Millions for What? Inside California’s Secretive Earmark Process
Earmarks allow state leaders to distribute taxpayer dollars with little public transparency or notice
The California Legislature’s secretive earmark process allows lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom to dole out money for projects with little public scrutiny or notice. (Stephanie Lister/KQED)
What do martial artists, mime performers, and a farmers market have in common? They all received millions of dollars from the state budget this past summer. The money was earmarked for them, set aside as part of a longstanding and opaque budget process that CalMatters’ reporter Stella Yu has spent a long time trying to understand.
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Some members of the KQED podcast team are represented by The Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, San Francisco-Northern California Local.