Conference: What's the Matter with California?

Event Details

Location

Villa Graziadio Executive Dining Room
24255 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, 90263

Time

Tuesday, October 6, 2026
9:30 AM - 5:10 PM

Contact

For more information about this event, please email sppevents@pepperdine.edu, or call 310.506.7490.

Conference Playlist

For generations, California was the ultimate destination.

Since achieving statehood in 1849, the Golden State served as a powerful engine for interstate migration and a bold national model for policy innovation. Today, it faces conditions that would have been unimaginable just a generation ago. Most strikingly, California is now experiencing a net outflow of residents—making it the only Sunbelt state where more people are leaving than arriving. The symptoms of this shift are clear:

The Cost of Living: Housing prices, which matched the national median just 50 years ago, have soared to more than double the national average. Energy and daily living costs remain sharply elevated.
Economic Headwinds: Once the nation’s undisputed economic powerhouse, California’s growth has turned sluggish, saddled with an unemployment rate a full percentage point higher than the national average.
Social Realities: Amidst its historic legacy of dynamism and opportunity, the state now grapples with the highest poverty rate in the nation and a persistent homelessness crisis.

The Big Question

Has California shifted from a model to copy to a cautionary tale of what to avoid? While the state still boasts a reputation as a global leader in environmental protection and energy innovation, a closer look at the full record may reveal some surprises. Join us as we examine the data, challenge the narratives, and discuss what the future holds for the Golden State.

Online registration closes 24 hours prior to each event date. Be sure to reserve your spot early, as space is limited!

Conference Schedule

9:30 AM - Check-In (light refreshments provided)
10:00 AM - Welcome & Opening Remarks
- Pete Peterson, Dean, School of Public Policy
- Steven Hayward, Visiting Professor of Energy and Environmental Policy, School of Public Policy
10:10 - 11:40 PM - Panel 1: Assessing California's Condition and Trends
- Steven Greenhut, Resident Senior Fellow and Western Region Director, State Affairs, R Street
- Steven Hayward, Visiting Professor of Energy and Environmental Policy, School of Public Policy
- Patrick McLauhlin, Research Fellow, Hoover Institution
12:00 - 1:30 PM: Keynote Lunch Conversation: Assessing AB 32, California's "Climate Solutions Act" (lunch will be served for registered attendees)
- Lee Ohanian, Professor of Economics, and Director of the Ettinger Family Program in Macroeconomic Research, University of California, Los Angeles
- Frank Wolak, Holbrook Working Professor of Commodity Price Studies, Department of Economics at Stanford University
1:45 - 3:15 PM: Panel 2: Assessing California's Regulatory Structure—Too Much Deadweight Effects?
- Chad Hathaway, CEO and President at Hathaway LLC
- James Enstrom, Retired Research Professor (Epidemiology), UCLA School of Public Health and Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Jennifer Hernandez, Partner at Holland & Knight
3:30 - 5:00 PM: Panel 3: Unlocking California's Potential
- Edward Ring, Director, Water and Energy Policy at California Policy Center
- Mike Umbro, President and General Manager at Premier Resource Management (PRM)
- Cyrus Mojibi, President and CEO at San Joaquin Refining Co., Inc.
5:00 - 5:10 PM: Closing
5:30 - 6:30 PM: Off Campus Reception at Spruzzo Restaurant (optional)
- Address - 29575 Pacific Coast Hwy, Malibu, CA 90265
- Menu - Appetizers and nonalcoholic beverages provided