Veteran Journalist Explains Evolution of State’s Political Landscape

Dan Walters
Photo by bryanpatrickphoto.com

Longtime political columnist Dan Walters of CalMatters gives CalChamber Capitol Summit attendees a rundown of California’s social, demographic and political landscape, including the evolution of the State Capitol from Republican dominance in the 1980s to the “super-duper” Democratic majorities today. He says the progressive wing of the Democratic party and its ambitious agenda have been stymied by factors such as the success of the CalChamber job killer program (90% of job killer bills have gone away, some without a vote), the pandemic, and the swing in state revenues from last year’s “illusionary” $97 billion surplus to this year’s projected deficit of at least $32 billion (assuming there is no recession).