SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom will kick off his second and final term on Friday by contrasting his leadership of the nation's largest Democratic stronghold with Republican leaders he's branded as threats to freedom and democracy — including former President Donald Trump. Newsom began the ceremonies by leading a...
California Pardons Gay Civil Rights Leader in New Initiative
SACRAMENTO — California’s governor announced Wednesday that he is posthumously pardoning a gay civil rights leader while creating a new pardon process for others convicted under outdated laws punishing homosexual activity. Bayard Rustin was a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and a key organizer of the March on...
Gov. Newsom Had 'Baptism by Fire' in 1st Year
SACRAMENTO — During his inaugural address last January, Gov. Gavin Newsom made only a passing reference to wildfires and never mentioned the state's largest utility, Pacific Gas & Electric. Both soon became inescapable topics. PG&E filed for bankruptcy barely three weeks after the Democratic governor was sworn in, triggering a series of...
On Trump’s Tax Returns and More, Newsom’s Agenda Isn’t Jerry Brown’s
As governor, Jerry Brown vetoed a 2017 measure to keep presidential candidates off the California primary ballot unless they release their tax returns. With a stern veto message, he said the Trump-trolling bill would create a political “slippery slope.” “Today we require tax returns, but what would be next? Five...
Nevada: Feds Should Restudy Seismic Risk at Nuke Dump Site
LAS VEGAS — Nevada's governor and congressional delegation are pointing to earthquakes this month in the California desert and calling for the U.S. Energy Department to look again at seismic risks of burying the nation's most radioactive nuclear waste at a site in the Mojave Desert. In a letter made...
Walters: Secrecy Abounds on State Budget, Major Bills
Fair warning: By reading this you will be plunging into the Legislature’s almost impenetrably arcane thicket of internal procedures. To begin at the beginning, for decades the state budget was written in secret by the chairmen of the Legislature’s two fiscal committees, Assembly Ways and Means and Senate Finance. This...
Gov. Newsom Is Shrinking Jerry Brown’s Pet Projects
When Jerry Brown began his first governorship in 1975, he quickly set himself apart from his father, former Gov. Pat Brown. The elder Brown’s legacy had been an immense expansion of the state’s public-works infrastructure—new colleges and universities, a web of freeways and, most of all, a massive project to...
California Renews Bid to Get Presidential Candidates’ Taxes
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...
Walters: Newsom Downgrades Brown's Pet Projects
When Gavin Newsom was running for governor last year, he adopted “courage for a change” as his slogan. It could be – and was – interpreted two ways: that he wanted to change the direction of California, or that he was disparaging outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown’s reluctance to confront the...
In His Own Words: Gov. Newsom's First State of the State Address
SACRAMENTO — Governor Gavin Newsom delivered his first State of the State address before a joint session of the California Legislature on Tuesday, Feb. 12. Below is the text as prepared for delivery, with headlines and pull-outs added for reading clarity: Mr. Speaker, thank you for being a champion for all...