The most recent measure to let the state borrow billions barely passed in March. In a poll out this month, nearly two-thirds of Californians said it’s a bad time to issue more IOUs. But that isn’t stopping supporters of climate action and school construction from trying to get bond issues on the...
Why Every California Student Should Have Access to ‘Gifted’ Classes
Academic success is as much dependent on how students feel about themselves as the letter grades that fill their transcripts. In fact, the two might be more correlated than they appear. When I was in first grade, my parents applied for a local elementary school in Fresno that featured a...
Who Are the Winners and Losers in California’s Budget Deal?
With Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic-led Legislature coming to a budget agreement on Saturday, some winners and losers of the spending plan have become clear. As CalMatters Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff explains, many programs saw funding cuts, deferrals, and delays to find $46.8 billion in fiscal solutions and balance the budget. The effort, according...
A DA Kept Black Women Off a Jury. California’s Supreme Court Says That Wasn’t Racial Bias
One by one, a California prosecutor eliminated five out of six Black women from the jury pool for a death penalty case in which a white carpet cleaner slayed his client, a young mother. The attorney in Alameda County had a reason for each dismissal. He believed one, for instance,...
Still Need Your Landline? California Just Stopped AT&T from Pulling the Plug
California’s Public Utilities Commission this week rejected AT&T’s application to stop providing landlines and other services in areas where there is no other option. Its 4-0 vote came after a judge determined the application by AT&T California was “fatally flawed.” AT&T is the “carrier of last resort” for California, an...
This Giant Freshwater Fish — North America’s Largest — Gains California Protection
Killed by algae blooms and dwindling from dams and droughts, the largest freshwater fish in North America is at risk in California. Today, wildlife officials took the first major step toward protecting it under the state’s Endangered Species Act. White sturgeon, which can live longer than 100 years, historically reached...
California Lawmakers Fast-Track Restaurant Exemption to Hidden Fees Law
Legislation that would make it easier for restaurants to set food prices without including add-on fees is being whipped through the Capitol in warp speed. On Tuesday two Assembly committees endorsed the newly drafted Senate Bill 1524, that would exempt restaurants from a law passed last year requiring businesses to...
High-Stakes Deal-Making Continues Behind the Scenes on CA Budget and Ballot
It’s possible that the final big deals on both the state budget and November ballot measures could be hammered out on the same day next week, or in the days leading up to it. Thursday, June 27 is the deadline for the Legislature to put measures on the Nov. 5...
California Business & Labor Hammer Out a Deal on Workplace Violation Lawsuits
For years, California businesses have tried to repeal a unique state labor law that allows workers to sue their bosses over alleged workplace violations and generates hundreds of millions of dollars in employer penalties for the state. In a deal announced Tuesday to amend the law, some of those employers...
Gavin Newsom and the Legislature Far Apart on College Spending as Budget Deadline Nears
Within the next week and change, Democrats who control the Legislature and fellow Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom will need to reconcile their competing budget plans for higher education in California, with huge implications for student financial aid and the short-term fiscal health of the state’s public universities. At issue is...