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CA Bill Would Stop PG&E From Sticking Ratepayers With Ad and Lobbying Costs

A new California legislative bill would stop utility companies from passing political lobbying, advertising, and shareholder expenses onto energy consumers. Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park), introduced Assembly Bill 1167 on Feb. 21. The bill requires utility companies to justify rate increases. It makes "unjust" or "unreasonable" charges unlawful, according to...

Schools in Delano Win Acclaim for Their Pandemic Comeback. How They Did It

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Some of California's most acclaimed schools right now aren't in elite suburbs or wealthy urban enclaves. They're in a small city in the San Joaquin Valley, an outpost on Highway 99 surrounded by almond trees and orange groves....

FresYes Fest: The Big Downtown Party Expects 25,000 People Saturday

FresYes Fest organizers expect 25,000 people — maybe more — in downtown Fresno enjoying food, crafts, and musical acts Saturday. Now in its 11th year, organizer Mike "Oz" Osegueda says FresYes Fest — which started as a celebration of Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co.'s anniversary — is Fresno's preeminent party destination. "Over...

Lobbyists Are a Growth Industry in Politically Complex California

This commentary was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. In the late 1990s, the late Jay Michael and I coauthored a book, published by the University of California, that explored why and how interest groups employ lobbyists to represent them in Sacramento. Michael was a retired lobbyist...

‘They Didn’t Lift a Damn Finger’: California Crime Victim Fund Ordered to Change Practices

This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Ruby Marichalar didn't have the money to pay for her son's funeral after he was stabbed to death in September 2012. Like thousands of Californians every year, she turned for help to a state agency that was created...

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