Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a package of laws Tuesday that aim to check federal agents during the Trump administration’s deportation program and improve conditions in detention centers. Several likely will be challenged in court.
StateWatch
Posted inHousing & Development
How Airbnb is fighting for its place on California’s coast
Residents of cities like Pacifica want to limit the presence of visitors and corporations. Companies like Airbnb want to keep their lucrative coastal listings. That tension has led to increased attempts to influence a small but powerful committee.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Cities often squabble over homelessness. A new California law forces one community to try something different
New legislation forces the city and county of Sacramento to collaborate on homelessness. Stakeholders say it could have repercussions California-wide.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
The billionaire tax could be defeated by two other tax measures. Here’s how
California voters will soon decide whether to tax billionaires — but even if a majority says yes, the measure could still lose to either of two billionaire-funded measures designed to cancel it out.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Insurers say they’re starting to write new California homeowner policies, but how many?
Insurance companies are starting to write new policies in California again after years of holding back as wildfire risk climbed higher. The state Insurance Department says that means new regulations, intended to boost insurance availability, are working. Consumer Watchdog, the advocacy group that often butts heads with the department, says the numbers are low.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Newsom cites pension crisis as he vetoes bill to enhance retirement for police and firefighters
Gov. Gavin Newsom rejected a bill to lower the retirement age and sweeten pension perks for police and firefighters despite overwhelming support in the Legislature.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
Newsom clamps down on California data centers as voters turn against the industry
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed seven data center bills into law on Monday, signaling a tide change toward regulation of the industry.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
How the most powerful woman in California government is making her mark on the Legislature
While state Sen. Monique Limón doesn’t have a blockbuster legislative victory to show for her first year as pro tem, her biggest win so far is her popularity with Senate colleagues. Unlike her predecessor, who was known as a micromanager, Limón’s egalitarian, “govern by consensus” approach has kept her caucus in lockstep.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
New California law sets first-in-nation standards for smoke damage in homes
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed laws that detail insurers’ responsibilities in addressing smoke damage in homes. Some survivors from the Los Angeles County fires have yet to return home because of insurance disputes.
Posted inPolitics & Policy
How a gym, a farmers market and MMA fighters landed millions in Newsom’s last budget
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.
