When California lawmakers vote on a rent cap bill in the coming days, they must consider the consequences it will have on our state’s housing crisis for years to come. Our state’s housing affordability and availability crisis deserves a comprehensive approach that prioritizes building more homes for rent and ownership....
Debate Offers Harris Chance to Regain Momentum in 2020 Race
LONDONDERRY, N.H. — Seven months after Kamala Harris burst into the race for the Democratic presidential nomination with a flag-draped launch rally and the confidence of a front-runner, the California senator is facing persistent questions about whether she can recapture the energy of her campaign's opening days. Harris' next best opportunity comes...
Report: Clovis, Sanger Districts Among Best at Closing 'Achievement Gap'
Clovis and Sanger unified school districts are among seven in California that are making the most progress in closing the so-called "achievement gap" for students of color and those in poverty, according to a new report released Tuesday in Sacramento. The Learning Policy Institute, a research nonprofit that aims to...
Walters: Dems Ignore Voters’ Decisions
In politics, as in sports, rules of the game often influence, or even dictate, who wins and who loses. Just as professional sports leagues are wracked by internal conflict over playing rules, California’s politicians and interest groups joust constantly over campaign contribution limits, redrawing of legislative and congressional districts, voter...
California Lawmaker, Governor Reach Deal on Vaccine Bill
SACRAMENTO — The author of a California bill limiting medical exemptions for vaccinations is accepting Gov. Gavin Newsom's demand for additional changes. Sen. Richard Pan on Friday amended a companion bill to reflect the governor's wishes, days after lawmakers sent Newsom a bill cracking down on doctors who sell fraudulent...
Program to Erase Old Pot Charges Aids 58 California Counties
SACRAMENTO — Every California county prosecutor can now use new technology to erase or reduce an estimated 220,000 old marijuana convictions after voters broadly legalized the drug in 2016. Code for America, a San Francisco-based nonprofit tech organization, announced Thursday it is making its computer algorithms available for free to...
Assembly Approves Sending Parolee Voting Measure to Ballot
SACRAMENTO — The California Assembly on Thursday narrowly approved putting a measure on the ballot next year that would let tens of thousands of parolees vote in future elections. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla and other advocates say ending the ban on voting would help nearly 50,000 felons adjust...
Scientists Monitoring New Marine Heat Wave off West Coast
SEATTLE — Federal scientists said Thursday they are monitoring a new ocean heat wave off the U.S. West Coast, a development that could badly disrupt marine life including salmon, whales and sea lions. The expanse of unusually warm water stretches from Alaska to California, researchers with the National Oceanic and...
California Bill Banning Forced Arbitration Heads to Governor
SACRAMENTO — When companies in California tell job candidates they have to give up their right to sue them for most disputes, a bill headed to the governor's desk would let people say "no" without fear of losing their job offer. The bill is the latest effort by state governments...
California Bans Fur Trapping for Recreation, Commerce
SACRAMENTO — California on Wednesday became the first state to ban commercial fur trapping, ending the practice nearly 200 years after animals like beavers and otters introduced the American West to international trade. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday he had signed a bill into law making it illegal to...