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San Benito County Elections & Politics Digest



As Newsom Finishes His Governorship, Would-Be Successors Are Multiplying

07/23/2024

There never was much of a chance that California Gov. Gavin Newsom would be running for president this year, even if President Joe Biden were to step aside.

California Says ICE Detainees Have Labor Rights. They Earn $1 a Day Scrubbing Bathrooms

07/17/2024

California failed to ban private detention centers. Now, it’s focusing on their working conditions, for immigrants who toil for $1 a day.

Steve Garvey Outraises Adam Schiff — But Still Has Less in Bank — In U.S. Senate Bid

07/16/2024

The Republican hopeful brought in more cash than Democratic rival Adam Schiff for the first time this campaign during the latest quarter, but still has less to spend.

CalMatters’ Digital Democracy Makes a Difference in the Legislature

07/08/2024

CalMatters launched Digital Democracy in April, and its impact has rippled across the Legislature.

CA November Ballot Is Set, Finally

07/04/2024

California lawmakers met into the night on July 3 to finish the November ballot before heading off on summer vacation until Aug. 5.

Does a Proposed $10 Billion Bond Favor Richer California School Districts?

07/01/2024

Small and low-income school officials say the bond measure deal is unfair. The money is allocated through matching grants, so wealthier districts that can raise more local funds will get more money from the state.

California Forever Ballot Measure Qualifies for Solano Ballot

06/11/2024

On June 11, Solano County elections officials announced the verification of necessary signatures for the California Forever sponsored initiative to amend the county General Plan to be on the November ballot.

CalMatters Hosts Big Ideas Festival

06/07/2024

The two-day CalMatters Ideas Festival wrapped on June 6 with more than a dozen events examining critical policy issues impacting the lives of millions of Californians.

California Made It Easier to Vote, but Some With Disabilities Still Face Barriers

06/04/2024

California is hailed as a national leader for voting access. But visually impaired voters and their advocates say they still face unnecessary barriers, despite bills and lawsuits. Some election officials raise security concerns.

UC Student Workers Expand Strike to Two More Campuses as They Demand Amnesty for Protestors

05/28/2024

After University of California students were arrested or suspended for protests, student workers are striking at three campuses. The Office of President says the strike violates the union contract.

As Key Deadlines Loom, Newsom and California Lawmakers Have Dozens of Deals to Make

05/28/2024

It’s time for the folks in California’s Capitol to play let’s-make-a-deal – or actually, many deals.

Apology for Slavery, Funding Frameworks for Reparations Advance

05/24/2024

California lawmakers voted to offer an official apology for the state’s role in supporting slavery and moved several reparations bills but let others die.

Why UC Grad Students Are Going Out on Strike

05/19/2024

The job action starting today at UC Santa Cruz isn’t about pay, but instead is in response to how UC deployed police to clear pro-Palestinian encampments on campuses.

California’s Staggering Budget Deficit Squashes Hundreds of Bills

05/16/2024

The state’s multibillion-dollar shortfall shapes which spending bills survived the ‘suspense file’ hearings by the Assembly and Senate appropriations committees.

How Congress Is Letting Die an Internet Connectivity Lifeline for Millions

05/04/2024

More than half of the U.S. House supports a bill to extend the funds, but it can’t get out of committee.

Metal Detectors, Fear, Frustration. College Commencements Altered Amid Gaza War Protests

05/04/2024

At many universities across the country, graduation for the Class of 2024 will feel more like making it through airport security than a procession through a free-flowing campus green or a cheering stadium crowd.

Who Killed CA Utility Bill Legislation?

04/26/2024

A bill to rein in a proposed monthly fee on California electric bills would let California’s largest for-profit utility companies charge customers $24 per month — with fees as low as $6 for lower-income customers — as a kind of membership fee for the power grid.

Newsom Calls Out Republican Abortion Policies in New Ad Running in Alabama

04/21/2024

California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new ad blasts GOP efforts to make it harder for people to leave states with abortion bans and seek treatment elsewhere.

Senate Impeachment Trial Begins for Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas

04/17/2024

Alejandro N. Mayorkas, a Cuban immigrant who grew up in California, is the first U.S. Cabinet official impeached in nearly 150 years.

Hospital Board Member Recall Initiated

04/16/2024

Local resident Robert Bernosky announced a plan to initiate a recall of San Benito Health Care District Board member Josie Sanchez.

Business Groups and Lawmakers Battle Over Ballot Measure to Limit California Tax Increases

04/08/2024

Anti-tax groups in California have qualified a measure for the November ballot that would make raising state and local taxes much more difficult. It’s a showdown that’s been building for nearly five decades.

March 5 Primary Election Results Certified

04/01/2024

The 2024 March 5 election results were certified by the San Benito County Elections on March 29.

RFK Jr. Picks VP, but Still Isn’t on California Ballot

03/27/2024

Presidential hopeful Robert F. Kennedy Jr. chose Oakland to announce his vice presidential pick on Tuesday, so it wasn’t too much of a shocker that his pick was Nicole Shanahan, a Bay Area tech attorney and philanthropist.

At Stake in Mifepristone Case: Abortion, FDA’s Authority, and Return to 1873 Obscenity Law

03/25/2024

Lawyers from the conservative Christian group that won the case to overturn Roe v. Wade are returning to the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday in pursuit of an urgent priority: shutting down access to abortion pills for women across the country.

Reps. Gaetz and Greene Lawsuit Against Cities Where Political Rally Was Canceled Can Move Forward

03/25/2024

A judge ruled GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene can move forward with their lawsuit against two California cities where rallies were canceled.

San Francisco Voters Pass Police & Drug Ballot Measures

03/08/2024

Proposition E broadens police surveillance powers and Proposition F mandates drug screening and treatment for people receiving county welfare benefits who are suspected of drug use.

CA Legislature Could Set a New Record for Women

03/07/2024

The number of women elected to the state Senate and Assembly is 50 of 120 after the 2022 election. And based on the primary results so far, it’s expected to increase to at least 55 women after the November election.

Hollister Council Moves to Change Meeting Times

03/06/2024

A 4-1 vote to hold meetings at 9:00AM instead of 6:30PM was passed with no public input and proceeds to a first public reading and final vote.

California is Seeing a Historic Rise in the Number of Black Women Running for Office

03/04/2024

At least 24 Black women are running for seats in the California Legislature this year, resulting from years of work cultivating new leaders and growing confidence among voters.

What California Voters Want to Know About the 2024 Election

02/26/2024

Voting in California can be complicated. Here are answers to some common questions, plus what the leading U.S. Senate candidates say they would do if they’re elected.

Meet Some of the Biggest Donors Shaping California's U.S. Senate Race

02/26/2024

Here are the biggest donors in the 2024 California Senate race, both for and against the top candidates: Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, Steve Garvey and Barbara Lee.

Featured

California cities switch to more inclusive, district-based elections system.
Voting Rights...the Final Frontier
Pushed by activists, cities move from at-large elections to district races.
There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
California continues to work on legislation that would make voting easier.
Voting Rites
And more bills are on the way to help you make your mark on Election Day.
The cycle of crime and homelessness is escalating, but it doesn't have to be that way.
Homelessness and Crime in California: Even More Complex Than You Think
What causes the cycle of homelessness and crime, and how to stop it.
The California Supreme Court has defined the state’s legal and political agenda for more than 170 years.
How the California Supreme Court Blazes Legal Trails
From its beginnings in the Gold Rush, the state Supreme Court continues to define the state today.
Translated from the Greek, “Democracy” means “people power.” How much power do the people have in California?
People Power! What Is Democracy, and How Does It Work in California?
The Goddess of Democracy is alive and well in California, but that hasn’t always been true.
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