With their addition to spending and subservience to public-sector unions, California lawmakers have ignored the state’s debt crisis. In particular, the Legislature has basically shrugged as unfunded public-employee pensions have not only nibbled away at the general fund, but have consumed municipal budgets. At the local level, pension costs crowd out spending on vital public services.

A new report from the libertarian Reason Foundation should serve as a wakeup call for Gov. Gavin Newsom and any lawmaker who wants to keep the state’s finances on an even keel. As California prepares for a gubernatorial election in 2026, candidates should address this issue. It should be near the top of the list, but instead the unimpressive field of candidates is focused mainly on national issues.

It’s not

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