Ben Bradford
Former State Government Reporter
Ben Bradford is a city mutt, who has lived in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, D.C., the Bay Area and most recently Charlotte, North Carolina.
Before entering journalism, he did stints as a bartender, actor, undersized bouncer, stuntman, viral marketer and press secretary to a Member of Congress.
Deciding he would rather explain and examine the political system than serve it, Ben entered the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism to be a newspaperman and quickly found himself in public radio.
He sold his second-ever radio story to WNYC, and his third to NPR.
For WFAE in Charlotte, he covered the arrest and resignation of mayor Patrick Cannon for public corruption, the removal of the confederate flag from the South Carolina statehouse, the Duke Energy coal ash spill, and how cities find sister cities (it’s a lot like dating).
He won the 2014 national Edward R. Murrow award for hard news reporting.
As the State Government Reporter, Ben covered California politics, policy and the interaction between the two.
California Meets Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goal Years Early
July 11, 2018
California greenhouse gas emissions fell below 1990 levels, meeting a target to do so by 2020. The state was helped in part by the end of the drought.
Trump Tax Overhaul Still Gets Pushback From California Lawmakers
July 10, 2018
Plans to spite the Trump administration and save taxpayers money in California have continued to advance through the Legislature, with key votes expected in August.
Is California’s Legacy Environmental Law Protecting The State’s Beauty Or Blocking Affordable Housing?
July 9, 2018
Habitat for Humanity wants to build affordable housing in Redwood City, but a nearby resident is using the California Environmental Quality Act to stop the apartments.
.jpg&width=480)
Competitive Congressional Races Push June Turnout In California
July 6, 2018
Voter turnout increased slightly in California’s June primary, helped in part by a handful of competitive congressional races throughout the state.
Lawmakers Reconcile On California Net Neutrality Measure
July 5, 2018
A couple of weeks after a state assemblyman gutted a California net neutrality bill over the objections of its author, the two announced a deal to restore the measure’s restrictions on Internet providers.
Judge Refuses To Block California Sanctuary State Law
July 5, 2018
The district court judge said that not assisting the federal government is not the same as impeding it.
.jpg&width=480 "The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that government workers can't be forced to contribute to labor unions that represent them in collective bargaining, dealing a serious financial blow to organized labor.")
California Unions Have Prepared For Janus
June 27, 2018
Public employee unions and Democratic lawmakers in California protested the U.S. Supreme Court’s Janus decision, but they have also been planning for it for the past two years.
Cap-And-Trade Money Goes To Rebates For Zero-Emission Vehicles, Fighting Forest Fires
June 25, 2018
California lawmakers have voted on how to spend almost $1.5 billion collected through the state’s cap-and-trade program.
Housing For Homeless Plan Goes To California Ballot
June 25, 2018
California lawmakers hope voters will free up $2 billion in housing bonds for a homelessness program that has been stalled in court.
California Net Neutrality Measure 'Gutted' Yet Advanced In Hostile Takeover By Assembly Committee Chairman
June 20, 2018
A push for California to establish its own “net neutrality” doctrine, after the Trump administration rescinded federal rules, has technically advanced in the state Legislature. But the bill’s author says his proposal has been “eviscerated.”