Gov. Gavin Newsom has decided the fate of two more high-profile bills — one on criminal justice and the other on public schools. On Monday, the governor signed Senate Bill 14 into law, reclassifying child sex trafficking into a serious felony that increases prison sentences, saying that “California is going...
Which Controversial Bills Will Gov. Newsom Sign Into Law?
It’s California’s most diverse Legislature ever, and one-fourth of lawmakers are new. But some things never change: Legislators wait until the last days of the session to pass a lot of bills. In recent days, they have sent Gov. Gavin Newsom some significant legislation — to tax guns and ammunition, ban caste discrimination and decriminalize some...
Soaring Chronic Absenteeism in California Schools Is at ‘Pivotal Moment’
As a new school year gets underway in California, districts are desperately trying to lure thousands of missing, tardy and truant students back to the classroom in what many view as a pivotal moment for education in California. In 2021-22, 30% of students in California’s public schools were chronically absent,...
California COVID Rising Again. Here’s the Latest on How to Handle It
Another COVID-19 wave is hitting California as the summer ends and kids head back to school. It’s a familiar story by now, but one that has become perhaps more confusing with time because of changing public health recommendations, new vaccine boosters, and our evolving understanding of the virus. There’s no...
The World’s Largest Dam Demolition Begins. Can the Klamath River Finally Find Salvation?
In Summary As four aging hydroelectric dams are demolished, tribes and communities along the Klamath River wait anxiously to see what the future holds. “Once a river is dammed, is it damned forever?” experts ask. Oshun O’Rourke waded into the dark green water, splashing toward a net that her colleagues...
Psychedelic Therapies Could Help Heal CA’s Ailing First Responders
On September 11, 2001, I was off-duty helping organize a fundraiser when we got the news about the attack. The world watched as New York firefighters worked around the clock, putting out fires and searching for survivors while breathing in toxic fumes. I lost 26 friends that day and spent...
High Price of CA State Worker Contracts About to Increase $5 Billion More
Despite warnings from the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office and concerns from some labor-friendly Democrats, the Senate budget committee on Wednesday approved two bills to fund new contracts for three-fourths of the state’s rank-and-file workers. The misgivings? Extra goodies in the tentative deal for prison guards, the lack of time to...
Adding Speed Cameras to CA Cities Won’t Target People of Color. It’ll Protect Them.
In Summary A proposed pilot program to reduce pedestrian accidents in six California cities is receiving pushback because critics believe installing speed cameras would unfairly target low-income communities. A proponent of the bill argues that the disparities in traffic safety is the more urgent issue. If drivers seem more aggressive...
After Farmworker’s Death in Fresno Heat, UFW and Sen. Padilla Call for Stronger Protections
In Summary U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla and the United Farm Workers union say a recent death in a tomatillo field was due to heat, but a coroner’s report doesn’t back that up. For more stories on inequality in California, sign up for Inequality Insights, a weekly must-read on one of...
Which Bills Are California ‘Housing Killers’?
The California Chamber of Commerce has its annual “job killer” list, with a track record of spiking bills that is the envy of other industry groups. By its count, only 58 of the 824 bills labeled “job killers” between 1997 and 2022 made it into law without at least significant...