This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. A beloved teacher arrested for soliciting a minor. A coach convicted of sexual abuse. A school district hit with a multi-million-dollar jury verdict for failing to protect students. The steady drumbeat of stories in recent years about educator...
Secrecy, Cost Overruns Plague California’s Billion-Dollar Capitol Annex Project
This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. For more than half a decade, advocates of the state Capitol have sounded the alarm about the $1.1 billion Capitol annex project. This venture is a textbook example of how not to run a public works project. All...
6 Things to Know About Gov. Newsom’s CARE Court Thus Far
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new mental health court made big promises about how it would help get the sickest Californians off the streets. Launched in 2023, the program allows people to petition a court to order treatment for someone...
New Enforcement Targets People Living in Cars, RVs on California Streets
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. For months, cities around the state have ramped up enforcement against people sleeping in tents on the street. Now, some are focusing on a new target: People who live in vehicles. Wayne Gardiner, 58, watched his home of...
They Were Convicted of Gang Crimes. New CA Supreme Court Rulings Trim Their Sentences
This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. The California Supreme Court handed down two decisions last week that could impact decades of sentencing for gang-related offenses and allow thousands of people to petition courts to reexamine their cases. Both rulings turned on a 2021 law...
CA Law Silences Abuse Victims in Court. The Legislature Could Finally Change That
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...