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Articles by Robert M. Hertzberg
To the California privacy agency, remember your mission - Capitol Weekly
Opinion by ROBERT M. HERTZBERG posted 07.23.2025 Capitol Weekly welcomes Opinions on California public policy or politics. Click here for more information about submitting an Op-Ed. OPINION – The California Privacy Protection Agency was created with Californians’ security top of mind. Its central mission: protect consumers’ personal data privacy, clear and direct. But the agency is at a pivotal moment that could dampen its legacy.
Opinion: California has to conserve water. Why is Sacramento dragging its heels?
On the heels of two wet winters, it’s easy to forget how close some parts of California came to running out of water a few short years ago. But this climate amnesia will not help us prepare for the next inevitable drought. Since before the state’s founding, the boom-and-bust of drought and flood have shaped our landscapes. In this era of climate change, weather extremes are becoming more common and more severe. The robust water supply of the 20th century is no longer reliable.
California’s Civil Rights Department should not spend your tax dollars on private law firms - Capitol Weekly
Twitter Facebook Email OPINION – Most reasonable people would agree that a California state agency should not spend your tax dollars on private law firms that charge hundreds of dollars per hour when they could get the same, if not better, service for free. Kevin Kish, Director of a Department that is little known – but hugely influential – seems to disagree. And there’s nothing reasonable about that.
Opinion: California high court’s historic bail ruling just a first step
California’s highest court recently delivered a major victory for the cause of justice when it ruled that “the common practice of conditioning freedom solely on whether an arrestee can afford bail is unconstitutional.” Under the state Supreme Court’s ruling, judges must now consider a person’s ability to pay when setting bail and can only hold someone in jail before trial in limited circumstances.
The bail industry defeated Prop. 25, California must continue criminal justice reforms Original
Our criminal justice system is supposed to be based on a fundamental premise: “innocent until proven guilty.” In reality, this basic right is not afforded to millions of low-income Californians, particularly those in communities of color. At the heart of this injustice is our money bail system. It results in untold numbers of low-income Californians having to languish in jail, sometimes for years, while they await their day in court — simply because they can’t afford to post bail or bond.
One Housing Solution for a Difficult Time
It's very clear to me that people are very concerned about housing and homelessness. Because of this pandemic, my colleagues and I have had to rearrange many of our priorities - but for months, I have been working on an active bill that helps renters stay in their homes, and makes sure that our landlords [...]
With a Heavy Heart, We Must Move Forward
I write today with a heavy heart. The tragic events in Minneapolis couldn’t help but bring to mind another video, taken right here in the San Fernando Valley, nearly 30 years ago. From the looks of it, nothing has changed since Rodney King was beaten nearly to death by men who had sworn to protect and serve. The grave injustice of their acquittal tore our city to pieces. Are we really right back where we started? Just the thought is heartbreaking. But here is where we find ourselves.
California could lead the way on criminal justice reform, if Legislature passes latest bail reform bill
California is on the verge of one of the most transformational, paradigm-shifting criminal justice reforms in the history of the state and the nation. We now have a fundamentally broken, unsafe, and unfair money bail system that sets a price tag on liberty and fails to keep the public safe. We must change it with Senate Bill 10, which could be voted on by the state Assembly as soon as Monday afternoon.
Direct democracy in California needs some more tweaks. Here are two
Last month, three major initiatives were pulled from California’s November ballot after issues raised by the sponsors were addressed in negotiations with the Legislature. This was made possible by a law passed in 2014. The reform worked as it should on online privacy and lead paint cleanup by replacing the blunt instrument of a ballot initiative with a deliberative process.
Opinion: Bank cannabis for a safer, more responsible Los Angeles
California voters — probably the least receptive in the nation to policy edicts from the Donald Trump administration — got an unusual and unexpected bit of good news last week, when the president announced that he “probably will end up supporting” legislation to let states set their own cannabis policy. We’ll take it, but we’re not holding our breath.
Opinion: Bot or not: The public deserves to know
The dawn of social media has created immense change in the lives of people all over the world – for better and, sometimes, for worse. Since the emergence of sites like Facebook and Twitter, Silicon Valley has experienced an explosion of progress and technological advancements, and in the meantime has expanded their influence in ways they could have never imagined, and likely never intended.
Opinion: Bot or not: The public deserves to know
The dawn of social media has created immense change in the lives of people all over the world – for better and, sometimes, for worse. Since the emergence of sites like Facebook and Twitter, Silicon Valley has experienced an explosion of progress and technological advancements, and in the meantime has expanded their influence in ways they could have never imagined, and likely never intended.
Opinion: Bot or not: The public deserves to know
The dawn of social media has created immense change in the lives of people all over the world – for better and, sometimes, for worse. Since the emergence of sites like Facebook and Twitter, Silicon Valley has experienced an explosion of progress and technological advancements, and in the meantime has expanded their influence in ways they could have never imagined, and likely never intended.
California traffic fines prey on the poor | The Tribune
Today, more than at any time, California has an opportunity to continue its leadership in building a fair society. So far, it has missed the mark on an issue that significantly affects more than 4 million residents: traffic fines and fees. California has among the highest traffic fines and fees in the country – and the steepest consequences for traffic violations are reserved for those who can’t afford the fines and fees.
California traffic fines prey on the poor | The Sacramento Bee
Today, more than at any time, California has an opportunity to continue its leadership in building a fair society. So far, it has missed the mark on an issue that significantly affects more than 4 million residents: traffic fines and fees. California has among the highest traffic fines and fees in the country – and the steepest consequences for traffic violations are reserved for those who can’t afford the fines and fees.
Putting people before partisanship
In this political climate, you don’t have to look far to find pessimism and finger pointing when it comes to our problems. But look a little deeper and there are some important – and inspiring – examples of problem solving in California that rise above politics and division. Examples like Areva Martin. An attorney in Los Angeles, she knew something was wrong when her son was not speaking by age two. When he was diagnosed autism, Martin embarked on an exhausting hunt for specialists and therapies.
California needs to reinvent its commitment to justice: Bob Hertzberg
The bedrock of our democracy is its justice system — and people flock to the United States and California from across the globe just to live in a society that will allow them to work hard and be treated with dignity and fairness. But today, California’s courts are in distress. Unprecedented budget cuts since 2008 have closed 52 courthouses and 202 courtrooms and produced court delays in many counties that run for years.
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