SAN FRANCISCO — The minimum wage in San Francisco increases to $15 an hour July 1 under a ballot measure approved by voters in 2014. San Francisco is the first major city in California to hit the magic $15 mark, but it won't be the last. Two years ago, California...
Lawmakers Say No to Soda Taxes. What Will Gov. Brown Do?
SACRAMENTO — Soda taxes may stop popping up in California and elsewhere, thanks to a new push by the beverage industry to fight such measures. California lawmakers passed a bill to ban local taxes on soda for the next 12 years Thursday and sent it to Gov. Jerry Brown, who...
As Vaccine-Before-Welfare Bill Moves On, Parents Demand Rights
A controversial bill regarding access to welfare and immunizations passed out of a state Senate committee Tuesday. But the author said he would consider amending the aspect of the bill that troubles parents’ rights groups. AB 1992, authored by Assemblyman Kansen Chu (D-San Jose) would improve access to the CalWORKS...
California Gives $9.7M for Cheech Marin's Chicano Art Museum
LOS ANGELES — Months after California legalized recreational marijuana the state is giving stoner comedian Cheech Marin's Chicano art museum $9.7 million. It must be fate. The money was tucked away in the $139 billion California budget Gov. Jerry Brown signed Wednesday. Museum Scheduled To Open in 2020 The Cheech...
You've Got Until Saturday To Buy Cannabis at Bargain Prices
LOS ANGELES — Bargain basement bud is on the menu in California, but you need to act fast to cash in on the cheap weed. Regulations being phased in six months after the state broadly legalized marijuana require that pot sold after Saturday meet strict quality standards, so retailers unloading...
How To Bite Back Against Potentially Deadly Mosquitoes
Fourth of July is just around the corner, but itchy and potentially deadly mosquito bites may already be a problem around your home and neighborhood. Pools are open and grills are going, but are you cooking up a breeding ground for mosquitoes? It only takes about a week for a...
Anti-Abortionists Cheer Supreme Court Ruling on California Law
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court effectively put an end Tuesday to a California law that forces anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers to provide information about abortion. The 5-4 ruling also casts doubts on similar laws in Hawaii and Illinois. The California law took effect in 2016. It requires centers that are...
Wildfire Season Begins With a Bang. Are You Prepared?
SAN FRANCISCO — Thousands fled their homes as major wildfires encroached on a charred area of Northern California still recovering from severe blazes in recent years, sparking concern the state may be in for another destructive series of wildfires this summer. Severe drought has already forced officials in several western...
Voters Will Get To Say 'Yea' or 'Nay' on Gas Tax Hike
SACRAMENTO — California voters will decide this November whether to get rid of higher gas taxes and vehicle registration fees imposed by the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown last year. Secretary of State Alex Padilla said Monday that initiative supporters collected enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot. The...
State to RV Park Owner: Fix Problems or Pay Up!
Despite the promises of the owner of a run-down RV park to fix his facility, nothing has changed. Now, the owner could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines and time in jail. Mohamed Saeed, the owner of Jack’s Resort RV Park, told GV Wire he would fix his...