Dec 10, 2021 · The journalists at CalMatters followed these and many other California state government issues closely this year, listening to experiences from neighborhoods, schools and farms and questioning elected leaders, advocates and experts. CalMatters’ 2021-2022 Primer about state politics and policy is a collection of what we saw and learned. In the California ‘reading wars,’ phonics is gaining. by Dan Walters November 7, 2022. State test results show California students overall performed much worse in math and English language arts than pre-pandemic, but a persistent achievement gap didn't worsen, as initially feared. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters.Por qué los enemigos de la Proposición 1 están volviendo a la lucha. by Cal Matters March 18, 2024. De izquierda a derecha, los manifestantes Carol Patterson, Natalie Conrad y Debi Davis intentan interactuar con la gente durante un evento de “Vote No a la Proposición 1” en el Capitolio estatal el 1 de febrero de 2024.California doctors struggle to make payroll one month after ransomware attack. Dermatologist Dr. Margaret Parsons at her practice, Dermatology Consultants of …California workers will be guaranteed five paid sick days a year starting Jan. 1, up from the three days that employers are currently required to provide, thanks to Senate Bill 616 . The bill, authored by Long Beach Democratic Sen. Lena Gonzalez, also extends protections against retaliation to workers who …Tents line up against a fence at a homeless encampment near Highway 180 in west Fresno on Feb. 11, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters. In summary. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that has implications for how much power California officials have over homeless camps. It will rule on current precedent later this …The Bay-Delta ecosystem is collapsing. California just unveiled rival rescue plans. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta on June 22, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters. A long-awaited, controversial report weighs updates to standards that state officials say have failed to protect fish and wildlife.Kern County once again had the state’s highest homicide rate in 2021, at 13.7 homicides per 100,000 people. That was also the case last year, when the county’s homicide rate per 100,000 people was 12.7 in 2020 — the state’s highest — or about one for every 8,000 people. Statewide, the average homicide rate climbed to 6 people per …Despite California’s ongoing water woes, even the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office had to give a thumbs down to the state’s proposal to limit urban water use, writes CalMatters’ Rachel Becker.. In August, the California Water Resources Control Board unveiled a proposal for more than 400 cities and water suppliers serving about …In a milestone for creating a major new source of drinking water, California has approved its first standards for turning sewage into potable water supplies delivered to homes and businesses. The State Water Resources Control Board, in a unanimous vote today, outlined for the first time how water suppliers can treat recycled water and send it ...A CalMatters series investigates what’s improved and what’s worsened since the last drought — and vividly portrays the impacts on California’s places and people. Researchers are applying lessons learned from the last drought to enable the $50 billion agricultural sector to sustain itself in a new reality, ...California lawmakers, raising fears of political violence, want to shield their properties. Lawmakers on the first day of session on the Assembly floor at the state Capitol on Jan. 3, 2024. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters. A bill would let state legislators, who say they fear for their safety, shield their property holdings …California as of today is one of the first states with formal rules for government departments to follow when buying AI tools. The guidelines introduced this week are the product of an executive order aimed at challenges and opportunities from generative AI by Governor Gavin Newsom late last year. Generative AI produces text, imagery, audio, or ...California households earning more than $180,000 a year would end up paying an average of $500 more a year on their electricity bills, according to the proposal from utility companies. The California Public Utilities Commission’s deadline for deciding on the suggested changes is July 1, 2024. The proposals come at a time when many …As CalMatters higher education reporter Mikhail Zinshteyn explains, though the California Faculty Association — a union that represents 29,000 professors, lecturers, coaches and others — held one-day strikes at four campuses in December, this was the first time its members walked out at every campus since its founding in 1983.Sep 12, 2023 · The effort to allow California’s legislative staff to unionize — at least 23 years in the works — is nearly across the finish line. But to win enough support from their bosses, significant changes were made: New lawmakers would be able to dismiss their predecessor’s staffers. In July, the bill was amended to push back when the union ... California’s funding from gas taxes will drop by nearly $6 billion in the next decade due to the state’s electric car rules and other climate programs, “likely resulting in a decline in highway conditions for drivers,” according to a new state analysis released today. As California phases in major policies aimed at reducing greenhouse ...A bankrupt California hospital left a health care desert. Two medical groups move to reopen it. The closure of Madera Community Hospital created a new health care desert in a community that already had fewer doctors per capita than other parts of the state. UCSF and Adventist have a plan to reopen it. By Ana B. Ibarra • February 8, 2024.One of the bills Newsom signed, for instance, undoes the Brown-era law and allows cities and counties to again ban artificial turf. Some California cities have already begun moving to prohibit fake lawns, including Millbrae in San Mateo County and San Marino in Los Angeles County. “Emerging research is making it …California election districts have changed for 2022 and beyond. Type in your address and find out your new legislative and congressional districts. Hundreds of thousands of voters were shifted in the new California election districts drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission. A bushel of state …Dec 21, 2021 · California’s citizens redistricting commission is designed to be nonpartisan, but party politics will be influenced by its final congressional and legislative maps. Most studies say Democrats will still have the upper hand. by Sameea Kamal and Jeremia Kimelman December 1, 2021. CalMatters covers quality of life issues, holds leaders accountable and explains state government to 39 million Californians. Learn about its mission, funding, diversity, ethics and accessibility. California doctors struggle to make payroll one month after ransomware attack. Dermatologist Dr. Margaret Parsons at her practice, Dermatology Consultants of …California’s clean-air regulators on Tuesday unveiled a highly anticipated roadmap packed with strategies for tackling the climate crisis. But it falls short on a key component: the role that its signature environmental policy — cap and trade — will have in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The California Air Resources Board’s draft of ...A record class of first-term lawmakers share their challenges, wins and lessons from the 2023 legislative session. They faced time management, transparency …Sameea Kamal is a reporter at CalMatters covering the state Capitol and California politics. She joined CalMatters in June 2021 from the Los Angeles Times, where she was a News Desk editor. Sameea was... More by Sameea Kamal. New members of the California Legislature count some victories in representing constituents, but criticize the …Feb 6, 2023 · Rules for thee: How California Legislature skirts its own laws. by Sameea Kamal February 6, 2023. New California legislators stand to take the oath of office in the Senate chambers in the state Capitol on Dec. 5, 2022. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters. California Democrats have been on a decade-long tear increasing voting access. Same-day voter registration, automatic registration at the DMV and pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds are among the recent pro-vote innovations to come out of the Capitol. Letting people under 18 vote would be yet another …Prop. 1, the only proposition on California ballots this March, asks voters to green-light a $6.4 billion bond for treatment beds and housing units catering to people with mental illnesses and addictions. It also would restructure some current funding to funnel more mental health money toward housing. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has championed …The idea of giving cash directly to people in need, known as guaranteed income, is swiftly gaining traction in California. Nonprofits, cities and counties throughout the …Current law shields tenants from eviction if they’ve paid at least 25% of their rent between Sept. 1, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2021. And tenants cannot be evicted over any rent owed between March 1, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2020 — as long as they respond to their landlord’s eviction notice with a signed declaration of COVID-19-related financial ...Nov 8, 2022 · Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom cast their ballots on election day at the California Museum in Sacramento on Nov. 8, 2022. Photo by MIguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters. Results: Gavin Newsom, 59%. Brian Dahle, 41%. A CalMatters analysis shows that California’s offshore wind projects carry a host of implications and uncertainties: Energy companies will need hundreds of millions of dollars in state subsidies or bonds to assist with the extreme costs of construction and operation. Each wind farm could cost about $5 billion to develop, …Now the state is considering hosting another renewable energy technology in the sea: Blue power, electricity created from waves and tides. A new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October instructs state agencies to study the feasibility and impacts of capturing ocean movement to create power and report back to the Legislature by January …Jan 2, 2023 · Not to be outdone, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature passed this new law that allows private citizens to collect $10,000 by suing those who make or sell illegal “ghost guns” or assault-style weapons. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, could throw out the Texas law and ones like it, including California’s. But today, Newsom proposed scaling climate funding back by about 7% compared to last year’s budget, to $48.3 billion, while spreading that money out over seven years, up from six last year. The cuts, unveiled in the first draft of his new budget, follow last year’s 3% cut to climate programs, and triggered criticism today from environmental ...When the California Supreme Court upheld Brown’s Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act in July of 2020, it directed the state’s 20 county-run pension funds to comply with it. The law reduced the potential retirement income of government employees hired after 2013 by changing pension formulas. It also restricted a variety of financial ...Lower cost, slower gains: California prepares controversial new climate strategy. by Nadia Lopez April 28, 2022. The state's climate change scoping plan would force use of renewable energy. The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the Mojave Desert is the world's largest solar plant. Photo by Bing Guan, REUTERS.California’s clean-air regulators on Tuesday unveiled a highly anticipated roadmap packed with strategies for tackling the climate crisis. But it falls short on a key component: the role that its signature environmental policy — cap and trade — will have in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The California Air Resources Board’s draft of ...Together, they’ve spent more than $188 million lobbying the state government since 2005, making them the third and first largest spenders on hired advocates since then. Oil companies have had plenty of challenges in California, a state with ambitious climate goals including a ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.Jul 7, 2023 · In summary. Legislative leaders declared support for a bill to let staffers finally form a union, but the newly amended bill wouldn’t allow one until 2026. They have waited decades for the right to form a union. But it looks like California’s legislative staffers will have to wait at least two more years. After a unionization bill failed on ... Why the race is already so crowded. State Senate leader Toni Atkins kicked off her gubernatorial campaign with an event in San Diego on Jan. 19, 2024. Photo by Bryan Giardinelli, Breathe New Winds. More than two years until the first votes are cast, Senate leader Toni Atkins becomes the fourth big-name Democrat …In summary. Accelerated by the COVID pandemic, a shift by state officials toward emails and written statements is making it more difficult for journalists to be watchdogs for Californians. Like so much else about California, its state government is large: A $300 billion budget. More than 230 departments and agencies. More than 234,000 …Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters. In summary. The Legislative Analyst’s Office projects the 2024-25 shortfall at $73 billion, putting more pressure on legislators and the governor to find savings. The biggest challenge facing lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom is the state budget deficit — and it just got bigger.Imperial has the largest proportion of vaccinated residents in the entire southern half of the state. About 73% of Los Angeles County residents and 50% of Kern County residents, for instance, have received at least one shot, compared to Imperial’s 86%. El Centro, with a population of 44,000, is the …by CalMatters 2 mins ago. Gov. Gavin Newsom said today he supports President Biden’s call for a ceasefire in Gaza, citing the “ongoing and horrific loss of …Mar 15, 2024 · WhatMatters. The latest official tally from the Secretary of State’s office shows that more than 5.8 million ballots have been counted from California’s primary, with 1.7 million still to go. Based on today’s updated umbers, the total of 7.5 million votes means a turnout of about 34%, well below the norm for presidential primaries, but ... The five-year climate change strategy, called a scoping plan, outlines in its 297 pages how California could end its reliance on oil and also clean up the nation’s worst air pollution. The staff’s final draft plan adds bolder commitments, reducing oil use by 94% from 2022 levels by 2045 — up from a goal of 91% in the September version of ...Feb 5, 2024 · Your CalMatters 2024 Voter Guide is a team effort, made possible by the following: Reporters: Kristen Hwang, Sameea Kamal, Alexei Koseff, Yue Stella Yu Web producer: Liliana Michelena In summary. California politicians tend to make decisions in the here and now, without fully exploring long-term consequences of their decrees. Decisions by governors, legislators and bureaucrats have consequences, some intended and some not. Were politics a rational exercise, decision-makers would fully explore potential effects …Dec 18, 2023 · More than 928,000 people had their Medi-Cal terminated between June and October, according to state data. The vast majority of them — close to 90% — lost Medi-Cal coverage because of so-called “procedural reasons,” often meaning problems with paperwork. California has the fourth worst rate of terminations linked to procedural issues in ... Health care is even more top of mind for Californians as we go through the year-end ritual of enrolling in insurance for 2024. For those families on Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for the poor, it can be even more complicated, writes CalMatters health reporter Ana B. Ibarra.Six months after the …Lorenzo Mays, jailed for nearly nine years without a trial. After his arrest on Aug. 5, 2010, Mays was assigned his first attorney, Dan Karalash. A few days later, he was arraigned along with his siblings. Ten months later, the four came before a judge again. During that time, Mays waited in jail.The proposed rules would affect any company making more than $25 million in annual revenue or processing the personal data of more than 100,000 Californians. AI …Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters. In summary. More than 4,000 state scientists have worked under an expired contract for three years. Average wages in 2020 were $83,586, 27% less than state engineers’ pay. The state filed an unfair labor practice charge to stop the strike. Hundreds of scientists working for …In summary. The Problem Solvers Caucus, one of 16 non-party caucuses in the state Legislature, wants to put public policy before partisan politics, but that’s a tall task. Other caucuses are bipartisan mostly in name only. Lea este artículo en español. Every other week, the 21 members of the Problem Solvers Caucus gather for lunch to hear ...In the California ‘reading wars,’ phonics is gaining. by Dan Walters November 7, 2022. State test results show California students overall performed much worse in math and English language arts than pre-pandemic, but a persistent achievement gap didn't worsen, as initially feared. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters.by Ana B. Ibarra February 8, 2024. California's new Office of Health Care Affordability is charged with capping price increases for consumers. It set a preliminary goal of limiting increases to 3% a year. Here, Dr. Oscar Casillas removes a pair of stitches from Alex’s hand at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital on July 26, 2022.The effort to allow California’s legislative staff to unionize — at least 23 years in the works — is nearly across the finish line. But to win enough support from their bosses, significant changes were made: New lawmakers would be able to dismiss their predecessor’s staffers. In July, the bill was amended to push back when the union ...Updated: 8:35 AM PDT March 18, 2024. SACRAMENTO, Calif. — With lingering uncertainty over the fate of a signature mental health proposal and the scope of …Rules for thee: How California Legislature skirts its own laws. by Sameea Kamal February 6, 2023. New California legislators stand to take the oath of office in the Senate chambers in the state Capitol on Dec. 5, 2022. …Fifty-six counties out of the state’s 58 are requesting permission to delay implementing the law, Tony Vartan, Stanislaus County’s Behavioral Health Director, told his Board of Supervisors this week. Only San Luis Obispo and San Francisco counties plan on beginning implementation next month, Vartan said. …Together, they’ve spent more than $188 million lobbying the state government since 2005, making them the third and first largest spenders on hired advocates since then. Oil companies have had plenty of challenges in California, a state with ambitious climate goals including a ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.Now the state is considering hosting another renewable energy technology in the sea: Blue power, electricity created from waves and tides. A new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October instructs state agencies to study the feasibility and impacts of capturing ocean movement to create power and report back to the Legislature by January …The effort to allow California’s legislative staff to unionize — at least 23 years in the works — is nearly across the finish line. But to win enough support from their bosses, significant changes were made: New lawmakers would be able to dismiss their predecessor’s staffers. In July, the bill was amended to push back when the union ...Photo by Kendrick Brinson for CalMatters . Air quality remains unhealthful throughout much of California, with much more work to be done. But the biggest barrier to figuring out the impact of cap and trade on local communities is a lack of data and few studies. The air agency is working to fix that as it implements …As CalMatters higher education reporter Mikhail Zinshteyn explains, though the California Faculty Association — a union that represents 29,000 professors, lecturers, coaches and others — held one-day strikes at four campuses in December, this was the first time its members walked out at every campus since its founding in 1983.WhatMatters is a daily newsletter that highlights the best of CalMatters coverage and commentary on the state Capitol and beyond. It covers topics such as education, …One of the bills Newsom signed, for instance, undoes the Brown-era law and allows cities and counties to again ban artificial turf. Some California cities have already begun moving to prohibit fake lawns, including Millbrae in San Mateo County and San Marino in Los Angeles County. “Emerging research is making it …5 days ago · Prop. 1 opponents called that strategy “sleazy” and “an attempt to manipulate the final vote count by harvesting the votes of only some partisans in certain areas.”. But the foes said they’re launching a similar effort and refocusing their website to help voters confirm their ballots were counted and to assist voters whose ballots ... Imperial has the largest proportion of vaccinated residents in the entire southern half of the state. About 73% of Los Angeles County residents and 50% of Kern County residents, for instance, have received at least one shot, compared to Imperial’s 86%. El Centro, with a population of 44,000, is the …Feb 6, 2023 · Rules for thee: How California Legislature skirts its own laws. by Sameea Kamal February 6, 2023. New California legislators stand to take the oath of office in the Senate chambers in the state Capitol on Dec. 5, 2022. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters. Jan 11, 2024 · The inside of an “emergency sleeping cabin” by the company Pallet Shelter on Jan. 9, 2024. The company recently won a contract by the state to address homelessness by providing temporary housing with the cabins. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters. The state requires each tiny home be at least 70 square feet for a single person and ... But today, Newsom proposed scaling climate funding back by about 7% compared to last year’s budget, to $48.3 billion, while spreading that money out over seven years, up from six last year. The cuts, unveiled in the first draft of his new budget, follow last year’s 3% cut to climate programs, and triggered criticism today from environmental ...The new chemicals law follows California’s 2020 first-in-the-nation law banning 24 toxic ingredients, including mercury and formaldehyde, in personal care products. That ban is set to take effect Jan. 1, 2025. Last year, Maryland followed California’s lead and banned those same ingredients.California isn’t on track to meet its climate change mandates — and a new analysis says it’s not even close. The AES power plant in Redondo Beach on Jan. 28, …CalMatters is an award-winning, nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture that explains how California’s government works and why it matters. We’re based in Sacramento, with journalists across California, covering both the decision-making that happens in the Capitol and the effects of those policies in all corners of the state.Third, rapidly scaling up clean fuels initiatives today is vital to putting a clean-fuels network in place in time to help California meet its climate goals. The faster stakeholders can act collaboratively to expand and accelerate clean-fuels initiatives, the quicker California can decarbonize. Europe offers important clean …Aquifers in Spain, Iran, China and Chile top the list of the 100 most rapidly dropping groundwater levels. California’s Cuyama Valley, north of Santa Barbara, ranked 34th worldwide. Its underground basin has been dropping almost 5 feet a year, and residents, farmers and even the school district are locked in a court battle with carrot …by Jocelyn Wiener September 28, 2022. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill addressing serious problems with nursing home licensing in California, although some elder care advocates contend the new law will not …CalMatters. Capitol. Legislators wanted 1,100 reports on how California’s laws are working. Most haven’t arrived. by Sameea Kamal and Jeremia Kimelman …Year in review: Climate change and flooding hit home in California. by Rachel Becker and Alejandro Lazo December 20, 2023 Updated December 21, 2023. Sunset above the flood waters in farmland with submerged tractors and farming equipment in Hansen Ranches south of Corcoran on April 26, 2023. Photo by …California workers will be guaranteed five paid sick days a year starting Jan. 1, up from the three days that employers are currently required to provide, thanks to Senate Bill 616 . The bill, authored by Long Beach Democratic Sen. Lena Gonzalez, also extends protections against retaliation to workers who …On Oct. 22, the secretary of state’s office issued the final, certified results: 4,894,473 for the recall and 7,944,092 against. Detailed numbers are available in the official statement of the vote. It turned out that the 61.9% against removing Newsom was almost exactly the same level of support he received in November 2018, when he won the ...Taco budha, 9five glasses, Red dresser, Farmerville, Grizzly coolers, Northeastern eye institute, Orrstownbank, West texas aandm, 1800 flowers, 3 wishes, Temperature equipment corporation, Evansville news, Denver metro state, Farmers feed
Update: Democrats Tim Robertson and Marie Alvarado-Gil finished first and second in the June 7 primary and will face off in the Nov. 8 general election. If you need an example of just how befuddling California’s top-two primary system can be, consider the case of the $50,000 mailer sent to voters across 13 California counties in early June.. That pet place
The effort to allow California’s legislative staff to unionize — at least 23 years in the works — is nearly across the finish line. But to win enough support from their bosses, significant changes were made: New lawmakers would be able to dismiss their predecessor’s staffers. In July, the bill was amended to push back when the union ...Demand has plunged 80%. by Julie Cart January 26, 2024. Ken Wells runs O&M Solar Services, a small residential solar company in South Los Angeles, where he works with disadvantaged communities. But a new state rate structure for rooftop solar has decimated his business. He had to lay off all 20 employees. Photo by Lauren Justice for …Homelessness. This California county is testing AI’s ability to prevent homelessness. Machine learning predicts who will end up on the street, and then social workers step in and offer to help. It’s an experiment still in progress, but so far nearly 90% of participants kept their housing. By Marisa Kendall • March 6, 2024.That’s what prompted the Republican lawmaker from Bakersfield to introduce, for the third time, a bill to test for three years the Office of the California Public Records Act Ombudsperson. “To expect the average citizen to take the government to court and expend resources was just a nonstarter. It’s not fair,” Fong said.Jerry Brown counts the awkwardly named Local Control Funding Formula as a signal achievement of his second governorship. Enacted in 2013, LCFF overhauled California’s system of financing public education with the avowed goal of closing an academic “achievement gap” separating poor and English-learner students from their …That’s what prompted the Republican lawmaker from Bakersfield to introduce, for the third time, a bill to test for three years the Office of the California Public Records Act Ombudsperson. “To expect the average citizen to take the government to court and expend resources was just a nonstarter. It’s not fair,” Fong said.Nov 8, 2022 · Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom cast their ballots on election day at the California Museum in Sacramento on Nov. 8, 2022. Photo by MIguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters. Results: Gavin Newsom, 59%. Brian Dahle, 41%. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters. In the 2019-20 school year, more than 3.6 million California students received free or reduced price meals — nearly 60% of all students in the state, according to the California Department of Education. In the 2020-21 school year, even during the pandemic, about 3.5 …Health care is even more top of mind for Californians as we go through the year-end ritual of enrolling in insurance for 2024. For those families on Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for the poor, it can be even more complicated, writes CalMatters health reporter Ana B. Ibarra.Six months after the …The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s new annual soot standard could throw seven new California counties out of compliance, totaling 29 counties, according to EPA information released today based on 2020 through 2022 data. San Diego and the rural counties of Mendocino, Mono, Shasta, Siskiyou, Tehama and Colusa could be added to …Jan 5, 2023 · The California Legislature is back: Five key questions. by Alexei Koseff and Sameea Kamal January 5, 2023. Assemblymember Mia Bonta, an Oakland Democrat, greets fellow legislators as they reconvene at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Jan. 4, 2023. Photo by Rahul Lal for CalMatters. Jan 18, 2024 · Prop. 1, the only proposition on California ballots this March, asks voters to green-light a $6.4 billion bond for treatment beds and housing units catering to people with mental illnesses and addictions. It also would restructure some current funding to funnel more mental health money toward housing. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has championed the ... Our reporting follows California renters who were getting by before the pandemic and now struggle to stay sheltered. California Divide, a news collaboration of CalMatters, The Fresno Bee, The Salinas Californian, La Opinión and the San Jose Mercury News, will periodically check on the people in this project.But our readers play an important role too by helping …California doctors struggle to make payroll one month after ransomware attack. Dermatologist Dr. Margaret Parsons at her practice, Dermatology Consultants of …The scoop. Primary results: Ken Cooley 50.9%, Josh Hoover 34.0%. Races in this part of Sacramento County have been relatively close recently between the two parties: In 2020, about 52% of voters went for Democrat Joe Biden, while …Health care is even more top of mind for Californians as we go through the year-end ritual of enrolling in insurance for 2024. For those families on Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for the poor, it can be even more complicated, writes CalMatters health reporter Ana B. Ibarra.Six months after the …CalMatters Commentary features staff columnists, guest opinions, and reader reactions to amplify the issues that matter to Californians. Be an informed Californian Get news and …California doctors struggle to make payroll one month after ransomware attack. Dermatologist Dr. Margaret Parsons at her practice, Dermatology Consultants of Sacramento on March 18, 2024. The billing service used by the practice experienced a cyber attack in early February. Five weeks later, they are still having issues with their …Prop. 1, the only proposition on California ballots this March, asks voters to green-light a $6.4 billion bond for treatment beds and housing units catering to people with mental illnesses and addictions. It also would restructure some current funding to funnel more mental health money toward housing. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has championed …Over the last three years, taxpayers have given HOPICS, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, about $140 million to house homeless people through its subsidy program called rapid rehousing. An exclusive investigation by CalMatters’ reporters Byrhonda Lyons and Jeanne Kuang found that the nonprofit failed to …CalMatters covers quality of life issues and holds leaders accountable in America's biggest state. Learn about its mission, funding, policies, staff, board and diversity efforts.Nov 8, 2020 · And, when voters elected Democrats Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein in 1992, California became the first state in the nation to send two women to the United States Senate . But such ceiling smashing has not happened in Sacramento. When it comes to women leading in state politics, California lags other parts of the nation. CalMatters covers quality of life issues and holds leaders accountable in America's biggest state. Learn about its mission, funding, policies, staff, board and diversity efforts.California doctors struggle to make payroll one month after ransomware attack. Dermatologist Dr. Margaret Parsons at her practice, Dermatology Consultants of Sacramento on March 18, 2024. The billing service used by the practice experienced a cyber attack in early February. Five weeks later, they are still having issues with their …Breakdown: California’s mental health system, explained. Mental health advocates have long described California’s fragmented mental health system with words like “struggling” and “broken.”. Evidence of its consequences can be found in our jails and prisons, our hospitals and clinics, our schools and colleges. The problem touches ...Nov 15, 2023 · Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters. In summary. More than 4,000 state scientists have worked under an expired contract for three years. Average wages in 2020 were $83,586, 27% less than state engineers’ pay. The state filed an unfair labor practice charge to stop the strike. Hundreds of scientists working for the state of California to ... California households earning more than $180,000 a year would end up paying an average of $500 more a year on their electricity bills, according to the proposal from utility companies. The California Public Utilities Commission’s deadline for deciding on the suggested changes is July 1, 2024. The proposals come at a time when many …Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters. In summary. More than 4,000 state scientists have worked under an expired contract for three years. Average wages in 2020 were $83,586, 27% less than state engineers’ pay. The state filed an unfair labor practice charge to stop the strike. Hundreds of scientists working for …California’s funding from gas taxes will drop by nearly $6 billion in the next decade due to the state’s electric car rules and other climate programs, “likely resulting in a decline in highway conditions for drivers,” according to a new state analysis released today. As California phases in major policies aimed at reducing greenhouse ...The Legislative Analyst’s Office recently said in its annual forecast that Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic Party-controlled Legislature are facing a $24 billion projected budget deficit for the next fiscal year. If the state enters a recession the outlook is even worse, with revenues predicted to fall short by $30 …California’s politics have become highly polarized over the last quarter-century but the state is not alone, new research has found. Politically speaking, 1998 was a watershed year for California. The 20th century was drawing to a close – a century in which Republicans had largely dominated the state’s politics, including three iconic ...Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters. In summary. Two-thirds of the bills opposed by the oil industry this year were killed, thanks in part to an alliance with the …Homelessness. This California county is testing AI’s ability to prevent homelessness. Machine learning predicts who will end up on the street, and then social workers step in and offer to help. It’s an experiment still in progress, but so far nearly 90% of participants kept their housing. By Marisa Kendall • March 6, 2024.On Oct. 22, the secretary of state’s office issued the final, certified results: 4,894,473 for the recall and 7,944,092 against. Detailed numbers are available in the official statement of the vote. It turned out that the 61.9% against removing Newsom was almost exactly the same level of support he received in November 2018, when he won the ...How college admissions are changing after the end of affirmative action. by Carolyn Jones and Mikhail Zinshteyn November 3, 2023. Maya Murchison at Eastlake High School in Chula Vista on Oct. 23, 2023. Murchison, a high school senior, says the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action has …Nov 15, 2023 · Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters. In summary. More than 4,000 state scientists have worked under an expired contract for three years. Average wages in 2020 were $83,586, 27% less than state engineers’ pay. The state filed an unfair labor practice charge to stop the strike. Hundreds of scientists working for the state of California to ... Wildfires. The report foresees wildfires, exacerbated by climate change, as continuing to have a major impact in California. Of the 50 largest U.S. wildfires in 2020, 22 occurred in California, and the 7 largest wildfires recorded in California have occurred since 2018, the report noted. Three of the five deadliest fires on record in California ...But now, most people are coming in from Mexico, China and Taiwan, the Philippines and other countries: In 2017, there were 11 million foreign-born Californians. That’s more than quadruple the migration into the state from all sources, foreign and domestic, in 1920. Today, 56% of Californians were born in the state.About 8,000 families and 12,000 children were homeless in California last year. In Los Angeles, their number spiked by 45.7%. As a result, family homelessness was the main focus of the 2021-22 state budget; Newsom announced a goal of zero family homelessness in the next five years.Dec 18, 2023 · More than 928,000 people had their Medi-Cal terminated between June and October, according to state data. The vast majority of them — close to 90% — lost Medi-Cal coverage because of so-called “procedural reasons,” often meaning problems with paperwork. California has the fourth worst rate of terminations linked to procedural issues in ... This conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity. California State Auditor Elaine Howle speaks with CalMatters at her office in Sacramento on Nov. 9, 2021. Photo by Rahul Lal for CalMatters. CalMatters: “We wanted to get your thoughts on the last 30-plus years that you’ve been doing this … and what prompted this transitionGrief, fear, and hopes for peace: California college students describe campus climates during Israel-Palestine conflict. Hillel, a campus religious group, hosts a rally calling for the release of kidnapped Israelis at UCLA's Wilson Plaza in Los Angeles on Nov. 7, 2023. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters.California doctors struggle to make payroll one month after ransomware attack. Dermatologist Dr. Margaret Parsons at her practice, Dermatology Consultants of …California is eliminating its popular electric car rebate program — which often runs out of money and has long waiting lists — to focus on providing subsidies only to lower-income car buyers. The Clean Vehicle Rebate Project, in existence since 2010, will end when it runs out of money this year. In its place, the state will expand a program ...Sameea Kamal is a reporter at CalMatters covering the state Capitol and California politics. She joined CalMatters in June 2021 from the Los Angeles Times, where she was a News Desk editor. Sameea was... More by Sameea Kamal. With few strict rules, California lawmakers represent their constituents in different ways, but not always that well.On Oct. 22, the secretary of state’s office issued the final, certified results: 4,894,473 for the recall and 7,944,092 against. Detailed numbers are available in the official statement of the vote. It turned out that the 61.9% against removing Newsom was almost exactly the same level of support he received in November 2018, when he won the ...Jan 5, 2023 · The California Legislature is back: Five key questions. by Alexei Koseff and Sameea Kamal January 5, 2023. Assemblymember Mia Bonta, an Oakland Democrat, greets fellow legislators as they reconvene at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Jan. 4, 2023. Photo by Rahul Lal for CalMatters. In summary. Learning loss during the pandemic hit California’s low-income students hardest. An agreement requires the state to focus spending there. California schools will have to spend $2 billion of their remaining Covid relief funds on tutoring and other measures to help high-needs students recover from learning loss, according to a …Explainers. California is the first state to tackle reparations for Black residents. What that really means. California’s first-in-the-nation task force on reparations is handing lawmakers dozens of recommendations, including a proposal that the state apologize for slavery and racist policies, and make financial amends.Lorenzo Mays, jailed for nearly nine years without a trial. After his arrest on Aug. 5, 2010, Mays was assigned his first attorney, Dan Karalash. A few days later, he was arraigned along with his siblings. Ten months later, the four came before a judge again. During that time, Mays waited in jail.CALmatters is a nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California’s state Capitol works and why it matters. Environmental regulation, education, health care, criminal justice, economic inequality – the debates on these issues and others have a profound impact on the lives of 38 million Californians and beyond.Capitol. California Senate leader Mike McGuire picks his team. The new top Democrat in the state Senate announces his leadership team and new committee chairpersons. He rewarded some allies who helped him win the post, and filled five of seven leadership posts with women or legislators of color. By Alexei Koseff • …Recent maternal deaths in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, the deaths of two Black women, Bridgette Cromer and April Valentine, in childbirth shook Los Angeles. Valentine’s death led to a state investigation and a $75,000 fine levied against Centinela Hospital Medical Center where her daughter was delivered via …U.S. abortion rate continues to fall — but California's is a mystery. In the years immediately following Roe v. Wade, the abortion rate skyrocketed across the country, reaching a high of 25 per 1,000 women of childbearing age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since that time, the rate nationwide has fallen by half.CalMatters. Capitol. Legislators wanted 1,100 reports on how California’s laws are working. Most haven’t arrived. by Sameea Kamal and Jeremia Kimelman …Aquifers in Spain, Iran, China and Chile top the list of the 100 most rapidly dropping groundwater levels. California’s Cuyama Valley, north of Santa Barbara, ranked 34th worldwide. Its underground basin has been dropping almost 5 feet a year, and residents, farmers and even the school district are locked in a court battle with carrot …Since 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor saw a 69% increase in children being illegally employed. In the last fiscal year, the department found 835 companies it investigated employed more than 3,800 children. In California, the department documented 34 child labor cases, with 103 children employed in … CalMatters events promote non-partisan civic engagement and build awareness about important issues, politics and policies that shape California’s future. From intimate salon sessions at the CalMatters Studio in Sacramento to public events across the state, our events bring interesting and compelling content to Californians in person and online. Capitol. California Senate leader Mike McGuire picks his team. The new top Democrat in the state Senate announces his leadership team and new committee chairpersons. He rewarded some allies who helped him win the post, and filled five of seven leadership posts with women or legislators of color. By Alexei Koseff • February 8, 2024. Gov. Gavin Newsom has amassed more than $14.2 million in a campaign war chest for his hallmark mental health initiative, which will appear on the March 5 primary ballot, a sum that eclipses the resources of the measure’s opponents. He’s drawing from longtime allies in health care, unions and tribes to fund the campaign for Proposition 1 ...Nov 15, 2023 · Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters. In summary. More than 4,000 state scientists have worked under an expired contract for three years. Average wages in 2020 were $83,586, 27% less than state engineers’ pay. The state filed an unfair labor practice charge to stop the strike. Hundreds of scientists working for the state of California to ... . Splash of color, Twin city pharmacy, Jannus live, Altoona outlet mall, Eyeland vision, Dubs scrubs, Kendall street company, Parkview credit union, Architectural antiques.