San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan on Thursday announced he’s joining the crowded race for California governor, casting himself as a moderate Democrat with a track record of tackling some of the state’s most persistent issues including homelessness and crime.
StateWatch
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California state employees alarmed by demand to prove their citizenship
Close to 4,000 employees of the California Department of Public Health were told they must use the federal E-Verify system to keep federal funding. Unions are pushing back.
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California Democrats have new plans for confronting ICE: Taxes, lawsuits and location bans
The California Senate passed a bill that would make it easier to sue federal officers over civil rights violations. Recent shootings of civilians by immigration agents in Minnesota lent urgency to the measure, one of several targeting ICE.
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Los Angeles won’t be tweaking its ‘mansion tax.’ Now the debate is likely to go statewide
A ballot measure do-over in Los Angeles was intended to ward off a statewide anti-tax crusade. Hanging over the debate is the specter of a proposed statewide proposition that would sharply cap municipal transfer taxes while also restricting other local taxes.
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How California lawmakers are trying to speed up spending on voter-approved climate projects
Assemblymember David Alvarez is pushing a proposal to get Proposition 4 dollars out the door faster, more than a year after voters approved the state’s biggest climate bond to date.
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Trans youth still have a safe haven in California — but that could change
Lawsuits and Trump administration policy changes are targeting trans athletes, bans on outing by school staff and health care. Some California policies are in jeopardy.
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Newsom wants $200M for EV rebates. Experts say it’s not enough to fix California’s slump
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $200 million proposal to revive the state’s electric vehicle market would reach only a fraction of buyers, raising fresh questions about who should benefit and whether limited incentives can meaningfully move a slowing market.
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Fires burn swiftly, but insurance battles linger: New bills propose consumer-friendly regulations
As fire survivors continue to navigate life after disaster, California lawmakers roll out new bills attempting to further regulate insurance companies like State Farm.
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Newsom plans no new journalism funding despite $175 million deal with Google
Gov. Gavin Newsom included no new funding for local journalism in his latest budget proposal, walking back an August 2024 deal with Google to commit $175 million over five years to help the diminishing industry.
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The fight over how to pay for Medi-Cal puts pressure on Newsom to raise taxes
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has already vowed to tank a proposed ballot initiative that would impose a 5% wealth tax on the state’s billionaires to bolster Medi-Cal. Progressive lawmakers and their allies in labor and health seem hopeful that Newsom could support a different long-shot funding idea.