Brown v. Higher Education

California Gov. Jerry Brown has repeatedly shied away from challenging the state's most powerful special interest: public unions. Which is what makes his decision to take on one of its most entrenched bureaucracies so interesting and surprising.

Mr. Brown has made higher education reform a centerpiece of his budget and is using his bully-pulpit—and the state's purse—to pressure the University of California and Cal State systems to keep a lid on tuition. The governor met with the UC Board of Regents yesterday. His message? "Let's get real."

The governor in...