Housing and HomelessnessAmid deficit, Newsom proposes California spend less to solve homelessness and create affordable housingMay 10, 2024Faced with a multibillion dollar budget deficit, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s May budget proposal includes hundreds of millions of dollars in additional cuts to housing and homelessness programs.
State GovernmentBig cuts, no new taxes: Gov. Newsom’s plan to fix California’s budget deficitMay 10, 2024Gavin Newsom proposes a mix of spending cuts and using reserves to balance the state budget. He says that core services will be largely untouched, but some existing programs would be affected.
State GovernmentCalifornia says restaurants must bake all of their add-on fees into menu pricesMay 10, 2024Service charges; resort fees; "surcharge" add-ons: A new state law requiring price transparency is set to take effect in July. Until now, no one knew how it would apply to restaurants.
State GovernmentCalifornia sets a new flat charge for customers of large investor-owned utilities like PG&EMay 9, 2024 | Manola SecairaThe decision means middle and high-income households will pay a fixed electricity rate of $24 each month, and low-income households will pay either $6 or $12. Usage rates will drop a few cents as a result of the change.
State GovernmentCalifornia Supreme Court weighs removing a measure making it harder to raise taxes from the ballotMay 8, 2024The California Supreme Court is weighing whether to remove a measure from the November ballot that would make it harder for the state and local governments to raise taxes.
State GovernmentNewsom wants California state employees back in the office. New ruling makes it harder to objectMay 8, 2024The Newsom administration wants state employees in the office at least twice a week. Many civil servants prefer working from home, and their unions are fighting to protect generous telework policies.
EnvironmentNew California bills hope to mitigate health impacts linked to living near oil, gas wellsMay 7, 2024 | Manola SecairaAfter a 2022 law that would have established a buffer between new oil and gas wells and community areas was put on hold, advocates have sought other ways of addressing the issue.
EnvironmentPresident Biden announces expansion of Berryessa Snow Mountain National MonumentMay 2, 2024 | Manola SecairaEnvironmental advocates and tribes have rallied to include Molok Luyuk to the monument since 2015.
State GovernmentCalifornians are protecting themselves from wildfire. Why is there still an insurance crisis?May 2, 2024Lawmakers want mitigation measures to be tracked, updated and accounted for to help insurance availability and affordability.
State GovernmentCalifornia's population grew in 2023, halting 3 years of declineApril 30, 2024The California Department of Finance released a population estimate on Tuesday showing the state gained just over 67,000 people in 2023 for a total population of more than 39.1 million. It's the first population increase since 2019.