Beginning Jan. 1, hundreds of state-licensed residential treatment centers for children and youth up to age 21 operating in California must comply with a new law that brings greater transparency — particularly when they use restraints and seclusion rooms. After restraining a youth, or putting them in a seclusion room,...
He Has Prison in His Past. Now He Hopes Law School Is in His Future
Austin O'Campo went from prison to graduating from UC Berkeley, while living in his car. Now the 29-year-old San Jose resident is studying for law school while completing a fellowship designed to help young people like him find careers. The fellowship is through a nonprofit called CURYJ. Pronounced "courage," the...
New California Laws Allow Cannabis Cafes, Sidewalk Drinking
Starting Jan. 1, alcohol and cannabis sales could expand in some parts of California thanks to two new laws that aim to increase central city foot traffic, which has yet to fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate Bill 969, authored by state Sen. Scott Weiner, will let local governments designate...
Polluted Communities Hold Their Breath as Companies Struggle With CA Diesel Truck Ban
Standing in his front yard in Wilmington, Jose Ulloa can't get a sentence out without coughing. Heavy-duty trucks, headed to and from the Port of Los Angeles, pass in front of his home all day, their engines roaring and their exhaust spewing into the air. Ulloa, who was diagnosed with...
Why CA Needs to Double-Down on Its Apprenticeship Programs
Apprenticeships are a time-honored tradition dating back centuries, and serve as a pathway to skilled trades and professions. They play a vital role in shaping our workforce and economy, and offer valuable hands-on training and mentorship, helping people get the skills needed to succeed in high-demand careers. According to research...
California Judges Say They’re Underpaid, and Their New Lawsuit Could Cost Taxpayers Millions
California judges make a good living. They earn at least $240,000 and can count on a raise just about every year, a requirement that's written into state law. So why do they feel shortchanged by the state? A coalition of them argues the state has been stiffing them for years...
California Banned Bilingual Education for Nearly 20 Years. It Hasn’t Recovered
In 1953, Bárbara Flores entered kindergarten at Washington Elementary School in Madera, a small city surrounded by farm fields. Her mother and grandmother had talked it up: You're going to learn a lot. You're going to like it. She believed them. A little girl who would one day become a...
Landlords Are Using AI to Raise Rents. CA Cities Are Leading the Pushback.
If you've hunted for apartments recently and felt like all the rents were equally high, you're not crazy: Many landlords now use a single company's software — which uses an algorithm based on proprietary lease information — to help set rent prices. Federal prosecutors say the practice amounts to "an...
Californians Pay Billions for Power Companies’ Wildfire Prevention Efforts. Are They Cost-Effective?
Diane Moss lost her home in the Santa Monica Mountains after power lines ignited the apocalyptic Woolsey Fire in 2018. Since then, she's pressed for a safer electric grid in California. "It's so easy to forget the risk that we live in — until it happens to you," said Moss,...
High Schools Moved on From College for All. Will Trump Come Through for Job Training?
In this politically charged era, there's one thing both parties agree on: the benefits of high school career pathways. With strong bipartisan support, career and technical education programs are poised to be a centerpiece of education policy over the next few years — both federally and in California. That's good...