California prisons have given 30,000 laptops to incarcerated students. Inmates say using technology prepares them to enter the workforce. As community colleges start replacing correspondence courses by mail with online-only classes, students and professors debate whether this type of learning is any more effective.
CalMatters
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California is getting ready to increase a health insurance tax. Will it affect your premium?
A balance act: To help fund the safety net, lawmakers have voted through a health tax extension that could increase premium costs for Californians with private insurance.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
This lawmaker’s proposal could make California ‘the most secretive state in the country’
Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco’s legislation would allow public agencies to delay records requests it deems “improperly” filed, sue for “malicious” requests and charge nearly $90 an hour to produce government records. One good governance advocate calls it a “virtual horror show of governmental nontransparency.”
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Newsom promised to help Californians build new careers. Now, the money is running out
Gov. Gavin Newsom made job training and the creation of a master plan for career education part of his agenda. Now, key workforce initiatives might get no new funding.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California union’s billionaire tax qualifies for ballot amid fierce opposition
A California union wants to tax billionaires to fund healthcare. The initiative has drawn fierce opposition from Gov. Gavin Newsom and Silicon Valley moguls.
Posted inEducation
Some California schools get three times more funding than others. Here’s why
School funding in California steers a lot to wealthy districts and to those with high-needs students. Those in the middle get a lot less.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
New commission takes aim at California’s broken public defense system
California is one of just two states that provide no money for the basic defense of poor people accused of crimes; one legislator says the new commission’s goal is “to really build out the robust public defense infrastructure that Californians are rightfully entitled to.”
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California admits using high-risk AI — including systems it failed to report last year
State officials have found they are using six high-risk AI-like systems. One year ago, they reported using zero.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California scales back golden mussel safeguards at vital reservoir, alarming experts
California ends boat inspections meant to keep destructive golden mussels out of Lake Oroville, balancing a new risk analysis with the ongoing costs.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California Legislature in standoff with DMV over sharing driver license data with other states
California lawmakers are holding up money the Newsom administration requested for a nationwide driver license database over concerns that the information could lead to deportations.
