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The effort to bring back affirmative action in limited form is dead
The measure’s author said it would compete with other priorities this year, including an effort to fend off a proposed constitutional amendment to punish retail thieves and another to restrict forced labor in prisons. He wants to propose it for a future election season.
Gavin Newsom warns that dark forces are threatening California
The governor posts a pre-recorded State of the State speech online and fulfills his duty by sending a text of his remarks to the Legislature. He emphasizes how California is standing up against threats to the state’s success: pluralism, innovation and diversity.
Will last-minute bond issues make California ballot?
The most recent measure to let the state borrow billions barely passed in March. In a poll out this month, nearly two-thirds of Californians said it’s a bad time to issue more IOUs. But that isn’t stopping supporters of climate action and school construction from trying to get bond issues on the November ballot — […]
Indian Americans have a role to play in educating Californians about Hindu nationalism
Indian Americans bear a special responsibility to educate neighbors and lawmakers in California, and to prevent Hindu nationalism from gaining a foothold, as a series of violent incidents and protests signal has found support.
California’s self-inflicted fiscal crisis produces a budget full of gimmicks and favors
California Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders have struck a deal to close a budget deficit, but it was ultimately a self-inflicted crisis, and the budget remains unbalanced when the gimmicks and reserves are taken out.
Winners and losers in California budget deal
With Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic-led Legislature coming to a budget agreement on Saturday, some winners and losers of the spending plan have become clear. As CalMatters Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff explains, many programs saw funding cuts, deferrals and delays to find $46.8 billion in fiscal solutions and balance the budget. The effort, according […]
She had a miscarriage, and says a California CVS wouldn’t give her a prescribed abortion pill
California has greatly expanded protections for abortion care since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. But enforcing the laws can be complicated, and some providers are confused about what’s required of them.
Reforming California’s landmark coastal law can restore balance between housing and environment
In recent years, California lawmakers have targeted coastal protections that impede housing, leading to heated debate in the Capitol and elsewhere. A former attorney for the Coastal Commission says California's landmark Coastal Act has failed to deliver on what it envisioned.
California’s debate over coastal zone reforms has created a false choice between homes and protections
Efforts to weaken California's coastal protections and ease housing development have generated fierce debate. It's created a false choice, argues the Santa Cruz mayor.
What you need to know about the California budget deal
Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders announce an agreement to bridge the state budget deficit by dipping into reserves and reducing some spending. The deal also calls for a bill in August to set aside more money and a 2026 constitutional amendment to grow the state’s rainy day fund.
California real estate group won’t fight affordable housing measure, for a price
The California Association of Realtors agrees not to oppose a constitutional amendment to reduce the voter approval threshold for housing bonds. In exchange, the measure will not apply to single-family homes. Some housing advocates are angry about the carve-out.
What’s next for reparations in California?
Good morning, Inequality Insights readers. I’m CalMatters reporter Wendy Fry. The California Legislative Black Caucus is hitting the road on a statewide tour to promote its slate of 14 reparations bills, while the clock is ticking on getting those proposed laws to the governor’s desk before the legislative session ends Aug. 31. Last weekend, the […]
Why California tax limit got booted from ballot
A political bombshell exploded in California at 10 a.m Thursday: The state’s highest court removed an anti-tax measure from the Nov. 5 ballot, siding with Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislative leaders and angering business and taxpayer groups, writes CalMatters Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff. The blocked initiative — known as the Taxpayer Protection and Government […]
‘It’s frustrating’: Why a gay California senator is annoyed by his own LGBTQ health info bill
Sen. Scott Wiener is irked that he had to introduce a bill that would require health officials to ask LGBTQ people for demographic info on state health forms. He says they should have been doing it anyway.
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