Capitol Watchdog: Upcoming Meetings to Watch

Is the tide turning against the oil industry when it comes to gas price manipulation? We might find out this week. Also, California's woeful support of mental health access will be aired, and possible solutions. Those and other meetings will be held, including topics such as closing the English learner gap, the rural digital divide and why do pipeline accidents persist? 

Will State Agency Protect CA Consumers in Centene/Health Net Merger?

Let's hope that the state's Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) is tougher on Centene and Health Net and their proposed merger than it was at a recent public meeting. 

In a letter sent to the DMHC, Consumer Watchdog urged the agency to prohibit Centene from shuttering any of Health Net's commercial plans, require it to upgrade any physician network issues and prevent executives from removing any reserves from California to pay for lavish compensation packages related to the deal. 

Will California Lawmakers Fix Campaign Financing Flaws?

Money is the poisoned milk of politics, but many lawmakers have been unenthusiastic about efforts to transform the way campaign cash is tracked or donated. But 2016 should be the year that they step up and stop money from drowning out the voices of regular voters. 
 

Agency Toxicologist Needs Racist Mouth Washed Out With Soap

In California, low-income minorities overwhelmingly live in the most polluted communities in the state. You would think that the agency mandated to protect them from toxic harm would be sensitive and respectful to these populations, making every effort to apply environmental laws and regulations equally to all. But you would be wrong if you are talking about the scientists tasked with determining whether toxic cleanups are needed.
 

Can They Smell The Gas In Paris?

Over in Paris, other countries think California and its leader, Governor Jerry Brown, have it nailed on stopping climate change. Earlier this year, in Sacramento, Chistiana Figueres, the top United Nations official on the climate talks, put it like this: “The world is committed, but they don’t know how. California has figured out how.”

CA Attorney General Eases Conditions for Newest Buyer of Struggling Hospitals

In the end, it appears that Attorney General Kamala Harris eased up on certain conditions regarding the sale of a financially struggling Catholic hospital system compared to a previous buyer. 
 

Pages

Capitol Watchdog is owned and operated by nonprofit Consumer Watchdog. For more information about Consumer Watchdog visit http://www.consumerwatchdog.org