State GovernmentCalifornia Senate approves bill to limit police stops for headlights, expired registrationMay 31, 2023 | Nicole NixonSen. Steven Bradford’s SB50 would prohibit police from pulling someone over for a minor infraction related to lighting, registration or license plates alone.
State GovernmentNewsom and Democratic lawmakers at odds over billions in health care fundsMay 30, 2023Gov. Gavin Newsom is getting pressure from his political allies to begin spending money on health care that the state raised by fining Californians who go without health insurance. But Newsom says the state can't afford to.
State GovernmentFentanyl bills advance at the California Legislature, but divisions on approach remainMay 26, 2023 | Nicole NixonJust one of the bills would raise the penalty for dealers carrying at least a kilogram — or a little than two pounds — of fentanyl, aligning it with penalties for possessing large amounts of heroin and other drugs.
State GovernmentNew report says Cal State has $1.5 billion funding gap, suggests tuition hikesMay 26, 2023A new analysis shows that the California State University system doesn’t make or receive enough money to cover its costs, even with state support. The report and lawmakers urge the system to increase tuition, but even that might not be enough.
State GovernmentDelta Tunnel plan touted by Newsom gets push-back from Congress memberMay 24, 2023 | Mike HagertyCongressman Josh Harder, who represents the Stockton area and has been opposed to the Delta tunnels project for five years, is speaking out against the governor's move.
State GovernmentA California bill would limit housing security deposits to one month’s rentMay 23, 2023 | Steve Milne | Nicole NixonCurrently, landlords can ask for security deposits of up to three months’ rent for some apartments. Assembly member Matt Haney (D-San Francisco)’s AB 12 would limit it to one month’s rent.
State GovernmentThis law should reveal who’s paying for California legislators’ travel. It’s only been used twiceMay 21, 2023A 2015 law to bring more transparency to paid trips for California legislators has led to only two disclosure forms being filed by the sponsoring groups. The law’s author says it is being wrongly ignored.
State GovernmentGavin Newsom wants to make it easier to build roads, dams and more. What’s in his plan?May 20, 2023The governor’s building plan would adjust an environmental law known for stalling housing, dams and other projects. One environmental group said, “we have never been more disappointed in a California governor than we are with Gov. Newsom.”
State GovernmentLegislative Survivor: Which big California bills were shelved in ‘suspense file?’May 18, 2023In their twice-a-year exercise, legislators killed dozens of California bills in the process known as the suspense file.
State Government‘I’m a hostage’: Why California’s COVID unemployment mess isn’t over yetMay 16, 2023Workers denied pandemic-era jobless benefits are still struggling with debt and stress — collateral damage as they fight a state employment agency on edge about fraud and an appeals system facing a ‘historic’ backlog.
