Latest news with #CitrinCenter
The Hill
22-04-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Most in California support state coverage of undocumented immigrants' health care: Survey
Most California voters support the state's efforts to increase health care coverage for undocumented immigrants, a new survey found. According to a new survey from the University of California Berkley's Citrin Center and Politico, 21 percent of voters believe the state should continue to offer Medicaid coverage to undocumented immigrants, even if it means there will be cuts elsewhere in the budget. Thirty-two percent say California should continue offering the program to undocumented immigrants but if budget cuts are deemed necessary to make it work, people in the country legally should receive priority. About a third, 31 percent, say California never should have opened its Medicaid coverage up to undocumented immigrants and 17 percent say the state should partially or fully reverse the decision to offer the health care coverage. The survey comes just days after California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) signed legislation to close a $2.8 billion Medicaid funding gap. Republicans in the state were pushing back on Newsom's decision, arguing that undocumented immigrants should not be receiving access to the care since there's a gap in the budget. Newsom's signed legislation is part of the state's plan to fix the $6.2 billion gap in the Medicaid budget after California launched an attempt to give all low-income adults coverage regardless of immigration status. The state has surpassed its original budget because it underestimated the number of people who signed up for Medicaid services. State leaders have not disclosed how many people enrolled via the expansion. Jack Citrin, a longtime UC Berkeley political science professor, told Politico that the findings of the survey can offer state lawmakers direction as they grapple with the costs, which were higher than expected. 'I think there will be resistance among the state government to cutting Medicaid, but if they have to, presumably they might start changing which undocumented get access, maybe limiting it to children and elderly people, rather than everyone,' he said. Medi-Cal, the name of the state's Medicaid program, has become controversial as the state looks to expand coverage and make its own version of universal health care. Republican state lawmakers have pushed back on Newsom, saying he's 'bankrupted the program' and made legal residents 'come second.' While Newsom has said he doesn't have any plans to roll back the plan, other Democrats say tough choices lie ahead. The survey was conducted among 1,025 California respondents from April 1-14 and has a margin of error of 5 percentage points.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California's frustration with homelessness is boiling over, poll finds
SAN FRANCISCO — California voters have grown so frustrated with the blue state's failure to reduce homelessness that well over a third of the electorate now supports local laws that allow police to arrest people camping outside if they refuse shelter. About 37 percent of voters support arresting homeless people if they refuse to accept shelter, according to a poll from POLITICO and UC Berkeley's Citrin Center that surveyed registered voters as well as political and policy professionals for the first time about the contentious approach to the homelessness crisis. Another 24 percent of voters surveyed 'somewhat' agree with that approach, and 38 percent oppose the idea. 'If I were a policymaker, I would read this as people expressing frustration that homelessness hasn't decreased in absolute terms,' said Jason Elliott, a veteran Democratic consultant and Gov. Gavin Newsom's former deputy chief of staff. 'Californians are right to be frustrated.' The poll also found that addressing housing and homelessness was far and away the biggest shortcoming of state government — and the most pressing issue facing California, which has the nation's largest homeless population and notoriously high housing costs. The finding on encampments comes as a handful of cities pursue more aggressive policies, including a proposal by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a moderate Democrat, that would allow the Bay Area city to arrest people who repeatedly decline shelter. Even cities with less draconian ordinances, including San Francisco and Sacramento, have seen a sharp uptick in the number of homeless people arrested for refusing to move their camps. Such arrests have surged in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling last summer, Grants Pass v. Johnson, thatgranted local officials broad powers to outlaw public camping, including by jailing people. But that openness to more hardline tactics isn't shared by many of the state's political elite, including policymakers driving the statewide agenda in Sacramento. Nearly half of the state's policy influencers — or 45 percent — oppose using law enforcement to detain people sleeping on sidewalks and in other public spaces. Much of the state's Democratic establishment, including Newsom, have resisted such measures, even as they ramp up encampment sweeps — instead favoring voluntary offers of shelter and conservatorships for those with severe drug addictions or mental illnesses. City leaders who've pursued more aggressive anti-campaign laws complain that voluntarily urging people to accept shelter hasn't been enough. That includes Mahan and officials in Fresno and Fremont, a Bay Area suburb that previously outlawed "aiding and abetting" homeless residents as part of its camping ban (though the city later reversed itself amid threats of litigation). 'Many of us in local government are realizing that the only tool we have for bringing severely addicted people in from the streets and giving them a shot at benefiting from treatment is our court system,' Mahan said. Since the Grants Pass decision, which Newsom supported, the governor has urged cities to clear encampments. Many local governments refuse to routinely clear tents — which Elliot, who still advises Newsom on an informal basis, said is a more pressing concern than a polarizing debate over arrests. He added, 'There are still jurisdictions in this state that are taking no action at all. That, to me, is a question that needs to be called.' The survey found that a plurality of male voters and and the vast majority of Republicans support arresting homeless people who decline shelter — Democrats are far more likely to oppose such policies; 50 percent oppose it while 21 percent are in favor of it. Independent voters were more evenly divided. California lawmakers have been reluctant to adopt any statewide policies on public-camping ordinances, even as other blue states like Oregon have imposed limits for cities. This session, however, state lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban heavier-handed homelessness policies. The proposal from state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, a Los Angeles County Democrat, would prohibit civil or criminal penalties, including jail, for 'any act immediately related to homelessness or any act related to basic survival.' While the poll from POLITICO and UC Berkeley's Citrin Center suggests a disconnect between many voters and the state's political elite around policing encampments, it found both groups view the crisis as the top issue in California. According to the survey, 58 percent of voters view housing and homelessness as the area where the state's government needs to make the most improvement, an opinion shared by 65 percent of political influencers. Jack Citrin, a University of California, Berkeley political science professor who directed the survey, said it shows voters are growing increasingly frustrated that the state hasn't 'moved the needle' on homelessness after spending tens of billions in taxpayer money to address it. 'It's a highly visible issue,' Citrin said. 'You can't completely avoid homelessness if you live in a big city.' The survey was conducted on the platform from April 1 to 14 among 1,025 California registered voters and 718 influencers. Its questions were put to two distinct survey groups: California registered voters and a selection of 'policy influencers.' To generate the influencer sample, the survey was emailed to a list of people, including subscribers to California Playbook, California Climate and POLITICO Pro who work in the state. Respondents in that sample included lawmakers and staffers in the state Legislature and the federal government. Verasight provided the registered voter sample, which included randomly sampled voters from the California voter file. The modeled error estimate for the voter survey is plus-or-minus five percentage points.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
California's frustration with homelessness is boiling over, poll finds
SAN FRANCISCO — California voters have grown so frustrated with the blue state's failure to reduce homelessness that well over a third of the electorate now supports local laws that allow police to arrest people camping outside if they refuse shelter. About 37 percent of voters support arresting homeless people if they refuse to accept shelter, according to a poll from POLITICO and UC Berkeley's Citrin Center that surveyed registered voters as well as political and policy professionals for the first time about the contentious approach to the homelessness crisis. Another 24 percent of voters surveyed 'somewhat' agree with that approach, and 38 percent oppose the idea. 'If I were a policymaker, I would read this as people expressing frustration that homelessness hasn't decreased in absolute terms,' said Jason Elliott, a veteran Democratic consultant and Gov. Gavin Newsom's former deputy chief of staff. 'Californians are right to be frustrated.' The poll also found that addressing housing and homelessness was far and away the biggest shortcoming of state government — and the most pressing issue facing California, which has the nation's largest homeless population and notoriously high housing costs. The finding on encampments comes as a handful of cities pursue more aggressive policies, including a proposal by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a moderate Democrat, that would allow the Bay Area city to arrest people who repeatedly decline shelter. Even cities with less draconian ordinances, including San Francisco and Sacramento, have seen a sharp uptick in the number of homeless people arrested for refusing to move their camps. Such arrests have surged in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling last summer, Grants Pass v. Johnson, thatgranted local officials broad powers to outlaw public camping, including by jailing people. But that openness to more hardline tactics isn't shared by many of the state's political elite, including policymakers driving the statewide agenda in Sacramento. Nearly half of the state's policy influencers — or 45 percent — oppose using law enforcement to detain people sleeping on sidewalks and in other public spaces. Much of the state's Democratic establishment, including Newsom, have resisted such measures, even as they ramp up encampment sweeps — instead favoring voluntary offers of shelter and conservatorships for those with severe drug addictions or mental illnesses. City leaders who've pursued more aggressive anti-campaign laws complain that voluntarily urging people to accept shelter hasn't been enough. That includes Mahan and officials in Fresno and Fremont, a Bay Area suburb that previously outlawed "aiding and abetting" homeless residents as part of its camping ban (though the city later reversed itself amid threats of litigation). 'Many of us in local government are realizing that the only tool we have for bringing severely addicted people in from the streets and giving them a shot at benefiting from treatment is our court system,' Mahan said. Since the Grants Pass decision, which Newsom supported, the governor has urged cities to clear encampments. Many local governments refuse to routinely clear tents — which Elliot, who still advises Newsom on an informal basis, said is a more pressing concern than a polarizing debate over arrests. He added, 'There are still jurisdictions in this state that are taking no action at all. That, to me, is a question that needs to be called.' The survey found that a plurality of male voters and and the vast majority of Republicans support arresting homeless people who decline shelter — Democrats are far more likely to oppose such policies; 50 percent oppose it while 21 percent are in favor of it. Independent voters were more evenly divided. California lawmakers have been reluctant to adopt any statewide policies on public-camping ordinances, even as other blue states like Oregon have imposed limits for cities. This session, however, state lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban heavier-handed homelessness policies. The proposal from state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, a Los Angeles County Democrat, would prohibit civil or criminal penalties, including jail, for 'any act immediately related to homelessness or any act related to basic survival.' While the poll from POLITICO and UC Berkeley's Citrin Center suggests a disconnect between many voters and the state's political elite around policing encampments, it found both groups view the crisis as the top issue in California. According to the survey, 58 percent of voters view housing and homelessness as the area where the state's government needs to make the most improvement, an opinion shared by 65 percent of political influencers. Jack Citrin, a University of California, Berkeley political science professor who directed the survey, said it shows voters are growing increasingly frustrated that the state hasn't 'moved the needle' on homelessness after spending tens of billions in taxpayer money to address it. 'It's a highly visible issue,' Citrin said. 'You can't completely avoid homelessness if you live in a big city.' The survey was conducted on the platform from April 1 to 14 among 1,025 California registered voters and 718 influencers. Its questions were put to two distinct survey groups: California registered voters and a selection of 'policy influencers.' To generate the influencer sample, the survey was emailed to a list of people, including subscribers to California Playbook, California Climate and POLITICO Pro who work in the state. Respondents in that sample included lawmakers and staffers in the state Legislature and the federal government. Verasight provided the registered voter sample, which included randomly sampled voters from the California voter file. The modeled error estimate for the voter survey is plus-or-minus five percentage points.
Politico
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Politico
California's frustration with homelessness is boiling over, poll finds
SAN FRANCISCO — California voters have grown so frustrated with the blue state's failure to reduce homelessness that well over a third of the electorate now supports local laws that allow police to arrest people camping outside if they refuse shelter. About 37 percent of voters support arresting homeless people if they refuse to accept shelter, according to a poll from POLITICO and UC Berkeley's Citrin Center that surveyed registered voters as well as political and policy professionals for the first time about the contentious approach to the homelessness crisis. Another 24 percent of voters surveyed 'somewhat' agree with that approach, and 38 percent oppose the idea. 'If I were a policymaker, I would read this as people expressing frustration that homelessness hasn't decreased in absolute terms,' said Jason Elliott, a veteran Democratic consultant and Gov. Gavin Newsom's former deputy chief of staff. 'Californians are right to be frustrated.' The poll also found that addressing housing and homelessness was far and away the biggest shortcoming of state government — and the most pressing issue facing California, which has the nation's largest homeless population and notoriously high housing costs. The finding on encampments comes as a handful of cities pursue more aggressive policies, including a proposal by San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, a moderate Democrat, that would allow the Bay Area city to arrest people who repeatedly decline shelter. Even cities with less draconian ordinances, including San Francisco and Sacramento , have seen a sharp uptick in the number of homeless people arrested for refusing to move their camps. Such arrests have surged in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling last summer, Grants Pass v. Johnson , that granted local officials broad powers to outlaw public camping, including by jailing people. But that openness to more hardline tactics isn't shared by many of the state's political elite, including policymakers driving the statewide agenda in Sacramento. Nearly half of the state's policy influencers — or 45 percent — oppose using law enforcement to detain people sleeping on sidewalks and in other public spaces. Much of the state's Democratic establishment, including Newsom, have resisted such measures, even as they ramp up encampment sweeps — instead favoring voluntary offers of shelter and conservatorships for those with severe drug addictions or mental illnesses. City leaders who've pursued more aggressive anti-campaign laws complain that voluntarily urging people to accept shelter hasn't been enough. That includes Mahan and officials in Fresno and Fremont, a Bay Area suburb that previously outlawed 'aiding and abetting' homeless residents as part of its camping ban (though the city later reversed itself amid threats of litigation). 'Many of us in local government are realizing that the only tool we have for bringing severely addicted people in from the streets and giving them a shot at benefiting from treatment is our court system,' Mahan said. Since the Grants Pass decision, which Newsom supported, the governor has urged cities to clear encampments . Many local governments refuse to routinely clear tents — which Elliot, who still advises Newsom on an informal basis, said is a more pressing concern than a polarizing debate over arrests. He added, 'There are still jurisdictions in this state that are taking no action at all. That, to me, is a question that needs to be called.' The survey found that a plurality of male voters and and the vast majority of Republicans support arresting homeless people who decline shelter — Democrats are far more likely to oppose such policies; 50 percent oppose it while 21 percent are in favor of it. Independent voters were more evenly divided. California lawmakers have been reluctant to adopt any statewide policies on public-camping ordinances, even as other blue states like Oregon have imposed limits for cities. This session, however, state lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban heavier-handed homelessness policies. The proposal from state Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, a Los Angeles County Democrat, would prohibit civil or criminal penalties, including jail, for 'any act immediately related to homelessness or any act related to basic survival.' While the poll from POLITICO and UC Berkeley's Citrin Center suggests a disconnect between many voters and the state's political elite around policing encampments, it found both groups view the crisis as the top issue in California. According to the survey, 58 percent of voters view housing and homelessness as the area where the state's government needs to make the most improvement, an opinion shared by 65 percent of political influencers. Jack Citrin, a University of California, Berkeley political science professor who directed the survey, said it shows voters are growing increasingly frustrated that the state hasn't 'moved the needle' on homelessness after spending tens of billions in taxpayer money to address it. 'It's a highly visible issue,' Citrin said. 'You can't completely avoid homelessness if you live in a big city.' The survey was conducted on the platform from April 1 to 14 among 1,025 California registered voters and 718 influencers. Its questions were put to two distinct survey groups: California registered voters and a selection of 'policy influencers.' To generate the influencer sample, the survey was emailed to a list of people, including subscribers to California Playbook, California Climate and POLITICO Pro who work in the state. Respondents in that sample included lawmakers and staffers in the state Legislature and the federal government. Verasight provided the registered voter sample, which included randomly sampled voters from the California voter file. The modeled error estimate for the voter survey is plus-or-minus five percentage points.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Here's what a new poll reveals about Kamala Harris' chances of winning 2026 California governor's race
The poll conducted by POLITICO and UC Berkeley's Citrin Center shows a mixed reaction to a hypothetical Harris bid for California governor. Former Vice President Kamala Harris has not yet made a decision about whether she will run for California governor in 2026–a decision she is expected to make by late summer–however, a newly released survey now provides an early temperature check about how California voters feel about her potential candidacy. The poll conducted by POLITICO and UC Berkeley's Citrin Center shows a mixed reaction to a hypothetical Harris bid for California governor. Individuals who were polled were asked to qualify their feelings about a Harris run by selecting from a range of descriptive words, including 'joyful,' 'mostly excited,' 'indifferent,' 'irritated,' 'outraged,' 'hopeless,' or other. Respondents were allowed to select multiple options. The survey polled two pools of voters: those registered to vote in California and those considered 'policy influencers.' The results revealed two different takeaways about how California voters feel about a potential Governor Harris. Among registered Democratic voters, Kamala Harris received overwhelmingly enthusiastic responses. Thirty-three percent said they felt joyful about Harris' possible run for California's highest office, and another 41% said they were 'mostly excited.' Those who felt negatively about Harris jumping into the race were in the single digits, and another quarter of Democrats said they were indifferent about the prospect. Maybe not surprisingly, a majority of registered Republican voters in California recorded their responses as either 'irritated' or 'outraged.' But given Democrats' significant advantage among California voters, Democratic voters' enthusiasm suggests the governorship could be hers for the taking. Despite some concerns about Harris dominating the field should she decide to run, several have already thrown their names in the hat, including California Lieutenant Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Congresswoman Katie Porter, former Biden Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra, and others. Current Gov. Gavin Newsom is term-limited and is unable to run for a third term. He is among a list of Democrats expected to make a bid for president in 2028. However, among voters considered 'policy influencers,' Harris received lukewarm support. Thirty-six percent of those voters concluded that they feel 'indifferent' about Harris' potential bid to serve as the Golden State's chief executive. As Politico reports, it harkens back to Kamala Harris' difficulty in rallying full-throttle support in California during her first presidential campaign in 2019. A Republican strategist told the outlet, 'The buzz on her was better outside of California than it was in California.' Of course, Harris' national popularity has skyrocketed since becoming the 2024 Democratic presidential nominee last year. While she was not successful in her bid to deny President Donald Trump a second term in the White House, she managed to acquire the third highest amount of votes by any presidential candidate in only 107 days (Harris notably jumped in the race last minute after President Joe Biden dropped out three months before Election Day). Supporters of Harris have applauded the former vice president's 2024 run given the circumstances (including her untethered association with President Biden among voters). That is likely why Harris has not yet taken off the table the possibility of running for president again in 2028. Harris, who is relatively young by political standards at 60, could also choose to run for president beyond 2028. After several months of remaining quiet about President Trump's first months back in office, Harris broke her silence while giving remarks at the annual Leading Women Defined Summit. Harris told the room of Black women, 'We are seeing organizations stay quiet. We are seeing those who are capitulating to clearly unconstitutional threats.' She continued, 'And these are the things that we are witnessing each day in these last few months in our country, and it understandably creates a great sense of fear. Because, you know, there were many things that we knew would happen.' Harris then elicited roars from the audience when she said, 'I'm not here to say I told you so.' More must-reads: Obama praises Harvard University for standing up to Trump despite $2.2B funding threat 'Homegrowns are next': Trump provokes fears for Black US citizens with legally dubious deportation proposal Black Voters Matter, activists say Trump era is an opportunity to rebuild Black political power
