This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Thirty years ago, I did the bravest thing I could imagine: I asked for help. I had survived years of childhood sexual abuse by my father, followed by a violently abusive marriage. For years my husband beat me,...
Classic Cars Will Still Need a Smog Test in California After Lawmakers Reject Jay Leno Bill
By Ryan Sabalow, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Jay Leno’s star power wasn’t enough to persuade a California legislative committee to pass a measure to allow owners of classic cars like him to be exempted from the state’s rigorous smog-check requirements. The...
California Schools Reverse Truancy Trends. Improving Reading Scores Could Be Next
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Good news is a rarity in California’s massive public school system, which purports to educate nearly 6 million students but struggles to improve chronically subpar academic achievement levels on state and federal tests. The most recent round of...
High-Speed Rail Hits a New Snag as Lawmakers Reject Proposal to Expedite Construction
By Yue Stella Yu and Jeanne Kuang, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. A legislative proposal aiming to speed up California’s high-speed rail construction met its fate Friday, spelling trouble for the already costly and long-delayed project. Senate Bill 445, authored by Sen....
Gov. Newsom Launches New Task Force To Clear CA Homeless Encampments
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a new homeless response task force Friday, marking the latest escalation in his ongoing campaign to eradicate encampments, including in Fresno. Newsom’s office expects to deploy the team within the next month to camps...
How California Lawmakers Can Trim Up to 20% Off Consumer Electric Bills
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Customers of California’s investor-owned utilities, such as PG&E and Edison, get a reprieve from soaring utility bills twice a year thanks to a credit from the state’s cap and trade program, which requires large polluters to pay for...
ICE Is Suddenly Showing Up in CA Hospitals. Workers Want More Guidance on What to Do
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Federal immigration agents are more routinely showing up at California medical facilities as the Trump administration ramps up deportations. They may come to the emergency room, bringing in someone who’s suffering a medical crisis while being detained. They...
California Cities Lack Unified Response On Homeless Encampments
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Clearing an encampment is one of the most complicated and fraught tasks any California city can take on when responding to homelessness. How they handle that challenge varies widely. CalMatters asked nearly three-dozen cities and counties throughout California...
Gavin Newsom’s Redistricting Plan Is on Its Way to Voters. What You Need to Know
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to counter President Donald Trump’s election gerrymander in Texas with his own redistricting play in California is on its way to voters. The California Legislature on Thursday approved his proposal calling for a special...
‘Moral Conflict’ Drives Dem Doubts About Newsom’s Redistricting Plan
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. As Republicans lambasted California lawmakers for rushing through their effort to gerrymander the state’s congressional map, Democrats are facing a quieter angst in their own party. To counter what they call President Donald Trump’s undemocratic power grab for...