State of California Government News Digest

Alva Johnson, director of the California State Lottery has given his two weeks’ notice. Johnson had arrived in 2019, a year after a whistleblower complaint helped spur a reckoning for the agency.

A ballot measure being pushed by business groups could place strict new limits on the ability of state and local governments to raise taxes.

For years police departments and police unions bitterly resisted body-worn cameras. As the technology was implemented, it revealed negatives about cop culture. Court watchdogs assert a similar culture exists in public courtrooms.

The state will offer a free mental health app beginning Jan. 1 for people ages 13-25. It is currently being tested in San Joaquin and Stanislaus counties.

Assembly Bill 1096, taking effect Jan. 1, will let community colleges in the state provide courses in non-English languages, regardless if a student is also taking ESL. Previously, a student had to sign up for the latter to qualify for the former.

A pilot program that allows Californians to visit many state parks for free—after checking out a pass from their local library—is helping increase access for more people of color and lower-income residents, according to research from the California State Parks Foundation.

While leaders debate the future of an energy transition that bans gas-powered vehicles, appliances, and equipment, a new public outreach campaign called Levanta Tu Voz communicates how Latino families and businesses will be affected by the new laws.

The first reservoir in California in nearly 50 years is now on the fast track for completion.

A statue of Miwok elder William J. Franklin has been installed on California State Capitol grounds. The monument replaces a statue of Father Junípero Serra, which protestors toppled in 2020.

The Wildlife Conservation Board is scheduled to consider providing $5.6 million for a wildlife crossing near the San Benito-Monterey county line to address “one of the most significant and least permeable wildlife connectivity bottlenecks in California.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom passed Senate Bill 256, allowing the city of Davis to create endangered species preserves and further climate action. The bill was introduced by Sen. Bill Dodd.

At the Water Education Foundation annual water summit in Sacramento, Eric Oppenheimer, chief deputy director of the California State Water Resources Control Board, discussed what he described as the state’s “antiquated” water rights system.

The grant comes after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a determination that said leaded aviation gas posed environmental and health risks and should be regulated under the federal Clean Air Act.

Gail Pellerin filed election paperwork for most of her adult career as the chief elections officer in Santa Cruz County, but now she’s getting used to the process from the other side of the desk.

California’s Secretary of State has told the Shasta County Board of Supervisors that it cannot hand-count ballots in its Nov. 7 special election. In a letter, Secretary of State Shirley Weber said the county must comply with new legislation that bars the hand-counting of ballots.

The California Department of Finance notes that the state collected $18 billion in tax revenues in October 2023, after projecting as much as $42 billion. It could mean a wider budget gap than anticipated, with state leaders already acknowledging a looming $14 billion deficit.

As California moves away from gas-powered technology, state officials have looked for ways to ease stress on our electrical grid. A recent California Energy Commission decision tackles the systems powering swimming pools.

A nonpartisan coalition of voting rights advocates has asked the California Secretary of State’s office to monitor upcoming elections in Shasta County because of concerns about safety and the spread of misinformation.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law in October, SB 272 by Sen. John Laird, that requires local governments to plan for rising sea levels. It's already factoring into planning in places like Marin County.

San Jose State University envisions partnering with public school districts across Santa Clara County to combat the housing crisis and the soaring cost of living dilemma that has driven teachers and students out of the Bay Area.

More than 40 states are suing the social media giant. The legal actions allege that Meta has deceived the public about the harms of Facebook and Instagram, which the attorneys general say “exploit and manipulate” children.

Senate Bill 274 bars willful defiance or low-level behavioral issues from suspending students in grades six through 12.

San Jose could hand out more speeding tickets next year thanks to Assembly Bill 645, which legalizes the state’s use of surveillance cameras in school zones and “safety corridors” to catch speeding drivers for a five-year pilot program.

Middle and high school students across California will be protected by a new law requiring life-saving prevention and response resources for fentanyl overdoses under legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the BASICs Act into law, bringing relief to incarcerated individuals and their families across California.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of election bills authored by Assemblymember Marc Berman, including legislation that aims to improve ballot design and explicitly bans “double voting” in different states.

By July of next year, it will be illegal for public schools in California to suspend students for low-level behavior issues after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation banning “willful defiance” suspensions among TK through 12th grade.

Legislation that was created in response to fire breaking out in 2022 at the Elkhorn Battery Energy Storage System facility was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The California Food Safety Act prohibits the manufacturing, distribution and sale of food and beverages that contain brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propylparaben and red dye 3.

A bill to allow Amsterdam-style cannabis cafes in California has been vetoed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, according to Assemblymember Matt Haney, who authored the legislation.