EnvironmentAs floods endanger the San Joaquin Valley, Newsom cuts funding for floodplainsMarch 29, 2023The governor eliminated $40 million for restoring floodplains, halting projects that help protect vulnerable, disadvantaged communities like Stockton. San Joaquin Valley legislators are pushing back.
State GovernmentBill to extend time to investigate scams against older Californians advancesMarch 28, 2023The new bill proposes to extend the current time to investigate scams from 30 days before and after an incident to 90 days, both before and after the alleged illegal activity.
State Government‘Prove you’re not price gouging:’ Newsom signs special session bill to monitor oil industry profitsMarch 27, 2023 | Nicole NixonThe bills’ passage signals the end of a special legislative session, which some lawmakers described as a rushed process with little opportunity for input or debate. Newsom called it “a great day for consumers.”
State GovernmentGarbology is the study of trash. This is why students love itMarch 24, 2023A professor lends worms to students, takes them to sewage processing plants and encourages them to answer their own questions about garbage. Sometimes, they even make a career out of it.
State GovernmentState may scale down its new home loan program designed to assist first-time homebuyersMarch 22, 2023Gov. Newsom wants to spend $300 million the first year, which could help about 2,300 buyers. But home prices are falling and mortgage rates are rising, complicating the launch.
State GovernmentProposed bill would overhaul referendum petition process in CaliforniaMarch 22, 2023 | Mike HagertyA California assembly member says some petition circulators misrepresent who they work for and what their petitions would do. He’s introducing a bill he says would require more transparency during the signature collection process.
State GovernmentCourt ruling opens door to gig driver unionization bill, union saysMarch 20, 2023A court ruling last week upheld much of Proposition 22, but found part of the measure was invalid in a way that could favor gig workers.
State GovernmentWildfire victims left ‘in the dark’ after U.S. Forest Service briefs Congress about the Caldor FireMarch 20, 2023 | Scott RoddA CapRadio and California Newsroom investigation prompted the Forest Service to answer U.S. lawmakers’ questions about a stalled fire prevention project, but little information from these meetings has been shared with the public.
State GovernmentCalifornia’s Covid misinformation law is entangled in lawsuits, conflicting rulingsMarch 19, 2023A state law says giving false information to patients about covid-19 constitutes unprofessional conduct for which regulators can discipline doctors. Vaccine skeptics, including Robert F. Kennedy Jr., join civil liberties groups and others.
State GovernmentCalifornia colleges rush to get more students on food assistance before pandemic rule endsMarch 18, 2023Most college students don’t qualify for CalFresh, California’s food stamps program, despite high rates of food insecurity. A pandemic-era rule that made it easier to get aid ends soon.
