SACRAMENTO — California has become the first state to require publicly traded companies to include women on their boards of directors, one of several laws boosting or protecting women that Gov. Jerry Brown signed Sunday. The measure requires at least one female director on the board of each California-based public...
California Governor Vetoes 2 Bills to Help Immigrants
SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed two bills Thursday seeking to expand the rights of immigrants living in the country illegally and protect them from deportation. One bill would have allowed anyone to serve on state boards and commissions regardless of their immigration status, while the other sought to...
Gov. Brown Signs Bill Supporting a Valley Medical School
Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Thursday establishing the San Joaquin Valley Regional Medical Education Endowment Fund. The bill's author, Assemblyman Adam Gray (D-Merced), said in a Facebook post that the fund will provide "a dedicated opportunity for the collection of public and private donations to support the construction and operation of...
California Tightens Rules for Concealed Weapons, Bump Stocks
SACRAMENTO — Californians will have to undergo at least eight hours of training, including live-fire exercises, before carrying a concealed weapon, under one of several firearms bills acted on by Gov. Jerry Brown. The bill helps standardize the state's current patchwork requirements for obtaining concealed weapons permits. It was among...
Push to End Bullet Train in 2020 Could Signal GOP Strategy
SACRAMENTO — Worried they would lack big-name candidates at the top of the ticket this November, California Republicans turned to a ballot measure that would eliminate a recent gas tax increase in hopes of exciting conservatives and ensuring they show up to support lower-profile legislative and congressional candidates. A potential...
Gov. Brown Orders DMV Audit After Latest Failure
Gov. Jerry Brown is doing what the California Legislature failed to do — order an audit of the DMV. The state Department of Finance will perform the audit. Brown's order Friday came a day after a computer outage crippled more than a third of DMV offices around the state for...
School Bells Will Keep Ringing Early Thanks to Gov. Brown Veto
SAN FRANCISCO — Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill Thursday requiring that California middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m., saying the decision of when to start classes should be up to schools not the state. Supporters of the bill cited research that says delaying school start...
May I Please Have a Straw for Me & a Soda for the Kid?
SACRAMENTO — If you want a straw with your drink or a soda with a kids' meal at a California restaurant, you'll need to ask for them starting next year. A law signed Thursday by Gov. Jerry Brown makes California the first state to bar full-service restaurants from automatically giving...
California Scraps Helmet Mandate for Motorized Scooters
SACRAMENTO — Californians soon won't have to wear helmets while zipping around on motorized scooters. Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation Wednesday requiring helmets only for people under age 18. It's a win for companies such as Bird and Lime that operate the popular scooters in major cities across California and...
Sidewalk Vendors Get a Boost From Bill Signed by Brown
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Jerry Brown has signed a bill to make it easier for sidewalk vendors to operate legally in the state. It's one of dozens of bills Brown announced signing Monday, including measures to help voters ensure their mail ballots are counted and standardize balcony inspections. Brown also vetoed...