounding Tuesday's FBI raid of Sen. Ron Calderon's offices in Sacramento.

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With AB 246 on the Governor's desk, Dan worries the forces of secrecy will win out over the forces of open government in California.

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With only 11 days to go, Dan wonders whether the Legislature will be able to put together a "real budget" before the June 15th deadline.

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As California legislators try to mandate lessons in finance for local elected officials, Dan questions why the they exempted themselves from the bill.

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There is "a new wrinkle" in the California budget battle, Dan says.

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After Jerry Brown asks for $300 million from California counties, Dan says it is just one more chapter in the continuing conflict between the state and the counties.

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The Legislature's rapid churn through a mass of bills reminds Dan of an old saying about the unpleasantness of politics.

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Gov. Jerry Brown and his critics continue to wage "a war of words" over California's drive to reduce prison overcrowding, Dan says.

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How do you get a budget passed on time? Threatening to take away California lawmakers' salaries helps, Dan explains.

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Kern County Democrat Leticia Perez has lost her bid to capture former senator Michael Rubio's Senate seat, but the real loser, Dan says, is the "Democratic left."

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Even as law school graduates struggled to find work in a saturated market, California opened a new law school at the University of California, Irvine - and now Dan says, the consequences are surfacing.

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California is trying to reclaim the mantle of marijuana leadership it has ceded to states like Colorado and Washington, Dan says.

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Squabbling over social welfare spending in Gov. Jerry Brown's May budget revision shows the governor's biggest adversaries are his fellow Dems, Dan says.

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A new report on recidivism rates calls into question whether Gov. Jerry Brown's sweeping prison realignment plan has really had any effect, Dan says.

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Gov. Jerry Brown's revised 2013-2014 budget blueprint may pass political muster, but Dan's not so sure it passes an accounting test.

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The annual rite of passing a few dozen empty budget "spot bills" to be filled in later has increasingly become the way things get done in Sacramento, Dan says.

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The Legislature continues to content itself with tinkering around the edges of tax policy rather than tackle a broad overhaul, something Dan says could come back to haunt California.

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Dan notes a bill before the California Legislature that would make more work for the glut of lawyers passing the state bar exam.

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A revelation about secretive practices at California's soon-to-be-launched health-care marketplace is the latest piece of evidence suggesting that California politics needs to be exposed to sunlight, Dan says.

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California's low smoking rates make a proposed cigarette tax seem plausible, but that could run up against wariness about again raising taxes in the wake of Proposition 30.

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California got some rare good news about the financial situation of its school districts, although Dan warns that school deficits still pose a problem.

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It was only a resolution, but Dan sees signs of bipartisan will in an immigration measure that sailed through the Assembly almost unopposed.

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It may look like Gov. Jerry Brown is playing a high-risk game by tussling with the feds over California's prison population, but Dan says it reflects the governor's political skill.

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Dan wonders why California has awful traffic congestion and road conditions despite having gasoline taxes that are the highest in the nation.

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Don't be fooled by how easily a Senate panel approved a bill to overhaul the California Environmental Quality Act, Dan says: A lot of work lies ahead.

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The budget deficits Gov. Jerry Brown is committed to erasing are minuscule compared to California's massive unfunded pension costs, Dan says.

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Dan chastises the Legislature for shying away from measures that would require bills to be in print for three days before a vote, keeping lawmakers from rushing through bills with little oversight.

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Giving to charity may feel nice, but Dan says the inept administration of special license plate funds suggests that California lawmakers should spend less time making their constituents feel good and more time taking care of state business.

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Dan notes that the Pulitzer committee honored a New York Times story on the excesses of Chinese officials just as Gov. Jerry Brown was concluding his China trip, casting a shadow on Brown's praise for Chinese officials.

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Very few death row inmates have been executed in California in the past 35 years, Dan says, calling into question whether much has really changed since the state reinstated the death penalty in 1978.

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While Gov. Jerry Brown was enjoying a warm reception in China, his agenda got the cold shoulder from the liberal faithful at the California Democratic Party convention in Sacramento. Dan wonders if the timing of the governor's trip was a coincidence.

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History does not favor Gov. Jerry Brown winning his fight against federal rulings on California prisons, Dan says, but the governor may be making a savvy political move.

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California's economy is dominated by health care, and Dan says the Affordable Care Act's imminent implementation will expand that domination.

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While Gov. Jerry Brown tours China looking for business partners, lawmakers back in California have been taking apart his school finance plan, Dan says.

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Despite good news about California's rising high school graduation rates, Dan says that huge differences between school districts suggest that ethnicity and poverty don't hold the key to understanding why those differences exist.

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UC Irvine went ahead with building a law school despite warnings that it was unnecessary -- and now, Dan says, a glut of lawyers proves the school's folly.

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The apparent enthusiasm for keeping the Kings in Sacramento aside, Dan calls a proposed arena deal in California's capital city "a bit of a shell game."

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A new statistical report on deaths in California shows that Stockton's woes extend beyond its finances, Dan says.

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The Assembly Public Safety Committee has rejected a bill to crack down on sex offenders while embracing a measure governing the sale of animals at swap meets, Dan says, and he wonders where the California Legislature's priorities are.

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A union-backed legislative proposal to make it easier to fire teachers would still give California's local school boards little say in the matter, Dan says.

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Despite the fact that the Stockton bankruptcy case got a high-profile court ruling on Monday, Dan Walters says the issue could drag on for a long time before it's settled.

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Taxpayers should be irate given the San Francisco Transportation Authority's costly ferry service scheme, Dan says.

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A report finding structural issues in the new San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge affirms warnings that the Brown administration tried to squelch, Dan says.

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Dan's amused that CalPERS chief investment officer Joseph Dear thinks clean technology is a money loser, a clear break from the position many of California's leaders espouse.

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There's been a lot of fanfare as the U.S. Supreme Court weighs arguments for and against Proposition 8, but Dan says a sweeping ruling that settles the issue of same-sex marriage is unlikely.

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A former county supervisor whose pension will pay over $400,000 a year? No wonder so many California cities and counties are struggling financially, Dan says.

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Dan tells the strange tale of a special-interest fight over who gets to accept charity donations.

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Dan muses on the fact that a commission is weighing whether to change how California lawmakers are paid just as a new poll shows slim public support for the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown.

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Public support for high-speed rail is declining even as Gov. Jerry Brown and allies push forward on the project, Dan says.

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A confluence of demographic changes could halt California's population growth, which for decades has seemed unstoppable. Dan talks about the potential consequences.

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Dan says testimony at the Capitol about troubled water systems illustrated the gap between rich and poor in California.

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With a big battle looming over the California Environmental Quality Act, Dan says labor unions and environmentalists could thwart Gov. Jerry Brown's ambition to overhaul the law.

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Even though California's state and local governments face billions of dollars in debt, the Legislature is considering whether to let local governments issue bonds that would exacerbate the problem, Dan says.

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As lawmakers tout the job-generating potential of high speed rail and new water infrastructure, Dan says to be careful of the slippery way politicians count jobs.

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Local public employee pension fund officials are going to be discussing how to handle spiraling costs at an upcoming conference in Hawaii; Dan wonders how they don't appreciate the irony.

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Dan says a business bureaucracy snafu shows Secretary of State Debra Bowen has fallen short in her campaign promise to incorporate technology into her office.

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The news that State Controller John Chiang has jettisoned a project to computerize the state's payroll system fits a familiar pattern, Dan Walters says.

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Dan says the dismal turnout in Tuesday's Los Angeles primary reflects the city's woeful circumstances.

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The mounting cost of repairing California's existing roads should give lawmakers pause as they consider spending heavily on high-speed rail, Dan says.

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You might think an odd-numbered year means a lull in electoral activity, but Dan Walters says that's not the case in California between Los Angeles city contests and special Senate elections.

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The Republicans who gathered at the state party convention over the weekend have a lot of work to do if they want to revive their fortunes in California, Dan says.

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Dan says everybody loves Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to distribute school money, but they all want changes.

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A recent California Senate committee hearing about the state's high-speed rail project contained few details about cost, and Dan finds it curious that the money isn't being spent on something else -- say, children's health.

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A bankruptcy judge has said the City of Stockton must go to trial, and Dan says city officials have some explaining to do.

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Gov. Jerry Brown has started touting California as a model for fiscal soundness -- a scenario that makes sense only if you ignore a big backlog of debt, Dan says.

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Dan Walters talks about what the surprise resignation Friday of state Sen. Michael Rubio means for the Democratic supermajority.

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Gov. Jerry Brown's proposal to revamp how schools are funded would produce big disparities in who gets what, and Dan says that will make for contentious debate.

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Dan says lawmakers have finally started asking tough questions about the California Parks and Recreation Department's hidden-funds scandal, but he thinks they could be doing more.

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California is about to undertake a massive expansion of state-sponsored health care, courtesy of the Affordable Care Act, and Dan says it's anyone's guess how it will work out.

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A revenue windfall has given California more money than it expected, and Dan says that raises the risk that the Legislature will create programs it won't be able to pay for.

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A Southern California lawmaker's proposal to require all adult film stars in the state to wear condoms is more likely about protecting the porn industry than about protecting actors, Dan says.

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Dan says allocating more funding for higher education isn't enough: Gov. Jerry Brown should help ensure that money is being spent wisely.

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Dan says that balancing California's budget has involved unsustainable cuts to court funding.

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There are two Californias, Dan says, one of immense wealth and one of abject poverty.

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California's State Controller John Chiang has nixed a multimillion-dollar IT contract, and Dan wonders why "the cradle of the technological revolution" has such a hard time installing new tech and computer projects.

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Dan says Texas Gov. Rick Perry is riding the latest flareup of the California-Texas rivalry for all it's worth, given that he knows Texans love to hate "those crazy people out there in California."

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It would be a mistake to think of California's immensely varied Asian-American population as a monolith, Dan says.

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Forget how Rick Perry looked in a radio ad dinging California's business climate, Dan says - the important thing is, it brought the Texas governor some cheap publicity.

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Gov. Jerry Brown's optimistic talk about a balanced budget ignores huge shortfalls in obligations to retirees, Dan says.

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Some Republicans are getting on board with immigration reform, which Dan says is a reflection of California's demographic destiny.

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Dan talks about how shifting demographics will reshape California politics -- particularly given the state's growing Latino population.

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Like the state parks department, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has been caught hiding money after pleading for more funding. Dan wonders if that's a coincidence.

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Dan says California's large immigrant population means a federal immigration overhaul could have powerful repercussions.

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As California begins erecting its health insurance exchange, Dan wonders about the immensely expensive and complex process of expanding MediCal.

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Better news from ratings' agencies aside, Dan says, California's state budget situation remains shaky.

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Don't believe it when Gov. Jerry Brown says he doesn't care about his legacy, Dan says.

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Don't count on the Democratic majority supporting a bill that would require more bill transparency in the California Legislature, Dan says.

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Dan says golfer Phil Mickelson had a point when he threatened to leave California to escape high taxes.

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The CalPERS overtime pay controversy reminds Dan of California's poor track record with launching computer projects.

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Revelations in The Bee about CalPERS managers making extra money at second jobs remind Dan why people are cynical about politics.

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Only a sliver of the Legislature's year involves productive work, and Dan wonders whether California should go back to a part-time Legislature.

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Dan says that with the "midwinter doldrums," it will be a while before the legislative session really gets going.

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Dan wonders what we'll do for fun now that Gov. Jerry Brown has produced a minimally criticized budget.

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As Gov. Jerry Brown prepares to tackle the "big mess" of school funding, he's "trying to rationalize an irrational system," Dan says.

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Dan says Gov. Jerry Brown isn't giving the whole picture when he touts the fiscal restraint of this year's budget.

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Dan says Gov. Jerry Brown is blaming the federal courts for problems with prison realignment, but California's counties have their own issues with the state.

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Dan says Democrats are already at risk of squandering the public support that brought them a supermajority.

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Dan says it'll be an interesting year under the dome, given the old issues (think budget, water and education reform) that the new California Legislature must confront.

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Dan takes on the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board.

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Dan has a "modest suggestion" for the reading lists of new legislators.

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Dan says the state budget will continue to dominate attention in the new year.

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Dan notes that the entertainment industry pushes gun restrictions as it profits from video violence.

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Dan ponders whether the events of 2012 mark a new era in California politics.

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Dan says new population numbers for California contain good news and bad news.

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Dan says raising money to win plum legislative appointments is a longstanding tradition.

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Dan says ongoing state cuts to the court system have drawn opposition from natural combatants -- lawyers, business and labor.

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Dan says that Bloomberg's recently published compilation of California government's largesse raises questions about the state's governance.

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Dan says problems with the Bay Bridge project should be a cautionary tale for another public works job -- California's planned bullet train.

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Dan says California may be an increasingly blue state, but the intramural battles have only just begun.

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Dan wonders whether University of California officials will abandon its new logo.

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Dan says that the passage of Proposition 30 in November hasn't ended California's debate over taxes.

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Dan says that California Republican Party officials ignored former legislator Jim Brulte's advice years ago, but now they're tapping him to help reverse the party's decline in the Golden State.

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Dan says a new survey shows Californians are more optimistic, but there's still a long way to go.

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Dan says it could take nearly a year for the California Legislature to have a full roster of members.

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Dan sees "a new era dawning in the Legislature," with some juggling going on.

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Dan Walters says California's budget troubles aren't over.

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Dan says California's up-and-coming Democratic officials may have difficulty advancing.

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Dan says two new reports about Californians' income provide some irony.

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Dan says that building the next fiscal year's state budget will be "a big test" of the California Legislature's Democratic leaders.

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VIDEO: Dan says the election results may have actually brought some positive news for California Republicans.

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VIDEO: Dan says change will come slowly despite lots of speculation about the California Legislature's actions now that it appears Democrats have a supermajority.

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VIDEO: Dan wonders whether the "reform" measures the newly strengthened legislative Democrats have mentioned will really happen. Senate leader Darrell Steinberg, for instance, has talked about ballot initiatives.

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VIDEO: Dan speculates about the possibility of political "musical chairs" in Sacramento.

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VIDEO: Dan says the forces behind Proposition 31 missed an opportunity.

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VIDEO: Dan says Tuesday's electorate in California -- for once -- seemed to reflect the state's demographics.

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VIDEO: Dan says a surge in voter registration among young Democrats could help Gov. Jerry Brown and Proposition 30 on Tuesday.

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VIDEO: Dan says voters shouldn't read too much into those endorsements from police organizations.

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VIDEO: Dan says government leaders could learn some things from baseball people about money.

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Dan says Gov. Jerry Brown may be spending too much time on campus as he campaigns for Proposition 30.

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Dan says some of the campaign messages in this year's legislative and congressional races are a little odd.

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Dan says that Californians can expect "the people who think they're losing" to make "wild attacks on their opponents" in the last week before Election Day.

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Dan invokes some lyrics penned by singer-songwriter Willie Nelson and wonders, given the latest polls, whether they're going through Gov. Jerry Brown's head.

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VIDEO: Dan talks about Gov. Jerry Brown, author George Orwell and "Orwellian propaganda."

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VIDEO: Dan says that Californians, like other Americans, are "getting a dose of democracy" in the weeks before Election Day, thanks to more competitive races.

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VIDEO: Dan says it's the time of year for "slate mailers" to arrive.

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VIDEO: Dan says the mud is flying in California races, with highly competitive contests this year for Assembly, Senate and House seats.

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VIDEO: Dan says there's lots of campaign cash flowing in California, despite the lack of a competitive race at the top of the ticket.

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VIDEO: Dan says a recent court decision over California's "parent-trigger" law is a potentially revolutionary development in the battle over school control.

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VIDEO: Dan says Gov. Jerry Brown is "not out of the woods yet" with the Munger family on Proposition 30.

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VIDEO: Dan says the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown may have finished their work for the 2011-12 session, but some groups are still fighting battles..

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VIDEO: Dan notes that political campaigns are now pitching to a steadily declining audience of voters.

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VIDEO: Dan ponders the political consulting calculus that results in misleading TV ads on Proposition 30.

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VIDEO: Dan says it's time to get ready for the barrage of political ads.

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VIDEO: Dan says Arnold Schwarzenegger missed his chance to apologize. Editor's note: This replaces an earlier version in which Dan misspoke in characterizing a judge's ruling on Schwarzenegger' commutation of a sentence.

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VIDEO: Dan says Susanville may not be the best place to meet men after all.

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VIDEO: Dan says Jerry Brown's political future is riding on the success of Proposition 30.

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VIDEO: Dan says politicians are taking notice as large employers leave California.

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VIDEO: Dan talks about California legislators' use of euphemisms to describe their handiwork.

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VIDEO: Dan discusses driverless cars and the future of California transportation.

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VIDEO: Dan says the top-two primary has altered campaigning throughout the state.

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VIDEO: Dan says this is the year for voters to do their homework on California's long menu of ballot measures.

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VIDEO: Dan says the automatic budget cuts that would be triggered if Gov. Jerry Brown's tax measure fails on Nov. 6 won't cover the California budget deficit.

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VIDEO: Dan says Gov. Jerry Brown is "all in" for his tax measure, but the bet may be a loser.

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