Latest news with #DiCamillo
Gulf Today
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Today
Most Californians favour proving citizenship to vote
Kevin Rector, Tribune News Service While California voters are sharply divided along partisan lines when it comes to election integrity and voter fraud, they broadly support a politically-charged proposal from President Donald Trump and other Republicans to require first-time voters to provide government-issued identification proving their citizenship in order to register, according to a new poll. A majority of voters in both parties back the proof of citizenship requirement for registering, according to a new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times. Most Californians also supported requiring a government ID every time a voter casts a ballot, though by a slimmer majority and despite most Democrats opposing the idea. Mark DiCamillo, co-director of the Berkeley IGS Poll, said the bipartisan support for first-time voters showing proof of citizenship stood out, as many of the poll's other findings showed a stark political divide and a majority of Californians at odds with Trump and his recent edicts on voting — which California and other states are suing to block. Still, DiCamillo said his biggest takeaway was the sharp distrust in the state's election system that the poll found among California Republicans, which he said should be a "serious concern" for state elections officials — even if a majority trust the system. Democratic voters in the state are largely confident in the state election system and doubtful of prevalent voter fraud, while many Republican voters feel the opposite, the poll found. "It is significant to me that the Republicans in this state are not of that view. And that's something that has to be dealt with," DiCamillo said. "In an election system, you want both sides to be on board." Overall, 71% of respondents said they supported new voters having to prove citizenship upon registering, including 59% of Democrats, the poll found. Nearly all Republicans — 95% — backed the proposal, as did 71% of voters registered to other parties or as "no party preference." A separate proposal to require voters to show proof of citizenship every time they vote also drew support from a majority of poll respondents, but a much slimmer one — with 54% support. While 88% of Republicans backed that idea, about 60% of Democrats opposed it. Among independents and Californians registered with other parties, 54% supported it. Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento have repeatedly rebuffed proposals for stricter voter ID laws in the state, including in recent weeks, when they shot down a voter ID bill from Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego. DeMaio also has launched a campaign to place a voter ID and proof of citizenship requirement on the 2026 ballot. DeMaio said the poll showed there is "broad public support" for his measure — which would require both proof of citizenship upon registering for the first time and a photo ID for confirming identity each subsequent time voting — and that California Democrats are "out of touch" with the electorate. "Overwhelmingly, voters support this ballot measure," he said. "The only people who don't support it? Sacramento politicians." The proposed ballot measure would require mail-in ballots to include the last four digits of the voter's valid government-issued form of identification, along with the current requirement to have the signature of a voter on the ballot verified. The polling was conducted April 21-28, about a month after Trump issued a March 25 executive order presuming to dictate to the states a slate of new election requirements that Trump said were necessary to restore integrity in US elections, but many experts said were outside the scope of his authority. Trump has alleged for years, without evidence, that the 2020 election was stolen from him and that voter fraud is widespread, including among immigrants who are in the country illegally. Neither of those things is true. Trump's executive order says voters must show a US passport, Real ID or some other government-issued photo identification in order to register to vote. It says states also must limit their counting of ballots to those received by election day — not postmarked by then, as California and some other states currently allow — or risk losing federal funding. The order also directs the Election Assistance Commission, which is an independent, bipartisan body outside the president's control, to mandate the proposed restrictions and other, Trump-determined requirements for state voting systems, and to rescind its certifications of voting equipment in states that don't comply. Parts of Trump's order — including the proof of citizenship requirement — have been blocked in federal court while litigation challenging the order continues. California is one of many states suing, with California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta calling Trump's order "a blatantly illegal power grab and an attempt to disenfranchise voters." In a statement on the poll results, Bonta said it was fortunate that a majority of Californians still have confidence in the state election system despite Trump "spreading lies" about voter fraud and other election issues for years. He said state law "already contains robust voter ID requirements with strong protections to prevent voter fraud," and that his office "is committed to removing barriers to voter registration and to promoting greater participation in the democratic process — in and out of court." Dean C. Logan, registrar-recorder and county clerk for Los Angeles County, said in a court filing earlier this week that Trump's order — if left intact — would "divert time, resources, and attention from other critical departmental responsibilities and election preparation, including assisting voters displaced by the Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires; upgrading the County's Election Management System ('EMS') which serves as the backbone of the voter registration intake and database; and engaging in a site by site analysis of all 600-plus Vote Center locations to ensure they meet accessibility standards." The poll found Californians are largely at odds with Trump's attacks on the integrity of US elections, which is perhaps not surprising in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans nearly 2 to 1. For instance, the poll found that a majority of Californians — and strong majorities of Democrats — believe voter fraud is rare, express confidence in the integrity of the state's voting system, oppose efforts by the federal government to take more control over voting from the state and counties, and oppose Trump's proposal to prohibit the counting of mail ballots after election day. Among the respondents who participated in the poll — 6,201 registered voters in the state — more than two-thirds, or 68%, expressed confidence in the overall integrity of the state's election system. The same percentage opposed Trump's recent proposal to prohibit the counting of ballots postmarked but not received by election day. Well over half — or 57% — said they believed voter fraud in the state is very or fairly rare, while a similar percentage, 58%, said they were opposed to Trump's proposal for the federal government to take greater control over state elections. On all of those questions, however, Californians were heavily divided along partisan lines.
Miami Herald
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Most Californians favor proving citizenship to vote, poll finds
LOS ANGELES - While California voters are sharply divided along partisan lines when it comes to election integrity and voter fraud, they broadly support a politically-charged proposal from President Donald Trump and other Republicans to require first-time voters to provide government-issued identification proving their citizenship in order to register, according to a new poll. A majority of voters in both parties back the proof of citizenship requirement for registering, according to a new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times. Most Californians also supported requiring a government ID every time a voter casts a ballot, though by a slimmer majority and despite most Democrats opposing the idea. Mark DiCamillo, co-director of the Berkeley IGS Poll, said the bipartisan support for first-time voters showing proof of citizenship stood out, as many of the poll's other findings showed a stark political divide and a majority of Californians at odds with Trump and his recent edicts on voting - which California and other states are suing to block. Still, DiCamillo said his biggest takeaway was the sharp distrust in the state's election system that the poll found among California Republicans, which he said should be a "serious concern" for state elections officials - even if a majority trust the system. Democratic voters in the state are largely confident in the state election system and doubtful of prevalent voter fraud, while many Republican voters feel the opposite, the poll found. "It is significant to me that the Republicans in this state are not of that view. And that's something that has to be dealt with," DiCamillo said. "In an election system, you want both sides to be on board." Overall, 71% of respondents said they supported new voters having to prove citizenship upon registering, including 59% of Democrats, the poll found. Nearly all Republicans - 95% - backed the proposal, as did 71% of voters registered to other parties or as "no party preference." A separate proposal to require voters to show proof of citizenship every time they vote also drew support from a majority of poll respondents, but a much slimmer one - with 54% support. While 88% of Republicans backed that idea, about 60% of Democrats opposed it. Among independents and Californians registered with other parties, 54% supported it. Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento have repeatedly rebuffed proposals for stricter voter ID laws in the state, including in recent weeks, when they shot down a voter ID bill from Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego. DeMaio also has launched a campaign to place a voter ID and proof of citizenship requirement on the 2026 ballot. DeMaio said the poll showed there is "broad public support" for his measure - which would require both proof of citizenship upon registering for the first time and a photo ID for confirming identity each subsequent time voting - and that California Democrats are "out of touch" with the electorate. "Overwhelmingly, voters support this ballot measure," he said. "The only people who don't support it? Sacramento politicians." The proposed ballot measure would require mail-in ballots to include the last four digits of the voter's valid government-issued form of identification, along with the current requirement to have the signature of a voter on the ballot verified. The polling was conducted April 21-28, about a month after Trump issued a March 25 executive order presuming to dictate to the states a slate of new election requirements that Trump said were necessary to restore integrity in U.S. elections, but many experts said were outside the scope of his authority. Trump has alleged for years, without evidence, that the 2020 election was stolen from him and that voter fraud is widespread, including among immigrants who are in the country illegally. Neither of those things is true. Trump's executive order says voters must show a U.S. passport, Real ID or some other government-issued photo identification in order to register to vote. It says states also must limit their counting of ballots to those received by election day - not postmarked by then, as California and some other states currently allow - or risk losing federal funding. The order also directs the Election Assistance Commission, which is an independent, bipartisan body outside the president's control, to mandate the proposed restrictions and other, Trump-determined requirements for state voting systems, and to rescind its certifications of voting equipment in states that don't comply. Parts of Trump's order - including the proof of citizenship requirement - have been blocked in federal court while litigation challenging the order continues. California is one of many states suing, with California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta calling Trump's order "a blatantly illegal power grab and an attempt to disenfranchise voters." In a statement on the poll results, Bonta said it was fortunate that a majority of Californians still have confidence in the state election system despite Trump "spreading lies" about voter fraud and other election issues for years. He said state law "already contains robust voter ID requirements with strong protections to prevent voter fraud," and that his office "is committed to removing barriers to voter registration and to promoting greater participation in the democratic process - in and out of court." Dean C. Logan, registrar-recorder and county clerk for Los Angeles County, said in a court filing earlier this week that Trump's order - if left intact - would "divert time, resources, and attention from other critical departmental responsibilities and election preparation, including assisting voters displaced by the Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires; upgrading the County's Election Management System ('EMS') which serves as the backbone of the voter registration intake and database; and engaging in a site by site analysis of all 600-plus Vote Center locations to ensure they meet accessibility standards." The poll found Californians are largely at odds with Trump's attacks on the integrity of U.S. elections, which is perhaps not surprising in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans nearly 2 to 1. For instance, the poll found that a majority of Californians - and strong majorities of Democrats - believe voter fraud is rare, express confidence in the integrity of the state's voting system, oppose efforts by the federal government to take more control over voting from the state and counties, and oppose Trump's proposal to prohibit the counting of mail ballots after election day. Among the respondents who participated in the poll - 6,201 registered voters in the state - more than two-thirds, or 68%, expressed confidence in the overall integrity of the state's election system. The same percentage opposed Trump's recent proposal to prohibit the counting of ballots postmarked but not received by election day. Well over half - or 57% - said they believed voter fraud in the state is very or fairly rare, while a similar percentage, 58%, said they were opposed to Trump's proposal for the federal government to take greater control over state elections. On all of those questions, however, Californians were heavily divided along partisan lines. For instance, 61% of Republican voters said they are not very or not at all confident in the integrity of the state's election system, which compared to just 13% of Democrats. And while 74% of Republicans said fraud was somewhat or very prevalent in state elections, just 14% of Democrats felt the same, the poll found. A majority of voters - 58% - opposed the federal government taking more control over elections from the state, despite more than three-quarters of Republicans supporting the move. And, while 57% of Republican voters backed Trump's proposal to prohibit the counting of mail ballots postmarked but not received by election officials by election day, just 9% of Democrats agreed - with 86% of Democrats disagreeing. Rick Hasen, a voting rights expert at UCLA Law School, said the poll results - including Californians' overall confidence in the state's election system, disbelief in prevalent fraud and opposition to federal takeover - were in line with other polling and what he'd expect. "Most people in most states believe that their own state's election system is run well, and that if there is any kind of problem, it's elsewhere," he said. It was equally unsurprising that "Republicans have a much more cynical view of the process," he said. "Party supporters tend to follow their elites, and the top of the Republican Party has been making false and unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud for decades now," Hasen said. "It's no surprise that it's seeped through to the electorate." Hasen said the results on proof of citizenship also made sense, as "voter ID has polled positively, so requiring proof of voter citizenship also tends to poll positively." But, he questioned whether poll respondents really understood the implications of such a requirement. Asked whether it would be easy or difficult to "present a government-issued photo ID as proof of citizenship when voting in an election," 93% of respondents said it would be easy. But Hasen, many Democrats and most voting rights groups have argued just the opposite - that millions of U.S. citizens would be blocked from voting by the measure because they lack the required documents, which don't include birth certificates, which don't have photos, or many California driver's licenses. "I just don't think people recognize that a lot of government-issued photo IDs would not qualify, and they certainly wouldn't qualify under the president's proposed rules," Hasen said. Copyright (C) 2025, Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Portions copyrighted by the respective providers.
Los Angeles Times
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Most Californians favor proving citizenship to vote, poll finds
While California voters are sharply divided along partisan lines when it comes to election integrity and voter fraud, they broadly support a politically-charged proposal from President Trump and other Republicans to require first-time voters to provide government-issued identification proving their citizenship in order to register, according to a new poll. A majority of voters in both parties back the proof of citizenship requirement for registering, according to a new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times. Most Californians also supported requiring a government ID every time a voter casts a ballot, though by a slimmer majority and despite most Democrats opposing the idea. Mark DiCamillo, co-director of the Berkeley IGS Poll, said the bipartisan support for first-time voters showing proof of citizenship stood out, as many of the poll's other findings showed a stark political divide and a majority of Californians at odds with Trump and his recent edicts on voting — which California and other states are suing to block. Still, DiCamillo said his biggest takeaway was the sharp distrust in the state's election system that the poll found among California Republicans, which he said should be a 'serious concern' for state elections officials — even if a majority trust the system. Democratic voters in the state are largely confident in the state election system and doubtful of prevalent voter fraud, while many Republican voters feel the opposite, the poll found. 'It is significant to me that the Republicans in this state are not of that view. And that's something that has to be dealt with,' DiCamillo said. 'In an election system, you want both sides to be on board.' Overall, 71% of respondents said they supported new voters having to prove citizenship upon registering, including 59% of Democrats, the poll found. Nearly all Republicans — 95% — backed the proposal, as did 71% of voters registered to other parties or as 'no party preference.' A separate proposal to require voters to show proof of citizenship every time they vote also drew support from a majority of poll respondents, but a much slimmer one — with 54% support. While 88% of Republicans backed that idea, about 60% of Democrats opposed it. Among independents and Californians registered with other parties, 54% supported it. Democratic lawmakers in Sacramento have repeatedly rebuffed proposals for stricter voter ID laws in the state, including in recent weeks, when they shot down a voter ID bill from Assemblymember Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego). DeMaio also has launched a campaign to place a voter ID and proof of citizenship requirement on the 2026 ballot. DeMaio said the poll showed there is 'broad public support' for his measure — which would require both proof of citizenship upon registering for the first time and a photo ID for confirming identity each subsequent time voting — and that California Democrats are 'out of touch' with the electorate. 'Overwhelmingly, voters support this ballot measure,' he said. 'The only people who don't support it? Sacramento politicians.' The proposed ballot measure would require mail-in ballots to include the last four digits of the voter's valid government-issued form of identification, along with the current requirement to have the signature of a voter on the ballot verified. The polling was conducted April 21-28, about a month after Trump issued a March 25 executive order presuming to dictate to the states a slate of new election requirements that Trump said were necessary to restore integrity in U.S. elections, but many experts said were outside the scope of his authority. Trump has alleged for years, without evidence, that the 2020 election was stolen from him and that voter fraud is widespread, including among immigrants who are in the country illegally. Neither of those things is true. Trump's executive order says voters must show a U.S. passport, Real ID or some other government-issued photo identification in order to register to vote. It says states also must limit their counting of ballots to those received by election day — not postmarked by then, as California and some other states currently allow — or risk losing federal funding. The order also directs the Election Assistance Commission, which is an independent, bipartisan body outside the president's control, to mandate the proposed restrictions and other, Trump-determined requirements for state voting systems, and to rescind its certifications of voting equipment in states that don't comply. Parts of Trump's order — including the proof of citizenship requirement — have been blocked in federal court while litigation challenging the order continues. California is one of many states suing, with California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta calling Trump's order 'a blatantly illegal power grab and an attempt to disenfranchise voters.' In a statement on the poll results, Bonta said it was fortunate that a majority of Californians still have confidence in the state election system despite Trump 'spreading lies' about voter fraud and other election issues for years. He said state law 'already contains robust voter ID requirements with strong protections to prevent voter fraud,' and that his office 'is committed to removing barriers to voter registration and to promoting greater participation in the democratic process — in and out of court.' Dean C. Logan, registrar-recorder and county clerk for Los Angeles County, said in a court filing earlier this week that Trump's order — if left intact — would 'divert time, resources, and attention from other critical departmental responsibilities and election preparation, including assisting voters displaced by the Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires; upgrading the County's Election Management System ('EMS') which serves as the backbone of the voter registration intake and database; and engaging in a site by site analysis of all 600-plus Vote Center locations to ensure they meet accessibility standards.' The poll found Californians are largely at odds with Trump's attacks on the integrity of U.S. elections, which is perhaps not surprising in a state where registered Democrats outnumber registered Republicans nearly 2 to 1. For instance, the poll found that a majority of Californians — and strong majorities of Democrats — believe voter fraud is rare, express confidence in the integrity of the state's voting system, oppose efforts by the federal government to take more control over voting from the state and counties, and oppose Trump's proposal to prohibit the counting of mail ballots after election day. Among the respondents who participated in the poll — 6,201 registered voters in the state — more than two-thirds, or 68%, expressed confidence in the overall integrity of the state's election system. The same percentage opposed Trump's recent proposal to prohibit the counting of ballots postmarked but not received by election day. Well over half — or 57% — said they believed voter fraud in the state is very or fairly rare, while a similar percentage, 58%, said they were opposed to Trump's proposal for the federal government to take greater control over state elections. On all of those questions, however, Californians were heavily divided along partisan lines. For instance, 61% of Republican voters said they are not very or not at all confident in the integrity of the state's election system, which compared to just 13% of Democrats. And while 74% of Republicans said fraud was somewhat or very prevalent in state elections, just 14% of Democrats felt the same, the poll found. A majority of voters — 58% — opposed the federal government taking more control over elections from the state, despite more than three-quarters of Republicans supporting the move. And, while 57% of Republican voters backed Trump's proposal to prohibit the counting of mail ballots postmarked but not received by election officials by election day, just 9% of Democrats agreed — with 86% of Democrats disagreeing. Rick Hasen, a voting rights expert at UCLA Law School, said the poll results — including Californians' overall confidence in the state's election system, disbelief in prevalent fraud and opposition to federal takeover — were in line with other polling and what he'd expect. 'Most people in most states believe that their own state's election system is run well, and that if there is any kind of problem, it's elsewhere,' he said. It was equally unsurprising that 'Republicans have a much more cynical view of the process,' he said. 'Party supporters tend to follow their elites, and the top of the Republican Party has been making false and unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud for decades now,' Hasen said. 'It's no surprise that it's seeped through to the electorate.' Hasen said the results on proof of citizenship also made sense, as 'voter ID has polled positively, so requiring proof of voter citizenship also tends to poll positively.' But, he questioned whether poll respondents really understood the implications of such a requirement. Asked whether it would be easy or difficult to 'present a government-issued photo ID as proof of citizenship when voting in an election,' 93% of respondents said it would be easy. But Hasen, many Democrats and most voting rights groups have argued just the opposite — that millions of U.S. citizens would be blocked from voting by the measure because they lack the required documents, which don't include birth certificates, which don't have photos, or many California driver's licenses. 'I just don't think people recognize that a lot of government-issued photo IDs would not qualify, and they certainly wouldn't qualify under the president's proposed rules,' Hasen said.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Despite political promises, Californians are stressed about their finances
After voters in November sent a clear message that the rising cost of living remained a top concern, California lawmakers came to the Capitol vowing to take decisive action. "Our task this session is urgent and clear," Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) told lawmakers at the start of the 2024-2025 legislative session in early December. "We must chart a new path forward. And it begins by focusing on affordability." Despite proposed legislation to help make California a more affordable place to live, however, voters in the state are growing increasingly pessimistic about their financial future, according to a new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times. Nearly half of California voters feel worse off than they were last year, and 54% felt less hopeful about their economic well-being. When asked to name the most important issues for state leaders to be addressing this year, the cost of living, housing affordability and homelessness topped the list — far above concerns about crime and public safety, taxes and immigration, the poll found. "The number one issue is an economic issue. It's the cost of living," Mark DiCamillo, director of the IGS poll, said. "Both Democrats are and Republicans are in agreement on that one." Californians' fears about their future, and their current financial well-being, dramatically increased after President Trump moved back into the White House in January, DiCamillo said. Within months, Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on goods imported from countries worldwide, sending turbulence through the global economy, and his administration began slashing federal agencies and programs. The shift among voters was driven largely by partisan allegiance, and in California Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by a nearly two-to-one margin. In August, before Trump's election, 46% of Democratic voters in the state were upbeat about their financial well-being. In April, just 9% of them felt that way, according to the poll. Optimism also dropped among voters declared as "no party preference," but to a much lesser degree. Among Republicans, just 9% were hopeful before Trump's election, and that leaped to 57% in April. "I've never seen this before," DiCamillo said. "I've been polling for over 40 years in California and the last five years or so, everything seems to turn on party. If you ask people, 'Is it sunny outside?' the Democrats will say one thing, the Republicans will say [another]. It's just unbelievable." In Sacramento, the Democratic-led Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom know that addressing California's high cost of living is imperative, and that not doing enough to address voter concerns may have consequences. But any hopes of quick financial relief have been lost to the slow, deliberative political process of lawmaking in the Capitol. Democrats have introduced a raft of new bills to save Californians billions in utility costs, limit extra fees for renters and cut red tape for building permits, among other measures, to target the growing financial burdens plaguing residents. But the pending bills are not expected to make a dramatic shift in California's longstanding economic problems that voters care most about, such as the housing affordability crisis, homelessness and the general cost of living. Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher of Yuba City said the financial struggles of many Californians is the result of years of misguided, liberal leadership, and dismisses the Democrats' latest push in Sacramento to repair that damage as too little, too late. "My read of most of those bills is they don't do a whole lot," Gallagher told The Times. Most of them tackle fringe issues, he said, instead of getting at the meat of the problem. "In order to actually do something about affordability, [the Democrats] have to go back on their previous ideas." Trump's victory in November was credited, in part, to his campaign promises to address the high prices and economic uncertainties confronting many Americans. The economic upheaval over the past five years is a major reason for the pessimism many feel today. Fiscal policy meant to keep household budgets afloat during COVID-19 lockdowns caused higher inflation and drove up prices faster than usual, said Jerry Nickelsburg, faculty director at the UCLA Anderson Forecast. Since 2020, inflation rates have fallen, but voters notice the steep increase in everyday expenses, like gas and groceries. Growth in worker pay during that time has not kept pace. Food, beverage and energy prices increased by 28% compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, said Sarah Bohn, vice president of the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). "We feel these at the pump, in utility bills, and at the grocery store," Bohn said before an Assembly committee in late March. Inflation cut a 26% rise in wages down to net 2.9% since January 2020, she said. "To me, those are all the facts we need to understand why Californians are frustrated financially. Earning 26% higher wages but feeling like you're treading water at the end of the day? That is very frustrating," Bohn said. California is one of the most expensive states in the U.S. to buy or rent a home — the crisis has worsened in the last decade with rising housing costs and rent increases, and some policies like the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, have been used to stifle new development since the 1970s. Read more: Despite noble intentions, California's environmental law is hurting Latinos Rent in California is 50% higher than the national median, according to U.S. Census data. One in six middle-class renters in California are now spending over half their income on housing, according to the PPIC, a nonprofit research center. For years, Democrats have tried to carve out loopholes in existing laws and promote new developments to address the housing shortage. High prices have contributed to homelessness and the growing trend of Californians leaving for cheaper, not greener, pastures in neighboring states, according to recent PPIC analysis. "California has really strangled itself by making it so hard over the years to build enough housing," Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) told The Times. This session, Wiener introduced Senate Bill 677 — which failed in the Senate Housing Committee earlier this month — which could have expanded SB 9, a "duplex bill" from 2021 that allowed people to split their single family lot into two lots, and build up to three additional units on the property. The committee did advance another of Wiener's bills, SB 79, which proposes allowing homes between four and seven stories to be built near major transit stops. SB 681, part of the Senate Democratic Caucus' affordability package and introduced by Sen. Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward), proposes several measures that address the housing crisis: quadrupling the renter's tax credit for the first time in decades, cutting out additional fees renters pay for owning pets and other junk fees not listed in a rental agreement, addressing zombie mortgages — home loans appearing years, sometimes decades later after the debtor believes the loan has been forgiven — capping homeowner association fines at $100 and making the Permit Streamlining Act and Housing Crisis Act permanent. Other legislation backed by the Democratic leadership would streamline applications for new housing developments, ban extra fees on rental payments and expand affordable housing for farmworkers. SB 254 from Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications, is "the Legislature's most ambitious effort yet to rein in rising energy costs and put ratepayers first," he told members of the committee last week. The bill, in part, forces the California Public Utilities Commission to provide a public statement justifying any approved rate hike, and also require investor-owned utilities to finance $15 billion for wildfire mitigation and connecting customers to the grid. The legislation is opposed by San Diego Gas and Electric, among others, who said it doesn't address the underlying issues causing rates to go up and could be unconstitutional. California Republicans offered their own solutions to affordability issues, including a bill from Gallagher that would have forced the Public Utilities Commission to cut electricity rates by 30% and AB 1443 sponsored by Assemblymember Leticia Castillo (R-Home Gardens) that would make earned tips tax-exempt. California Republicans also had a bill that expanded upon the renter's tax credit, similar to the measure in Wahab's SB 681. Gallagher criticized the new Assembly committees created to focus on housing, child care, food assistance for those in need and reviewing the state's push for low-carbon and renewable alternatives, arguing that discussing the issues rather than taking quick action was tone-deaf. "Californians don't need more government committees, they need real action that cuts their costs. Legislative Democrats have spent decades making our state unaffordable," Gallagher said. "The faces change, but the party and the broken ideas stay the same — blocking housing, raising taxes, and driving up costs for working families." Times staff writer Phil Willon contributed to this report. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- Los Angeles Times
Despite political promises, Californians are stressed about their finances
SACRAMENTO — After voters in November sent a clear message that the rising cost of living remained a top concern, California lawmakers came to the Capitol vowing to take decisive action. 'Our task this session is urgent and clear,' Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas (D-Hollister) told lawmakers at the start of the 2024-2025 legislative session in early December. 'We must chart a new path forward. And it begins by focusing on affordability.' Despite proposed legislation to help make California a more affordable place to live, however, voters in the state are growing increasingly pessimistic about their financial future, according to a new poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by The Times. Nearly half of California voters feel worse off than they were last year, and 54% felt less hopeful about their economic well-being. When asked to name the most important issues for state leaders to be addressing this year, the cost of living, housing affordability and homelessness topped the list — far above concerns about crime and public safety, taxes and immigration, the poll found. 'The number one issue is an economic issue. It's the cost of living,' Mark DiCamillo, director of the IGS poll, said. 'Both Democrats are and Republicans are in agreement on that one.' Californians' fears about their future, and their current financial well-being, dramatically increased after President Trump moved back into the White House in January, DiCamillo said. Within months, Trump announced sweeping new tariffs on goods imported from countries worldwide, sending turbulence through the global economy, and his administration began slashing federal agencies and programs. The shift among voters was driven largely by partisan allegiance, and in California Democratic voters outnumber Republicans by a nearly two-to-one margin. In August, before Trump's election, 46% of Democratic voters in the state were upbeat about their financial well-being. In April, just 9% of them felt that way, according to the poll. Optimism also dropped among voters declared as 'no party preference,' but to a much lesser degree. Among Republicans, just 9% were hopeful before Trump's election, and that leaped to 57% in April. 'I've never seen this before,' DiCamillo said. 'I've been polling for over 40 years in California and the last five years or so, everything seems to turn on party. If you ask people, 'Is it sunny outside?' the Democrats will say one thing, the Republicans will say [another]. It's just unbelievable.' In Sacramento, the Democratic-led Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom know that addressing California's high cost of living is imperative, and that not doing enough to address voter concerns may have consequences. But any hopes of quick financial relief have been lost to the slow, deliberative political process of lawmaking in the Capitol. Democrats have introduced a raft of new bills to save Californians billions in utility costs, limit extra fees for renters and cut red tape for building permits, among other measures, to target the growing financial burdens plaguing residents. But the pending bills are not expected to make a dramatic shift in California's longstanding economic problems that voters care most about, such as the housing affordability crisis, homelessness and the general cost of living. Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher of Yuba City said the financial struggles of many Californians is the result of years of misguided, liberal leadership, and dismisses the Democrats' latest push in Sacramento to repair that damage as too little, too late. 'My read of most of those bills is they don't do a whole lot,' Gallagher told The Times. Most of them tackle fringe issues, he said, instead of getting at the meat of the problem. 'In order to actually do something about affordability, [the Democrats] have to go back on their previous ideas.' Trump's victory in November was credited, in part, to his campaign promises to address the high prices and economic uncertainties confronting many Americans. The economic upheaval over the past five years is a major reason for the pessimism many feel today. Fiscal policy meant to keep household budgets afloat during COVID-19 lockdowns caused higher inflation and drove up prices faster than usual, said Jerry Nickelsburg, faculty director at the UCLA Anderson Forecast. Since 2020, inflation rates have fallen, but voters notice the steep increase in everyday expenses, like gas and groceries. Growth in worker pay during that time has not kept pace. Food, beverage and energy prices increased by 28% compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, said Sarah Bohn, vice president of the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC). 'We feel these at the pump, in utility bills, and at the grocery store,' Bohn said before an Assembly committee in late March. Inflation cut a 26% rise in wages down to net 2.9% since January 2020, she said. 'To me, those are all the facts we need to understand why Californians are frustrated financially. Earning 26% higher wages but feeling like you're treading water at the end of the day? That is very frustrating,' Bohn said. California is one of the most expensive states in the U.S. to buy or rent a home — the crisis has worsened in the last decade with rising housing costs and rent increases, and some policies like the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, have been used to stifle new development since the 1970s. Rent in California is 50% higher than the national median, according to U.S. Census data. One in six middle-class renters in California are now spending over half their income on housing, according to the PPIC, a nonprofit research center. For years, Democrats have tried to carve out loopholes in existing laws and promote new developments to address the housing shortage. High prices have contributed to homelessness and the growing trend of Californians leaving for cheaper, not greener, pastures in neighboring states, according to recent PPIC analysis. 'California has really strangled itself by making it so hard over the years to build enough housing,' Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) told The Times. This session, Wiener introduced Senate Bill 677 — which failed in the Senate Housing Committee earlier this month — which could have expanded SB 9, a 'duplex bill' from 2021 that allowed people to split their single family lot into two lots, and build up to three additional units on the property. The committee did advance another of Wiener's bills, SB 79, which proposes allowing homes between four and seven stories to be built near major transit stops. SB 681, part of the Senate Democratic Caucus' affordability package and introduced by Sen. Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward), proposes several measures that address the housing crisis: quadrupling the renter's tax credit for the first time in decades, cutting out additional fees renters pay for owning pets and other junk fees not listed in a rental agreement, addressing zombie mortgages — home loans appearing years, sometimes decades later after the debtor believes the loan has been forgiven — capping homeowner association fines at $100 and making the Permit Streamlining Act and Housing Crisis Act permanent. Other legislation backed by the Democratic leadership would streamline applications for new housing developments, ban extra fees on rental payments and expand affordable housing for farmworkers. SB 254 from Sen. Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park), chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, Utilities and Communications, is 'the Legislature's most ambitious effort yet to rein in rising energy costs and put ratepayers first,' he told members of the committee last week. The bill, in part, forces the California Public Utilities Commission to provide a public statement justifying any approved rate hike, and also require investor-owned utilities to finance $15 billion for wildfire mitigation and connecting customers to the grid. The legislation is opposed by San Diego Gas and Electric, among others, who said it doesn't address the underlying issues causing rates to go up and could be unconstitutional. California Republicans offered their own solutions to affordability issues, including a bill from Gallagher that would have forced the Public Utilities Commission to cut electricity rates by 30% and AB 1443 sponsored by Assemblymember Leticia Castillo (R-Home Gardens) that would make earned tips tax-exempt. California Republicans also had a bill that expanded upon the renter's tax credit, similar to the measure in Wahab's SB 681. Gallagher criticized the new Assembly committees created to focus on housing, child care, food assistance for those in need and reviewing the state's push for low-carbon and renewable alternatives, arguing that discussing the issues rather than taking quick action was tone-deaf. 'Californians don't need more government committees, they need real action that cuts their costs. Legislative Democrats have spent decades making our state unaffordable,' Gallagher said. 'The faces change, but the party and the broken ideas stay the same — blocking housing, raising taxes, and driving up costs for working families.' Times staff writer Phil Willon contributed to this report.
