San Benito County Elections & Politics Digest

A bipartisan bill would create a state ombudsperson to intervene when public records requests are denied. But an advocacy group is concerned that it will encourage state agencies to go to court.

The Legislature is approving lots of significant bills in the final days of the session. But the final call is up to the governor, and he isn’t shy about using his veto pen.

"Shasta County is not our own country," said Tim Garman, a Shasta County supervisor who opposed the hand-counting effort. "We don't get to make all of our own laws.”

In rapid-fire votes in suspense file hearings, lawmakers determined the fate of hundreds of bills on crime, transgender students and more.

A small group of activists want California voters to decide whether transgender minors should be allowed to receive puberty blockers, hormone therapy or gender-affirming surgeries.

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants counties to spend some revenue from California’s so-called “millionaire’s tax” on the state’s homeless crisis. That alarms advocates for programs that are getting that money today.

As the San Benito County Office of Elections prepares for another candidate filing period, community members can learn more about running for local office themselves.

As the California Legislature reconvenes for the final five weeks of its session, the leader of the Assembly Public Safety Committee is under the spotlight. But Reggie Jones-Sawyer isn’t backing down.

Many local governments see voter majorities approve bond measures without reaching the two-thirds required. A new effort to reform that system would drastically improve the ability of local governments to fund housing and infrastructure projects.

Thirteen Republican state attorneys general have sent a cautionary letter to the CEOs of the 100 largest U.S. companies, highlighting the potential legal ramifications of using race as a factor in employment practices.

Rep. Katie Porter was the choice of 19% of likely voters, just ahead of Rep. Adam Schiff at 16% and Rep. Barbara Lee at 13%, a June survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found. PPIC also found that in the race for the White House, 50% of the state’s likely Republican voters support former President Donald Trump.

California lawmakers tried nine times to stiffen penalties for trafficking of a minor. The latest effort appeared to die — until a social media campaign forced Democrats to reconsider.

In the third part of BenitoLink’s in-depth interview with Zoe Lofgren, the District 18 representative discussed the latest on fusion energy, advancements in quantum computing and how Congress is looking to handle artificial intelligence.

In the second part of an interview with BenitoLink Executive Director Leslie David and content manager Noe Magaña, Zoe Lofgren discussed the nation’s current immigration laws, recent bills, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, and border control.

The first-in-the-nation measure to add caste to state anti-discrimination laws, which passed the state Senate, survives the Assembly judiciary committee. The bill’s author refused to water down the measure further.

Bret Miller says an ethical conflict, not the lawsuit, was why he was let go by the City Council.

Community Vision San Benito County has resumed its work to organize a community-gathering effort to identify both the difficulties and the hopes of county residents.

Zoe Lofgren, District 18’s congressional representative, spoke with BenitoLink Executive Director Leslie David and content manager Noe Magaña to discuss the status of Hazel Hawkins Memorial Hospital, immigration, artificial intelligence and fusion power.

After a prolonged transition, the Central Coast Democrat will be sworn in as Assembly speaker today, taking over from Anthony Rendon. They’re ideologically similar so the differences may be more in leadership style than policy.

An obscure 1910s-era labor board once regulated everything from canneries to film sets to sheep farms. Why is California trying to bring it back now?

Robert Rivas tells anyone who will listen that his rise from farmworker housing on the rural Central Coast to Assembly Speaker is wholly unexpected. But many who have watched the Democrat’s climb from an outgoing high-schooler to a San Benito County supervisor to the holder of one most powerful political offices in the state are not surprised.

Most of what Californians experience with homelessness occurs along public spaces and city streets. But what happens when a city council member loses her home? Ojai’s Suza Francina is finding out.

Legislators threatened to reject Newsom’s infrastructure package if he won’t remove the Delta water tunnel. The issue could be ammunition as the budget deadline looms.

California lawmakers are poised to consider HR 47, which would rename room 317 in the Capitol as the “Speaker Anthony Rendon Press Room.” The resolution highlights Rendon’s lengthy time as speaker—the longest since California set term limits for state lawmakers.

The arguments made by the Los Angeles Unified School District to fight a 2021 lawsuit attempting to reopen schools sparked a campaign to enshrine a constitutional right to a high-quality education. Let the politics begin.

California’s state budget is the product of a multi-month, multi-step process that involves the governor, the Legislature, lobbyists, interest groups and the public. Here are the key dates along the way.

Democratic leaders in the Legislature unveiled their California budget agreement, but Gov. Newsom must sign off for a final deal. There are some significant differences with what Newsom proposed in May.

The state’s 2023-24 budget has been subject to a lot of political wrangling this year as California faces a $31.5 billion spending gap. The constant push and pull of balancing the budget means that if one program, agency or proposal receives funding, something else could lose out. The Legislature is expected to pass its budget [...]

The state Assembly has passed legislation to require large cities, counties and school districts to use independent commissions to redraw districts for their governing boards, but the measure exempts five major counties.

In May, a video featured a young woman named Brooklyn imploring viewers to tell the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation about the importance of EarnIn, part of a relatively new app-based industry that provides cash advances to people based on their wages.

Peer mentors from the LGBTQ+ Resource Center of San Benito County have been working with Hollister City Manager Dave Mirrione and Hollister City Council member Rolan Resendiz to revise a manual that covers LGBTQ+ issues, history and terminology. The finished work was published online June 1.

California is considering banning the use of “reverse search warrants,” which compel tech companies to disclose the identities of individuals based on the location of their phone and internet search history. Abortion activists call it vital.