A Fresno-area politician wants California to prioritize struggling San Joaquin Valley farmworkers in a proposed pilot program that would put cash in the hands of some the state’s impoverished residents. State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Democrat from Sanger, issued a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom last week urging the state to prioritize...
Tulare County’s Relentless Drought Brings Dry Wells and Plenty of Misery
Severe drought is gripping most of California, but its misery isn’t spread equally. While most of the state compares today’s extreme conditions to previous droughts, people in Tulare County speak of drought — in the singular, as in a continuous state of being. “The drought has never stopped in north...
There Are No Latino Judges in Madera, Kings, and Merced Counties
BY BYRHONDA LYONS CalMatters Outside the Colusa County Courthouse Annex, 21-year-old Lorenzo Acosta takes a few puffs from his vape cartridge to calm himself before walking into court to support a friend. Acosta acknowledges he’s been “in the system,” so he knows how it all works here. He knows the...
Will Magic Mushrooms, Other Psychedelics Become Legal in California?
Amid growing scientific research into therapeutic uses for psychedelic drugs and a progressive push to soften punishment for drug crimes, California lawmakers are considering a bill to legalize magic mushrooms, Ecstasy and several other hallucinogenic substances. The proposal has set off an intense debate over how far California should go...
Follow the Money: Gavin Newsom Recall Edition
The forecast for this summer is hot, with high wildfire risk and a fever-pitch campaign to determine the political fate of Gov. Gavin Newsom. The fight to recall Newsom has already consumed state politics, with the governor in campaign mode since March and both sides already reporting millions of dollars...
Can California Withstand a Teacher Retirement Boom?
BY ELI WOLFE CalMatters Earlier this year, the California State Teachers Retirement System issued an ominous statement: teacher retirements in California are projected to hit nearly record-breaking heights in 2021. The statement, which came in the form of a February blog post, said that the numbers will be almost as...
California’s Police Use-of-Force Law, Explained
In the culmination of one of the fiercest political battles in recent years, California in 2020 put in place a new legal standard tightening the rules around when police can use deadly force. The new standard was a compromise between police and civil rights groups. It legally permits police to...
Abolishing School Police Should be Part of Reopening Plans
School districts, teachers and policymakers across California are determining how to get more students back to in-person learning as safely as possible. While these conversations are important, the continued decriminalization of Black and Brown students, and the abolition of school police, must be central to any plan for reopening schools....
How to House People and Achieve California’s Climate Goals
California faces a housing crisis and a climate emergency. We don’t build enough housing so we drive too frequently and too far in cars that generate most of California’s greenhouse gases. The solution is simple and obvious: build more housing in cities where people work so we don’t have to drive...
Merced and Inyo Struggle to Escape State’s Strictest COVID Tier
Every year, tens of thousands of equine aficionados gather in the streets of Bishop for one of the biggest events in the Eastern Sierra: Mule Days. Touting “the world’s longest mule parade,” as well as an array of riding competitions and other festivities, the multi-day event leading up to Memorial...