blog post Our Experts Weigh In on the Drought By Ellen Hanak, Jeffrey Mount, Alvar Escriva-Bou, Sarah Bardeen Jul 19, 2022 The water news in California has been grim: We’re in year three of a miserable drought—and “miserable” is the operative word. Our experts discuss how the drought is evolving, how the state is responding, and what might be coming next.
blog post Video: A Conversation with Former Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon By Mary Severance Jul 6, 2023 Anthony Rendon sat down last week with PPIC president and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye for a wide-ranging discussion—including his accomplishments, lessons learned, and future plans.
blog post Video: Tom Steyer on the Issues By Linda Strean May 16, 2017 Tom Steyer says the most important issues for California are addressing income inequality, rebuilding the state for the 21st century, and protecting democracy.
blog post Video: A Conversation with Chief Justice of California Patricia Guerrero By Mary Severance Nov 3, 2023 Patricia Guerrero became California's 29th Chief Justice in January 2023, succeeding current PPIC president and CEO Tani Cantil-Sakauye as head of the state's judiciary. At an event in Sacramento, they discussed Chief Justice Guerrero's priorities and goals for the state's judicial branch.
blog post How Business and Government Might Solve the Freshwater Crisis—Together By Sarah Bardeen Mar 25, 2024 Does the public sector need the private sector’s help to address the freshwater crisis? That’s the thesis of Stanford law and environmental social sciences professor Barton “Buzz” Thompson’s provocative new book. We sat down with him to hear more.
blog post The Colorado River’s Hydrology is Changing. Can We Adapt? By Letitia Grenier, Sarah Bardeen Mar 4, 2024 The Colorado River’s hydrology is changing—and the dwindling water supplies are hitting Southern California hard. We sat down with Colorado River Board of California’s chairman JB Hamby and Metropolitan Water District’s Bill Hasencamp to find out what’s next for the river.
Report Improving College Graduation Rates: A Closer Look at California State University By Kevin Cook, Jacob Jackson May 17, 2016 Low college graduation rates come at a high cost—lower salaries, lower tax revenue, and fewer college graduates in the workforce. At California State University (CSU), the nation's largest university system, graduation rates have an outsized financial and economic impact on students and the state. CSU has made strides in improving graduation rates, but there is more work to be done. The system continues to struggle with graduation gaps—underrepresented students are much less likely to complete their degree compared to their peers, and these gaps have not narrowed over time. Also, CSU's on-time (four-year) graduation rates still lag behind those of similar universities nationwide. By 2025, CSU aims to further increase graduation rates while cutting graduation gaps in half. To assist campus planning for this goal, we identify several promising programs and policies. More broadly, the CSU Chancellor's Office must work with campuses to evaluate and expand successful efforts, and the state must play a role in supporting new policies to move the needle on graduation gaps and on-time graduation.
blog post Video: A Conversation with California’s Legislative Leadership By Mary Severance Feb 4, 2019 Toni Atkins, president pro tem of the California State Senate, talks with PPIC’s Mark Baldassare about key challenges and opportunities facing California and how state policymakers can address them.
blog post The Holy Grail of a Zero-Carbon Home By Sarah Bardeen Apr 8, 2024 California’s buildings account for one quarter of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions—second only to transportation. So how can California reduce their carbon footprint? We sat down with our advisory council member Dan Dunmoyer of the California Building Industry Association to find out.
blog post Upgrading High School Math Requirements By Niu Gao Feb 13, 2017 California has not updated its math graduation requirements for 30 years and now lags behind other states in ensuring students’ success.