Julie Small Sacramento Correspondent
- Phone: 916-930-9623
Julie Small covers state government, prisons and the California Supreme Court for Southern California Public Radio.
Before joining KPCC, Julie spent 7 years as the deputy foreign editor for Public Radio’s critically acclaimed "Marketplace." She helped shape the show’s coverage of Asia during China ascendency and India’s growing economic influence. She was the Los Angeles producer of a two-week live broadcast from China in 2006 and produced some other series on counterfeit goods, and the effect of the Iraq War on European-US trade relations. She also produced the "Marketplace Morning Report" for a stint.
Small is a former staff reporter for the Los Angeles Times. She's also reported for NPR, "The California Report," and "Weekend America."
Small earned her master's degree in Journalism from the University of Southern California Annenberg School of Communication.
In 1996 she helped launch a national campaign for redress for Japanese-Latin Americans interned by the U.S. government during World War II. The group won a settlement from the U.S. Department of Justice in 1998.
When she’s not walking the halls of the state capitol, Julie spends her free time enjoying life with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area, but she misses her home town of Los Angeles.
Stories by Julie Small
States face huge hurdles when trying to expand health care
The cost of health care would drop. The state would save billions of dollars. And no Californian would lack medical insurance. That was the promise of Governor Schwarzenegger's health care reform plan earlier this year, and he got close to making it happen. Yesterday, KPCC's Julie Small showed how big opponents and weak political will helped kill that plan. Today, she examines whether California, or any state, can afford to expand health care.
Governor Schwarzenegger may resurrect health care plan
Governor Schwarzenegger's talking about resurrecting the health care reform plan that failed to make it out of the legislature this year. The plan would have provided medical coverage to 6 million uninsured Californians and compelled everyone in the state to get insurance. Insurers, medical practitioners, unions, and business groups alike signed on. In the first of two reports, KPCC's Julie Small explains why, despite that support, the measure ultimately failed.
Governor, controller could face contempt charges over prison health care money
A federal judge has ordered California officials to pay $250 million next week to improve prison medical care. If they don't, the governor and the state controller could face contempt charges. KPCC's Julie Small reports the state's attorneys have vowed to fight the order.
Showdown Over Prison Health Care
State officials and the man overseeing health care in state prisons will in court today. A federal judge had ordered the state to come up with a plan for turning over $250 million to Clark Kelso so he can build more prison hospitals; but on Friday, state attorney general Jerry Brown said the state didn't have a plan and wouldn't pay. Kelso wants Governor Schwarzenegger held in contempt if he doesn't get the money. KPCC's Morning Edition host Steve Julian asked Julie Small about today's hearing and what is expected to happen.
Attorney General Jerry Brown denies request for prison health care money
A court hearing scheduled for Monday looks as if it'll be pretty contentious. A federal judge supervising a case to improve prison medical care had ordered California's attorney general to present a plan for how and when the state would pay $250 million dollars to improve prison medical care. Late today the attorney general filed a brief with the court saying the state's not going to pay the money. KPCC's All Things Considered host Shirley Jahad talked about the latest developments with State Capitol Reporter Julie Small.
Governor to resurrect firefighting fee proposal
California hasn't yet tallied the cost of paying for all the staff, fuel, and equipment used to battle last week's wildfires fires in Southern California. But you can bet the total will add to the quarter of a billion the state's already spent fighting fires this year. KPCC's Julie Small reports last week's event put a fire under Governor Schwarzenegger to try again to impose a fee on property owners to cover the costs.
Investors snatch up California bonds
Wall Street was wary. Why did the State of California think it could sell $5 billion in bonds this week when the bond market seemed frozen solid? Standard and Poor's, one of the big bond rating houses, doubted California would find enough buyers. They were wrong. The bonds were gone in less than three days. KPCC's Julie Small says credit the success to a plan to target "mom and pop" investors that paid off big time.
California bond-selling off to good start
California bonds went on sale yesterday and so far, they're a hit. The state sold nearly two billion in short-term notes. That's nearly half of what the state was offering and those bonds were gone in the first day. California hopes to raise a total of $4 billion from the sale. That's cash the state government needs to pay bills until tax revenue starts rolling in next spring. KPCC's Julie Small reports.
California officials confident they'll be able to sell bonds
California needs to borrow $7 billion to cover a short-term cash shortage. To do that, the state treasurer is poised to sell billions of dollars worth of bonds next week. The state's held off until now because of the turmoil in credit markets. But as KPCC's Julie Small says, California's financial managers are confident they'll find buyers for their bonds so they can raise the cash they need.
Federal judge orders California to pay for prison health care
A federal judge Wednesday ordered California officials to come up with plan to pay $250 million for improvements to prison medical care. This order is an interim step. KPCC's Julie Small reports the next step could be swift and expensive.
California may have to pay $8 billion for prison health care
Today, the governor will convene a special meeting with California's legislative leaders to deal with the state government's latest financial crisis. Frozen credit markets have made it tough for California to borrow cash to pay its bills. On top of that, California might have to scrape together $8 billion to pay for better prison medical care. KPCC's Julie Small was in court in San Francisco this week when a federal judge signaled that he's ready to tell the state to find that money now.
Countrywide settles lawsuit with California, other states
Struggling homeowners who got a mortgage from Countrywide may get some relief. Bank of America, which now owns the failed lending giant, settled a lawsuit Monday with California and 10 other states by agreeing to modify some loans and mortgages. KPCC's Julie Small reports that could help tens of thousand of Californians fighting foreclosure.
Prison healthcare issue goes before federal court
A federal court in San Francisco is considering today whether to force California to direct $8 billion toward prison medical care. KPCC's Julie Small reports this is the latest twist in a nearly decade-long fight over what quality of medical care the U.S. Constitution guarantees for California inmates and what the state's willing to pay for.
Firefighters Didn't Fare Well in Recent Budget
As the anniversary of the worst wildfire in Southern California history approaches, here's a review of the way California's firefighting budget fared in Sacramento. The Governor had proposed more than $100 million to bolster the state's firefighting resources. He also pushed for an insurance fee that would have added money to the pot. He got neither. The Governor also vetoed a bill that would have curtailed development in fire-prone areas. KPCC's state capitol reporter Julie Small examines what it all means for California.
California dealing with cash crisis
Just a week after state lawmakers finally passed a budget, California discovered it couldn't borrow the cash it needs. Turmoil in the financial markets so tightened credit that lenders also turned down Massachusetts and New York when they sought loans. KPCC's Julie Small reports that the financial rescue plan Congress passed Friday may help, but it's no guarantee that cash will flow to the states.
