On a recent sunny afternoon in Lancaster, Cassandra Hughes looked for a place to cool down. She set up a lawn chair in the shade at the edge of a park and spent the afternoon with a coloring book, listening to hip-hop music. Reaching a high of 97 degrees, this...
Cashing in? A CA Tribe Bought Campaign Ads for Lawmaker Who Cast Key Gambling Vote
Assemblymember Evan Low represents a Silicon Valley district that could lose tens of millions of dollars in local tax revenues if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill that would allow casino-owning tribes to sue their competitors, private card rooms. So it was surprising that Low, a Democrat who's running for...
California Lawmakers Want to Ban Anti-Union Meetings at Work, but Will Newsom Go Along?
On the final day of their session, California lawmakers sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a bill banning employers from forcing workers to sit through anti-union meetings — the latest attempt by Democratic politicians to support union activity amid a revived labor movement. If Newsom signs Senate Bill 399, California would join...
Californians Who Illegally Divert Water Face Massive Fines Under New Legislation
California lawmakers last week approved a massive increase in fines for water scofflaws after ranchers intentionally defied state orders and pumped water from the drought-plagued Shasta River for eight days. Two years ago, state officials imposed the maximum fine allowed under law — $4,000, or roughly $50 per rancher, causing...
California Dems Strike Back Against Local Conservative Rebellions on LGBTQ Rights, Abortion
Like many new political candidates at the time, Rebecca Bauer-Kahan first ran for the state Assembly in 2018 because she was troubled by the election of then-President Donald Trump and wanted California to fight back against his administration. Six years later, that dynamic has flipped on its head. In the...
Will Gov. Newsom Call a Special Session to Deal With Gas Prices?
Update, 6:55 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 31: Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he called a special legislative session on gas prices "to save Californians at the pump." NEW: We’ve called a special session to prevent gas price spikes & save Californians money at the pump. Our first-in-the-nation proposal will save Californians...
Millions of Californians Have Medical Debt. It Wouldn’t Hurt Your Credit Under Proposed Rules.
Medical debt weighs heavily on the lives of millions of Californians. It can ding their credit scores and hurt their chances of landing a rental or securing a home mortgage. Earlier this year, the Biden administration announced a proposal to stop medical debt from showing up on credit reports. That...
CHP Has 1 in 6 Jobs Vacant Despite Big Raises, Newsom’s Hiring Push
The California Highway Patrol has hundreds of job openings and a higher-than-usual vacancy rate. A new contract for CHP officers increases their pay by boosting a number of incentives, such as seniority pay and extra money for officers with police dogs. About one in six California Highway Patrol positions are...
Immigrant Home-Buying Aid and Early Prison Release Bills Spark CA Fireworks
In the final days of California's legislative session, some Democratic lawmakers are pushing controversial bills that could put their colleagues in a tough spot during an election year. It's not that California lawmakers shouldn't aim high, but in an election year, they might avoid taking on bills that could upset...
When Should Police Be Involved at School? A California Bill Would Let Teachers Make the Call
During Zuleima Baquedano's first year as a teacher, she faced an important choice. One of her students had difficulty controlling her emotions. One day, she had a meltdown and kicked Baquedano down. The principal asked Baquedano if she wanted to call the police, because the incident legally counted as assault....