Profile of the Status of Women and Girls in South Los Angeles
Prepared at the request of the Select Committee on Women and Inequality for the 2015 Hearing, this background document provides a snapshot of issues affecting gender, race, and poverty in South Los Angeles, including employment, homelessness, and trafficking.
How Often Do Governors Say No?
A new tally of the governors who vetoed the most bills and the fewest bills since 1967. Where does Governor Brown stand?
Immigration Reform: Local Jurisdictions Community Policing and Detention Policies
Elizabeth Dietzen Olsen, September 2015
Three bills before the United States House of Representatives and one in the United States Senate are aimed at penalizing or dismantling so-called "sanctuary cities."
Medicare and Medicaid Turn 50
Kim Flores, September 2015
The two largest government health care programs, Medicare and Medicaid, turned 50 this summer. Learn why these programs are so important for the country and especially for Californians.
The Water We Drink, Part II: What is California Doing to Ensure Safe Water is Affordable and Accessible?
Michael Jarred and Meg Svoboda, August 2015
This is the second of two installments prepared by the Senate Office of Research (SOR) on drinking water. The first installment, published in February 2015, updated a 2011 SOR report on what California does to ensure its drinking water is safe. This second installment focuses on the challenges to providing safe and clean drinking water that is affordable to disadvantaged communities; it also includes portions of the original 2011 report.
2015 Results From New Student Tests To Be Released
Jody Martin, August 2015
Statewide results from California’s new “Common Core” standards tests in English-language arts/literacy and math are expected next month. In anticipation of these results, this brief highlights how the new academic standards and tests are a significant change for schools and students.
The Federal Highway Trust Fund – Its Solvency is Preserved through October, 2015
Ted Link-Oberstar, August 2015
President Obama signs bill authorizing federal transportation spending funding through October 2015
Progress Report: Reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
Leonor Ehling, July 2015
Despite years of false starts and unfinished attempts to reauthorize the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), Congress made progress on a reauthorized ESEA last week.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement
Gayle Miller, June 2015
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is the most ambitious trade deal since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in the 1990s. This briefing explains the basic facts about the TPP and provides further resources.
U.S. Supreme Court Ruling May Impact Membership of California’s Regulatory Boards
Taryn A. Smith, April 2015
A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling (North Carolina State Board of Dental Examiners v. Federal Trade Commission) may make it necessary to reconfigure the membership of the Department of Consumer Affairs regulatory boards.
Medicare 'Doc Fix' and Continued Funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program
Kim Flores, April 2015
The Water We Drink, Part 1: What Is California Doing to Ensure Its Water Is Safe?
Updated by Michael Jarred with Meg Svoboda and Brie Lindsey, February 2015
This is the first of two installments providing an update to SOR’s 2011 report on drinking water. This installment provides an overview of the state's regulation of drinking water.
California's New School Planning and Accountability System
Jody Martin, January 2015
An overview of the system established by the Local Control Funding Formula legislation and areas for further state action as the system evolves.
