Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Saturday he had vetoed a bill to bolster farmworkers' heat illness claims as they face the increasing dangers of extreme heat. The unique proposal would have made it easier for farmworkers to get workers' compensation when claiming they suffered heat illness on the job. Senate...
Newsom Signs New Law Backing Tribes in High-Stakes Gambling Fight
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Saturday that would allow California's casino-owning tribes to sue their business competitors, concluding one of the most expensive political fights of the legislative session. With Newsom's signature on Senate Bill 549, tribes now have the ability to ask a judge to decide their...
Economists Like Newsom’s Plan to Help Control Gas Prices. Refiners Don’t.
Fall is in the air, and that means California drivers are gearing up for seasonal price increases at the pump. A plan by Gov. Gavin Newsom to hold down those spikes cleared the Assembly petroleum committee Thursday. The proposal, the focus of a special legislative session, is set to head...
New California Law Gives Tenants More Time to Respond to Eviction Notices
Tenants in California will have twice as much time to respond to eviction notices and potentially avoid losing their homes under a bill signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom this week. The new law comes amid a statewide housing crisis, and after a surge in evictions followed the expiration...
Only 1 in 5 California Community College Students Makes It to a University, Audit Says
Many students start community college with the hope of getting an associate degree and then transferring to a four-year institution, such as a California State University or University of California campus. But a state audit, released today, found that the vast majority of these students never accomplish their goal. "Only...
Cal State Campuses Brace for ‘Severe Consequences’ as Budget Gap Looms
California State University is anticipating state spending cuts next summer of nearly $400 million and a delay in promised state support of more than $250 million. The projected budget gap may prevent the system from enrolling new students, offering employee raises and spending more money to boost graduation rates. Cal...
Critics Say Lawmakers Weakened California’s Lemon Law After Secret Lobbyist Talks
Californians for the past 54 years have relied on the state's "lemon law" to fight back against car makers that sell them defective vehicles. Now, critics say Californians' ability to recoup their money after buying a clunker could become more difficult, due to a hastily passed bill that lobbyists representing...
California Drivers Can Get Mobile Licenses on Their iPhones — But They Need Physical Ones Too
Apple launched California identity cards and driver's licenses for iPhones today, making the digital IDs easier to present — but for now they are only accepted at select airports and a small number of businesses selling age-restricted items such as alcohol, tobacco, fireworks, or guns. Drivers are still legally required...
6 Myths About California Crime as Voters Now Favor This Measure on Drugs, Retail Theft
Californians have gone back and forth on crime and punishment for years. In 1994, they voted for harsher criminal penalties and a three-strikes law. Twenty years later, in 2014, nearly 60% of voters approved Proposition 47, which sought to reduce the state's prison and jail populations by changing some felony...
Kings County Growers Celebrate ‘Monumental Win’ in Water Fight With State
In a scathing ruling, a Superior Court judge has lambasted state water officials for going too far and invoking "underground regulations" when they penalized Kings County water managers for failing to protect overpumped groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley. Kings County Superior Court Judge Kathy Ciuffini last week granted a...