The California Legislature’s secretive earmark process allows lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom to dole out money for projects with little public scrutiny or notice, raising transparency and equity concerns even among some lawmakers.
CalMatters
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Newsom signs law to let these Californians get out of jury duty — for good
Californians over age 80 will be able to get a permanent exemption from jury duty under a new law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
U.S. Supreme Court rejects Trump’s mail-in voting limits as November election nears
Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision shooting down President Donald Trump’s proposal to restrict mail-in voting just before the November midterm election.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California enacts laws restricting chatbots and banning teens from ‘addictive’ social media
California teens will be barred from “addictive” social media products and limited in their interactions with chatbots under two of the 13 bills signed into law Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom to protect kids online.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Steve Hilton: Abolish the DMV
Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton says he wants to abolish the California Department of Motor Vehicles by transferring its functions to a combination of online services and local county offices. If elected, he says he would also cap the annual vehicle registration at a flat fee of $73.
Posted inHealth & Wellness
California’s healthcare affordability office claims power to punish overspending hospitals
New penalties can fine California hospitals and insurers up to 125% of their overspending, with enforcement starting as early as 2028. Hospital executives argue that much of their spending, like drug costs and labor, is outside their control.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
California Legislature kills bill regulating Flock cameras even as public rage grows
The California Legislature has failed several times since 2022 to regulate technology for automatically tracking vehicles — even as examples of abuse mount. This year was no exception.
Posted inBusiness & Technology
Defense tech has unleashed a new weapons boom in Southern California
An analysis of defense contracts by CalMatters and The Markup charts the rise of defense spending in Southern California — often in heavily Democratic districts.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Why a bill to juice condo construction died even though California lawmakers voted for it
Supporters said a condo construction bill was a key to unlocking the type of naturally affordable for-sale housing that California desperately needs. But deadlines matter.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Will Newsom let immigrant college students without legal status work at their campuses?
It’s been a four-year battle to allow students without legal status to work at California’s public colleges. The Legislature passed another bill to allow this. Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed it the previous time. What will he do now?
