A bill awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature could make it harder for California consumers to get refunds for defective cars under the state’s lemon law. The Legislature hastily passed the complicated bill, which auto manufacturers and attorneys drafted in secret. Did lawmakers even have time to read it?
Ryan Sabalow / CalMatters
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Lawmakers say Newsom staff ‘inflated’ cost of failed health care bills
A trio of California Democratic lawmakers, including Santa Cruz Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, say they’re frustrated by high cost estimates that helped kill their health care legislation. Did the Newsom administration inflate the numbers to quietly kill the bills?
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Do outgoing legislators ‘shop’ for lobbying jobs in final weeks of the session?
Departing California lawmakers don’t have to disclose that they’re looking for a new job. Ethics experts say that’s a problem.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
He used to run a nightclub. Now he’s pushing for new laws to fight drink spiking
Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal, who owns restaurants that serve drinks, has introduced several bills adding requirements for bar owners and drink servers to do more to prevent drink spiking.
Posted inLatest News
A California senior lost $700K to scammers. Now she’s asking the state to slow bank transfers
A California bill would temporarily halt large transactions if a financial institution suspects elder fraud. Will the bill prevent older adults from accessing their bank accounts for legitimate expenses?
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California lawmakers keep killing bills by not voting on them. Do the rules need to change?
From prohibiting nondisclosure agreements in bill negotiations to protecting utility ratepayers, bills keep dying this year in Sacramento despite lawmakers refusing to say “no” when it came time to vote.
Posted inLatest News
California requires new homes to have solar panels. Should wildfire victims get a break?
A California Republican’s bill would exempt low- and middle-income wildfire victims from solar panel requirements on rebuilt homes that didn’t have them when they burned down.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Power is never having to say ‘no.’ How California Democrats kill bills without voting against them
Democrats in California’s Assembly and Senate rarely vote against bills, yet few seem willing to discuss their voting records, as well as the controversial practice of declining to vote instead of saying “no.”