San Benito County Local News

U.S. Senate candidates Rep. Adam Schiff (far left) and Republican Steve Garvey (second) participate in a debate moderated by news anchor Marc Brown (far right) in Glendale on Oct. 8, 2024. Photo by Damian Dovarganes, AP Photo

California allotted half a billion dollars to help community land trusts across the state. But budget cuts and bureaucracy have land trust advocates back where they were in 2020: seeking state aid to preserve affordable housing.

On Aug. 31, when Gov. Gavin Newsom called a special session on gas prices, California motorists were paying $4.61 per gallon on average, $1.27 more than the national average.
On October 7, when the state Senate finally convened, prices were $4.68 in California, or $1.51 above the national average.

How to apply rebate as part of the recent $80 million state program to electrify homes.

The Mercury News explains the Proposition 35 to renew the existing tax used to fund Medi-Cal health services.

Ever since Laphonza Butler took herself out of the running for U.S. Senate a year ago — just two weeks after Gov. Gavin Newsom picked her to replace the late Dianne Feinstein — she has faded into the background quite a bit.

The state Labor Commissioner sometimes struggles to get back pay to workers when it reaches wage theft settlements. It tries social media, TV and hotlines. But money owed to employees is still sitting in state accounts.

The summer COVID surge in California may be finally abating, but people are still advised to get update vaccines in anticipation of a resurgence in the fall and winter.

The Assembly approves Gov. Newsom’s bill on oil refineries on a 44-17 vote. But the state Senate will have its say during the special session.

A California minimum wage law that was delayed amid budget troubles is now set to go into effect Oct. 16. It’s expected to benefit hundreds of thousands of workers.

California’s private nonprofit colleges will no longer be able grant students an admissions advantage if their parents donated to or went to the same college after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law this morning banning the practice.

Homeless service providers are scaling back and taking out loans as they wait for late payments from the government.

An estimated 1 in 5 schools has no air conditioning and another 10% need repair. Underfunded schools struggle to keep classrooms cool as heat waves intensify. “It’s a hot mess,” one teacher says.

The Mercury News guide to the Proposition 2 $10 billion bond to build and repair public schools.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposal to combat gasoline price spikes appears headed to a long-awaited Assembly floor vote next week after passing out of committee on September 26.

The governor wants new gas reserves to dampen seasonal price spikes. Refiners say the move would raise prices and require new storage tanks.

The Mercury News guide to the anti-crime and ant-drug dealing measure Proposition 36 on the November ballot.

Many California farmworkers have long lacked safe and affordable places to sleep — an issue thrown into sharp relief after last year’s mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, which left seven agricultural workers dead.

About 4 in 10 Californians are believed to be carrying medical debt, which can harm their chances of landing a mortgage or an apartment if it shows up on credit reports.

Community colleges are designed to help students get an associate degree and transfer to a four-year university. Most community college students never graduate or transfer, a state audit found.