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.
State GovernmentGavin Newsom moves to ‘transform’ San Quentin as California prison population shrinksMarch 17, 2023San Quentin housed California’s death row for decades. Now Gov. Newsom wants the prison on San Francisco Bay to emphasize rehabilitation and helping inmates re-enter society.
EnvironmentNo California salmon: Fishery to be shut down this yearMarch 15, 2023The salmon industry, worth about half a billion dollars, is devastated. The culprits: Drought and decades of water diversions and development.
State GovernmentCourt upholds California Prop. 22 in big win for gig firms like Lyft and UberMarch 14, 2023An appeals court ruled Monday in favor of companies that want to classify some workers as independent contractors, saying that Proposition 22 is mostly constitutional.
State GovernmentIs your boss complying with California’s new pay transparency law? Here’s how to find outMarch 13, 2023Businesses and workers have questions about California’s new pay transparency law. CalMatters answers which companies need to post pay ranges in job openings, who can ask for their current pay scale, and more.
Helping the ‘unbanked’: California mulls entering banking business to serve disadvantaged consumersMarch 12, 2023Studies say 1 in 4 Californians lacks full access to banks and many pay big fees. A state commission is weighing how to provide public banking options, such as no-fee checking accounts.
EnvironmentState water agency rescinds controversial Delta order that put fish at riskMarch 12, 2023State officials say the urgency to store more water has vanished as storms swell reservoirs. The reversal is a victory for environmentalists, but they say the damage to salmon and native fish is already done.
New cost estimate for high-speed rail puts California bullet train $100 billion in the redMarch 9, 2023The latest report from the California High-Speed Rail Authority projects costs for the initial segment at $35 billion, which exceeds secured funding by $10 billion. Other segments of the system are likely to have their projected costs increase, too.
State GovernmentCalifornia farmworkers just gained the right to vote for unions by mail, but for how long?March 6, 2023California farmworkers just gained the right to vote for unions by mail, but for how long?
EnvironmentState rejects local plans for protecting San Joaquin Valley groundwaterMarch 5, 2023Groundwater plans, largely serving low-income Latino communities, were deemed inadequate for preventing dry wells and sinking land.
