Dan Walters

The battle between two very flawed presidential candidates, Joe Biden and Donald Trump, symbolizes the nation's polarized and dysfunctional politics.

California's gas taxes increased this week, but the larger issue is what happens to gas prices and tax revenues as the state attempts to reduce greenhouse gases and move away from fossil fuels.

A wave of last-minute deals, mostly negotiated in secrecy, has changed the lineup of measures that will appear on California's November ballot.

Homelessness has plagued Gavin Newsom's political career ever since he was mayor of San Francisco. Under his governorship, it has continued haunting him.

Proponents of a ballot measure to limit tax increases claimed the California Supreme Court had political motives in a recent ruling that removed it from the ballot. A careful reading of the decision indicates otherwise.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's very belated State of the State address sounded like a 2028 presidential campaign kickoff.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders have struck a deal to close a budget deficit, but it was ultimately a self-inflicted crisis, and the budget remains unbalanced when the gimmicks and reserves are taken out.

The California Supreme Court blocked a pending ballot measure that would have made it more difficult to raise taxes, adding another chapter the state's history of writing laws through the ballot.

California's budget process was reformed 50 years ago to make it more transparent. After several changes since 2010, it's devolved into secrecy and again needs reform.

Legislation requiring businesses to include add-on fees when quoting prices to customers goes into effect on July 1 but the Legislature is fast-tracking an exemption for restaurants.