As part of the California Department of Motor Vehicles' ambitious effort to improve its reputation for long lines and shoddy customer service, DMV is expanding the hours of 53 field offices. A couple of caveats: It's only one more hour per day of operation, and it's being applied only to...
What You Need to Buy Ammo In California Starting Monday
SACRAMENTO — California has among the most stringent gun laws in the country and on Monday a far-reaching new initiative to curb violence will require background checks for every ammunition purchase. Gov. Gavin Newsom and other proponents said it will save lives but opponents are suing in hopes of eventually...
Walters: 'Big, Hairy' Goal Could Be Newsom's First Defining Moment
The careers of political executives – presidents, governors and big city mayors – are often, fairly or not, defined by how they deal with the crises they encounter. Franklin Roosevelt and the Great Depression (and later World War II), John Kennedy and the Cuban missile confrontation, Lyndon Johnson and the...
California Lawmakers Revive a Big Piece of Obamacare
SACRAMENTO — The California Legislature voted Monday to tax people who refuse to buy health insurance, bringing back a key part of former President Barack Obama's health care law in the country's most populous state after it was eliminated by Republicans in Congress. The tax now heads to Democratic Gov....
All DMVs to Close 1 Day for Training. Will That Fix Long Lines?
California's Department of Motor Vehicles, slammed in a state audit for slipshod customer service and being poorly prepared for the rollout of federally approved driver's licenses, will close its offices statewide for a half-day to train staff on doing a better job. The closure will happen Wednesday, July 24, so...
Assembly Panel Advances Bill on Vaccination Exemptions
SACRAMENTO — A California Assembly committee on Thursday advanced a bill to tighten the state's rules on vaccination exemptions, but there remains disagreement about the measure among Assembly Democrats. Some members of the Assembly Health Committee say the bill will help protect children amid a surge in measles cases in the United...
Capitol Prepares for Next Round After Vaccine Bill Modified
The state Capitol is readying for thousands of opponents and supporters for the next hearing of a bill that would set new guidelines for how a doctor can grant medical exemptions for children receiving vaccines in order to attend school. The Assembly health committee is taking precautions to prevent people...
‘Clean’ Freight Elusive as California Rolls To Zero Emissions
Work used to be much simpler for the California Department of Transportation: widen highways, fill potholes, build new freeways. Alas, those quaint days are gone. To get an idea of what planners must prepare for, state officials recently hosted a demonstration of a drone air taxi that will require devising...
Second Horse in 2 Days, 29th Overall, Dies at Santa Anita
ARCADIA — A second horse in two days and 29th overall has died at Santa Anita, where management has chosen to continue racing for the rest of the current meet. Truffalino collapsed in the final stages of the third race on turf Sunday. A track spokesman says the 3-year-old filly...
Walters: Trump Doing California a Bullet Train Favor
At last count, California’s Democratic political leadership had filed four dozen lawsuits against President Donald Trump’s administration, reflecting differences on policies large and small. For the most part, California’s legal allegations have been on target. However, Trump is on solid legal and logical ground in the latest conflict over the...