Covered California views transparency as an obstacle to be overcome and no-bid contracts as a perk to abuse. That's the lesson to be learned after an audit released Tuesday by the state auditor that questioned a broad policy that allowed the use of no-bid contracts at the health exchange, which contracted $198 million worth of bids, out of $989 million in total, for these type of sole-bid contracts during a three-period of time.
A Joint hearing will be held about the transportation sharing economy, a topic that has struggled getting approval from committee chair Sen. Ben Hueso. The Fair Political Practices Commission will be getting an update about California legislation now being considered that could affect transparency, including changes to advertisement disclosure, lobbying procurement contracts and disclosure of contributions deadlines.
The largest methane gas leak in California history began more than three months ago and has driven residents with nosebleeds, vomiting, rashes, and dizziness out of 5,000 homes. Shouldn't we know why, how and who caused the mess by now?
Hiding how money has been spent by big industries to influence the California legislature has been rampant for years and has become a speciality of well-funded special interests such as Big Oil's Western States Petroleum Association (WSPA).
Gov. Jerry Brown must release all his emails connected to the Public Utilities Commission's San Onofre Nuclear power plant scandal. Otherwise, Attorney General Kamala Harris needs to dig deeper to see if he was involved in negotiating a horrendous settlement to the detriment of ratepayers.
The Fair Political Practices Commission is promoting new lobbyist disclosure rules after massive spending by the oil industry at the end of the last legislative session killed a law that would have reduced petroleum use in California by 50%.