Next Round Pacific Research Institute

California is in a deep budget deficit.  In the May Revised budget, Gov. Newsom’s makes real cuts and suggests some efficiency improvements but are they enough?  PRI senior fellow in business and economics Wayne Winegarden unpacks the governor’s plan.  The proposal still relies on too many budget gimmicks and fund shifts, and underestimates the severity of the current budget shortfall.

From PRI’s 2024 Sacramento policy conference, senior director of education studies Lance Izumi moderates a panel discussing the implosion of academic rigor in California’s schools, and how that affects California’s students – particularly those most vulnerable – and impacts the state’s economic competitiveness.  A preview of his upcoming PRI book The Great Classroom Collapse, Lance talks with parent activists who share their stories about challenging the education status quo in their communities.  Learn about reforms to ensure students can graduate and are prepared to enter the workforce.  Plus Tim discusses the pro-Hamas demonstrations at UCLA that shocked the nation and breaks down the Sacramento political finger pointing that took place in the aftermath of the riots.

This week, we're pleased to a special presentation by PRI's Dr. Wayne Winegarden on our new Spending Watch initiative, which calculates the impact of major state legislation on outmigration, unemployment, taxes, and the economy.  In his presentation from PRI's recent Sacrament policy conference, he discusses the first Spending Watch analysis on the controversial reparations legislation.  Tim and Ro also talk about the debate over controversial legislation to outlaw NDAs in legislative negotiations.

Our podcast guest this week is Todd Myers, director of the Washington Policy Center’s Center for the Environment.  With more than two decades in environmental policy, Todd’s experience includes work on a range of environmental issues, including climate policy, forest health, old-growth forests, and salmon recovery. Todd’s new book is “Time to Think Small: How nimble environmental technologies can solve the planet’s biggest problems,” which he discussed at PRI’s Annual Sacramento Policy Conference earlier this year.   This podcast is a recording of his talk.

From PRI’s recent Sacramento policy conference, we present a panel discussion featuring elected officials, innovators, and policy researchers discussing creative approaches to addressing California’s homeless problem.  Speakers include Sacramento County District Attorney Thien Ho, who is suing the city of Sacramento over its failure to enforce homeless laws on the books, Joanne Price from the innovative nonprofit Dignity Moves, which prioritizes building more economical and effective interim supportive housing, and PRI’s Dr. Wayne Winegarden, who details the findings of the new Free Cities Center booklet on housing and homelessness.  Plus, Tim and Ro discuss legislation that would give you the right to “ignore your boss” outside work hours.

With reform legislation being debated to address rising incidents of retail and auto theft and a ballot measure in circulation to repeal the most sweeping provisions of Prop. 47, we present a panel discussion on California’s growing crime problem from PRI’s recent Sacramento conference.  Speakers include retired Brigadier Gen. Bob Spano, whose aunt was tragically murdered in the 1980s, crime victim advocate Nina Salarno who was recently appointed Modoc County District Attorney, and Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire.  Plus, Tim and Ro discuss the solar eclipse and the Democrats’ “early action” budget plan.