The State of California

Poverty Varies across California’s Regions - Public Policy Institute of California ppic.org Poverty Varies across California’s Regions ~4 minutes It is clear that the expansion of the social safety net during the pandemic had a mitigating effect on poverty , despite high levels of unemployment and economic uncertainty. According to the most recent California Poverty Measure (CPM), the statewide poverty rate fell from 16.4% in 2019 to 11.7% in fall 2021. However, poverty rates varied from 5.1% to 21.3% across counties and legislative districts. Our interactive maps provide geographic breakdowns that can give local policymakers and leaders a better understanding of poverty, housing costs, and the role of safety net programs in their regions. The CPM, a collaborative effort by PPIC and the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality, reflects...

Will California continue to see a population decrease? San Diego leaders discuss - The San Diego Union-Tribune sandiegouniontribune.com Will California continue to see a population decrease? San Diego leaders discuss - The San Diego Union-Tribune Phillip Molnar 8–10 minutes California’s population shrank by 508,903 people during the first two years of the pandemic, second behind only New York. A half-million people leaving California, which has a population of more than 39 million, isn’t exactly a large-scale exodus — but it does have some policymakers concerned about the state’s future. Texas and Florida saw their populations increase during the same time period. Experts say the reasons for Californians leaving are high housing costs, congestion, crime and pollution. Some demographic experts have suggested much of the migration was the result of Californians “seeking safe refuge during ...

California Mass Transit Hopes for Bailout in Already Tight Budget - WSJ wsj.com Christine Mai-Duc 7–9 minutes Anemic ridership and ebbing Covid-era emergency funding is expected to hurt hard-pressed transit systems like BART Updated Feb. 24, 2023 1:27 pm ET Public transit agencies across California are asking the state for a bailout, saying they face a looming fiscal crisis due to lagging ridership that could otherwise force them to cut service, lay off employees or shut down some lines and stations. Since the start of the pandemic, some $69 billion in federal emergency funding has kept buses, trains and subways across the country running . But most of California’s transit agencies say they expect that funding to run out within two years. Meanwhile, ridership numbers remain well below prepandemic levels as many high-income workers...

Opinion: Slashing Mass Transit Subsidies Will Undermine California’s Climate Goals - Times of San Diego timesofsandiego.com Opinion: Slashing Mass Transit Subsidies Will Undermine California’s Climate Goals David Weiskopf 4–6 minutes UCSD students board a Blue Line trolley at the UC San Diego station. Photo by Chris Jennewein After a record surplus enabled California to commit an unprecedented $54 billion to address the climate crisis in last year’s budget, Gov. Gavin Newsom has  proposed to scale back  that commitment by  roughly $6 billion  due to a budget shortfall. A closer look at the proposed budget cuts reveal that transportation, and specifically public transit and active transportation, suffer the most challenging reductions. These proposed cuts take the state’s climate goals on a U-turn California cannot afford....

California Legislature: Last-minute rush of bills - CalMatters calmatters.org Sameea Kamal California doesn’t really need 2,600 new laws, right?  Nevertheless, state lawmakers proposed 500 new bills on Friday, the 2023 session’s introduction deadline, bringing the total to about 2,600. That’s the most in more than a decade, according to veteran Capitol lobbyist Chris Micheli . More than 1,000 are “placeholder” bills without specific language. Reminder: More bills are typically introduced in odd-numbered years, the first year of the Legislature’s two-year sessions. Last year, when about 2,000 bills were introduced, the Legislature passed almost 1,200 of them — and nearly 1,000 became law with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature , including ones on wage transparency and housing .   Some of the new bills tackle California’s hot-button issues. Assembly...

California dominates list of America's 'happiest' cities ktla.com California dominates list of America’s ‘happiest’ cities Anja Solum, SmartAsset via Stacker 9–11 minutes by: Anja Solum , SmartAsset via Stacker Posted: Feb 21, 2023 / 08:33 AM PST Updated: Feb 21, 2023 / 08:33 AM PST Research shows that in some cases, money does lead to happiness. In fact, a 2021 University of Pennsylvania study found a correlation between happiness and income growth, even past an annual income of $80,000. This is in contrast to previous research that found happiness stagnated after an individual earned $75,000. However, not all places can offer the same level of happiness, as some cities offer more economic opportunities and a better quality of life than others. To uncover the happiest places in America, SmartAsset...

Economic tailwind from flush states axios.com Neil Irwin,Courtenay Brown State and local governments are facing very different circumstances than they did during the yearslong slog that followed the Great Recession: They are swimming in cash. Why it matters: State lawmakers have begun to hash out budget plans for this fiscal year. There are exceptions — California being one — but for the most part, state coffers are fat and generally finances are in good shape. That enables state-level spending to help keep growth humming. Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell acknowledged this tailwind as one reason why the economy will continue to grow this year. "State and local governments are really flush these days ... and many of them are considering tax cuts or even sending checks," Powell said at a press conference earlier this month. By the numbers: In nominal dollars, states' t...