From CalMatters...
Who Killed CA Utility Bill Legislation?
04/26/2024A 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.
From Los Angeles Times...
Newsom Calls Out Republican Abortion Policies in New Ad Running in Alabama
04/21/2024California 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.
From Los Angeles Times...
Senate Impeachment Trial Begins for Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas
04/17/2024Alejandro N. Mayorkas, a Cuban immigrant who grew up in California, is the first U.S. Cabinet official impeached in nearly 150 years.
From CalMatters...
Business Groups and Lawmakers Battle Over Ballot Measure to Limit California Tax Increases
04/08/2024Anti-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.
From CalMatters...
RFK Jr. Picks VP, but Still Isn’t on California Ballot
03/27/2024Presidential 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.
From KFF Health News...
At Stake in Mifepristone Case: Abortion, FDA’s Authority, and Return to 1873 Obscenity Law
03/25/2024Lawyers 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.
From Los Angeles Times...
Reps. Gaetz and Greene Lawsuit Against Cities Where Political Rally Was Canceled Can Move Forward
03/25/2024A judge ruled GOP Reps. Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene can move forward with their lawsuit against two California cities where rallies were canceled.
From Los Angeles Times...
San Francisco Voters Pass Police & Drug Ballot Measures
03/08/2024Proposition 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.
From CalMatters...
CA Legislature Could Set a New Record for Women
03/07/2024The 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.
From CalMatters...
California is Seeing a Historic Rise in the Number of Black Women Running for Office
03/04/2024At 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.
From CalMatters...
What California Voters Want to Know About the 2024 Election
02/26/2024Voting 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.
From Los Angeles Times...
Meet Some of the Biggest Donors Shaping California's U.S. Senate Race
02/26/2024Here 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.
From CalMatters...
Will CA Voters Like ‘Newsom Recall, the Sequel’ Any Better?
02/26/2024Conservative activists who worked on the failed recall of Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2021 have launched another attempt, arguing that conditions in California only worsened in the two-and-a-half years since then as Newsom’s attention shifted to national politics.
From CalMatters...
Why Does California Elect Local Judges?
02/23/2024Of all the races on your ballot, the least information is often available on local judges. Here are some ways to find out more about these candidates.
From CalMatters...
Classroom Fight Ramps Up in CA Election
02/21/2024On one side: Equality California, the nation’s largest statewide LGBTQ advocacy group. On the other side: Protect Kids California, a parents rights organization.
From Los Angeles Times...
Judge Again Dismisses Charges Against Members of California White Supremacist Group
02/21/2024In his decision, a judge agreed that the alleged white nationalists were being selectively prosecuted instead of 'far-left extremist groups, such as Antifa.'
From CalMatters...
How Many Bills in the 2024 California Legislature?
02/19/2024With the dust settled after the Feb. 19 bill introduction deadline, the California Legislature’s count for new bills this year is 2,124.
From Los Angeles Times...
The Golden State Is Still Golden. And Yes, We Are Americans
02/17/2024A poll indicated many Americans believe California is on the decline and some say it’s not even “American.” Columnists Mark Z. Barabak and Anita Chabria explain why it’s still the Golden State.
From Los Angeles Times...
San Francisco Set to Apologize to Black Residents for ‘Systemic Racism’
02/16/2024Members of the board gathered to put forward a resolution that takes responsibility for the history of discrimination against Black San Franciscans.
From CalMatters...
Why Adopting Sports Gambling in California Has to Involve Tribes
02/15/2024When and if California legalizes sports gambling, the policy should honor the laws established in partnership with tribes decades ago, says Assemblyman James Ramos.
From EdSource...
Research: Immigration Enforcement Hinders Education; Schools Offer Support
02/15/2024Immigration enforcement lowers students’ ability to succeed academically and negatively affects their overall learning experience.
From CalMatters...
Bill Package Takes Aim at AI and Elections
02/12/2024A suite of five bills introduced this weeks seeks to protect election integrity from bad actors using AI, especially on social media.
From CalMatters...
A Record Amount Went to Lobbying California’s Government. Who Were the Biggest Spenders?
02/11/2024Companies and organizations spent more than $480 million on lobbyists who sought to influence the Legislature, the governor’s office and state agencies.
From CalMatters...
California Senate Leader Mike McGuire Picks His Team
02/08/2024The new top Democrat in the state Senate announces his leadership team and new committee chairpersons. He rewarded some allies, and filled five of seven leadership posts with women or legislators of color.
From Los Angeles Times...
Just in Time for 2024 Elections, USC Opens a Major Public Policy Center in Washington
02/08/2024In a major expansion of its Washington footprint, USC is opening a public policy institute where students can immerse themselves in learning about national and political issues.
From CalMatters...
Legislators Unveil Measure to Ask Voters for $1 billion Offshore Wind Bond
02/08/2024The funds would help California ports expand to handle giant wind turbines and other equipment. California’s first offshore wind farms are on a fast track off Humboldt County and Morro Bay.
From CapPublicRadio...
5 Major Candidates Want to be California’s New U.S. Senator
02/07/2024Here’s where they stand on the economy, crime and the border.
From Los Angeles Times...
How a California Republican Helped Tank Mayorkas’ Impeachment Vote
02/07/2024California Republican Rep. Tom McClintock bucked his party to vote against impeaching Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas.
From CalMatters...
An Initiative Promised 20,000 Homes for Mentally Ill Californians. It Delivered Far Less
02/06/2024California voters this spring are considering a $6.4 billion bond to house people with serious mental health conditions. A similar 2018 ballot measure offers lessons about the obstacles that stand in the way of construction.
From CalMatters...
Can You Vote for Any Candidate in California’s Primary Election? Here Are the Rules
02/06/2024There are different rules for the presidential contest and state races on the March 5 ballot. And each party has its own rules.
From CalMatters...
Mike McGuire Wants to ‘Lift Up Every Person’ as New California Senate Leader
02/05/2024Sen. Mike McGuire of Healdsburg takes over as Democratic leader in the state Senate from Sen. Toni Atkins. He terms out in 2026, so has limited time to push his agenda.
From CalMatters...
California Recall Reform Moves Forward, But Other Bills Don’t
02/01/2024A sweeping change to California elections took a step forward. The proposed constitutional amendment aims to allow the lieutenant governor to be installed if a governor is recalled.