SACRAMENTO — The California Legislature is trying again to force presidential candidates to publicly disclose their tax returns, hoping a new Democratic governor known for his clashes with President Donald Trump won't block them this time. The state Senate voted 27-10 on Thursday to require anyone appearing on the state's...
Governor Scraps Delta ‘Twin Tunnels’ Projects, Orders New Plan
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom scrapped a $16 billion plan Thursday to build two giant water tunnels to reroute the state's water system and instead directed state agencies to restart planning for a single tunnel. The move is a blow to the vision of his predecessor, Jerry Brown, who had...
Poway Synagogue Just Got Money to Improve Security
POWAY — A gunman fired his semi-automatic rifle at Jewish worshippers after walking through a Southern California synagogue's front entrance — a spot that religious leaders determined last year needed improved security. The Chabad of Poway synagogue applied for a federal grant to install gates and more secure doors to...
High-Speed Rail Cost Jumps to $20.4B for Central Valley Segment
SACRAMENTO — The state's reworked plan for high-speed rail now estimates a $20.4 billion price tag to complete 171 miles of track from Merced to Bakersfield by 2028, nearly a decade later than the initial estimate for a much longer Los Angeles-to-San Francisco line. Rail officials issued an update to...
Newsom Aims to Boost Security Grants After Poway Attack
SACRAMENTO — California's Democratic governor vowed on Monday to spend $15 million for increased security at "soft targets" like the synagogue where a gunman opened fire over the weekend, killing one worshipper. Gov. Gavin Newsom said he will include the money in his $144 billion general fund budget proposal, which he intends...
Newsom Signs Internet Sales Tax into Law
SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a law requiring companies like Amazon and eBay to collect sales taxes on behalf of some out-of-state sellers. The law comes after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year states can collect sales taxes from companies even if the company is based outside...
Walters: School Spending Popular, Taxes Not so Much
For years, even decades, polling has consistently found that Californians’ highest political priority is public education. That trend continues in a new survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, conducted in the wake of teacher strikes for higher salaries in three urban school districts. PPIC found that three-quarters of...
BizFed's Wish List for Newsom: Help on Water, Taxes, Immigration
Gov. Gavin Newsom should focus on water access and reliability, taxes, and immigration, according to a poll of BizFed Central Valley members. The other two areas of critical concern were government regulations and compliance, along with taxes and fees, the organization said in a news release Monday. This was the first...
Victims' Parents Urge Newsom to Stop Death Penalty Reprieve
SACRAMENTO — Parents of Californians murdered by people now on death row shared gruesome details of their loved ones' killings Thursday as they launched a statewide tour to urge Gov. Gavin Newsom to reverse his moratorium on executions. "He was like a thief in the night that stole justice from...
Newsom Teams With Fresno on New Affordable Housing Idea
Affordable housing developed in partnership with the state will be put on the fast track in Fresno and other cities under a plan unveiled Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The housing will be built on vacant state-owned properties, many of them belonging to Caltrans. “Housing is a basic human right,...