Greg Lucas

California political writer and satirist for over 20 years. Covered the state Capitol for the San Francisco Chronicle for 19 years, writing nearly 3,000 articles. B.A. from Stanford, M.A. in Professional Writing from USC.

CA Independent Voter Project challenges California legislature to remove ballot access barriers for Decline to State candidates

The Legislature should quickly make it easier for candidates who don’t state a party preference to run for state office, advocates of Proposition 14, the so-called “Top-Two” open primary

By Greg Lucas

May 26, 2010

CA Independent Voter Project challenges California legislature to remove ballot access barriers for Decline to State candidates

Exploring the painful options for resolving California's massive budget deficit

With the unveiling of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s revised budget May 14 and its more than $12 billion in spending cuts, the stage is now set for the GOP governor

By Greg Lucas

May 20, 2010

Exploring the painful options for resolving California's massive budget deficit

Unions, trial lawyers, and major parties band together to fight nonpartisan, open primary initiative

Less than a month before the June election, a strange-political-bedfellows coalition of public employee unions and the state GOP party announced May 11 their opposition to Proposition 14, which would

By Greg Lucas

May 12, 2010

Unions, trial lawyers, and major parties band together to fight nonpartisan, open primary initiative

Proposition 14 offers California voters a distinct, nonpartisan primary system

One of the few things supporters and opponents of Proposition 14 agree on is that it doesn’t create an “open” primary. Backers of Proposition 14 contend that its system

By Greg Lucas

May 6, 2010

Proposition 14 offers California voters a distinct, nonpartisan primary system

Top Two Open Primary vs. Instant Run-Off: which is the best way forward for nonpartisan elections?

Minor parties and their candidates are among the most vocal opponents of Proposition 14, the June ballot measure changing California’s primary system to one in which the top two

By Greg Lucas

April 29, 2010

Top Two Open Primary vs. Instant Run-Off: which is the best way forward for nonpartisan elections?

Further tax increases unlikely despite California's $19 billion budget deficit

With less than three weeks until Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveils his revised budget plan for the fiscal year starting July 1, he and the Democratic majority Legislature have done little

By Greg Lucas

April 22, 2010

Further tax increases unlikely despite California's $19 billion budget deficit

Californians rabid about sterilizing cats and dogs

The most heated debate in Sacramento during the past two years hasn’t been budget cuts depriving poor children of health care or awarding billion-dollar tax breaks to corporations. It

By Greg Lucas

April 15, 2010

Californians rabid about sterilizing cats and dogs

Over half of state unemployment insurance funds face insolvency

A significant – and often overlooked -- result of what’s been dubbed the Great Recession is that in just over half of the 50 states, the programs that pay unemployment

By Greg Lucas

April 8, 2010

Over half of state unemployment insurance funds face insolvency

Budget deficits take toll on state parks

Forty-eight states face or have faced multi-billion dollar budget shortfalls and many are mirroring California, targeting state parks for savings. Supporters of the closures say parks are less essential than

By Greg Lucas

April 1, 2010

Budget deficits take toll on state parks

California legislature takes aim at budget reform

“Reform” is in the eye of the beholder. One policymaker’s idea of improvement is another’s disaster. Those differences in viewpoint have become apparent as California’s Legislature begins

By Greg Lucas

March 26, 2010

California legislature takes aim at budget reform

States' rights movement sweeping across America

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s quest to convince the federal government to put-up-or-shut-up by paying California an additional $6.9 billion he says the state needs to carry out Washington D.

By Greg Lucas

March 19, 2010

States' rights movement sweeping across America

Legislators to consider reform proposals that could help repair California

Dogged by woefully low voter approval, lawmakers in the Democratic majority Legislature are preparing to embrace “reform” – changes they say will improve California’s political structure. Senate President Pro Tempore

By Greg Lucas

March 11, 2010

Legislators to consider reform proposals that could help repair California