On Friday March 28, the Rose Institute of State and Local Government presented the Rose Award for Excellence in Public Service to Kirk West at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel. The Rose Award recognizes exceptional individuals or organizations that demonstrate leadership and commitment to public service. Kirk West’s career in the California government was long… Continue Reading
On Thursday, February 27, the Rose Institute hosted Michael Cohen, Director of California’s Department of Finance, at the Athenaeum on Claremont McKenna College’s campus. At the luncheon, Cohen overviewed the Governor’s proposed 2014-2015 budget, discussed the state’s fiscal progress and remaining challenges, and answered questions from students and faculty. The bulk of Cohen’s presentation focused… Continue Reading
The Rose Institute Award was created to recognize exceptional individuals or organizations that demonstrate an enduring commitment to exemplary public service. Honor, integrity, leadership, and a philanthropic spirit are among the characteristics defining this individual or organization. The recipient of the 2014 Rose Institute Award for Excellence in Public Service is Kirk West, a political… Continue Reading
On February 7, 2014, the Rose Institute released the 19th annual Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey. The Rose Institute, in collaboration with Los Angeles-based Kosmont Companies, gathers business fees and a variety of tax rates from 305 western cities, focusing on states where business relocation is most active. The 2013 edition of the… Continue Reading
On November 8, 2013 the deputy state attorney general, on behalf of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, argued that Central Valley residents who sued the state over the planned construction of high-speed rail had no standing to sue. Instead, the state contends that it is the responsibility of the state legislature to determine whether the… Continue Reading
Privacy For All Students, a coalition of parents, students, non-profit and faith groups, announced on Sunday, November 9, 2013, that they had collected 620,000 signatures in an effort to repeal California’s transgender rights law, AB1266. Political strategist Frank Schubert, who led the Prop. 8 campaign and contributed to the effort to block of same-sex marriage… Continue Reading
This spring, California Governor Jerry Brown proposed a number of significant changes to K-12 funding in his 2013-2014 budget proposal. Brown’s proposal would provide marginal increases in per-pupil spending while implementing a new Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The formula offered two key changes from the status quo: It utilized a “need-based” metric for funding… Continue Reading
On Wednesday, October 9, 2013 Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill into law increasing the types of medical workers allowed to perform abortions in California. AB154, sponsored by Assemblywoman Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), permits physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners, and certified nurse-midwives to carry out abortions during the first trimester. Non-physicians will have to undergo training… Continue Reading
The San Diego Ethics Commission levied a $7,500 fine on political action committee, Conservatives for Gay Rights Supporting Carl DeMaio for Mayor 2012, for failing to follow campaign disclosure laws. The missing information included the names of the committee’s principal officers, a valid street address, and expenditure records during the 2012 mayoral election. The group… Continue Reading
On September 25, 2013, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law a bill to raise California’s minimum wage to $10 per hour by 2016. Assembly Bill 10 raises the current minimum wage of $8/hour in two $1 increments, the first by July 2014 and the second by January 2016. It passed on Sep. 12 in… Continue Reading
