WhatMatters is a daily newsletter that highlights the best of CalMatters coverage and commentary on the state Capitol and beyond. It covers topics such as education, …by Ana B. Ibarra February 8, 2024. California's new Office of Health Care Affordability is charged with capping price increases for consumers. It set a preliminary goal of limiting increases to 3% a year. Here, Dr. Oscar Casillas removes a pair of stitches from Alex’s hand at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Hospital on July 26, 2022.California workers will be guaranteed five paid sick days a year starting Jan. 1, up from the three days that employers are currently required to provide, thanks to Senate Bill 616 . The bill, authored by Long Beach Democratic Sen. Lena Gonzalez, also extends protections against retaliation to workers who …In summary. California has one of the nation’s broadest laws to clear criminal records, and it’s about to expand even more. Supporters say expungements give a fresh …Health care is even more top of mind for Californians as we go through the year-end ritual of enrolling in insurance for 2024. For those families on Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for the poor, it can be even more complicated, writes CalMatters health reporter Ana B. Ibarra.Six months after the …California community colleges – through our programs, operations, alumni impact and other activities – added $128.2 billion in income to our state’ s economy, or 4.2% of the total gross state product, according to the economic data analytics firm Emsi who analyzed 2018-19 data. For perspective, this impact is larger than the state’s ...Recent maternal deaths in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, the deaths of two Black women, Bridgette Cromer and April Valentine, in childbirth shook Los Angeles. Valentine’s death led to a state investigation and a $75,000 fine levied against Centinela Hospital Medical Center where her daughter was delivered via …In summary. California politicians tend to make decisions in the here and now, without fully exploring long-term consequences of their decrees. Decisions by governors, legislators and bureaucrats have consequences, some intended and some not. Were politics a rational exercise, decision-makers would fully explore potential effects …As CalMatters higher education reporter Mikhail Zinshteyn explains, though the California Faculty Association — a union that represents 29,000 professors, lecturers, coaches and others — held one-day strikes at four campuses in December, this was the first time its members walked out at every campus since its founding in 1983.Update: Democrats Tim Robertson and Marie Alvarado-Gil finished first and second in the June 7 primary and will face off in the Nov. 8 general election. If you need an example of just how befuddling California’s top-two primary system can be, consider the case of the $50,000 mailer sent to voters across 13 California counties in early June.Here are some of the most interesting new laws that take effect Jan. 1 in California: Many California undocumented students are missing out on financial aid. An easier, new application could get them more money. by Mikhail Zinshteyn December 22, 2023. Surprise ambulance bills put these families in debt. A new California law bans the …Newsom also is expected to sign legislation sending a ballot measure to voters that includes two key provisions: a $6.4 billion bond to pay for 10,000 new treatment beds and supportive housing, and an overhaul of California’s 20-year-old law that funds mental health services with a tax on millionaires. A majority of …That rate would increase 3.5% annually until it reaches $25 in 2033. Community clinics would start the pay increase at $21 per hour in 2024, rising to $22 in 2026 and $25 in 2027. Other health care employers would increase their minimum wage to $21 per hour in 2024, $23 in 2026 and $25 by 2028. The new law will drive up state spending …Covered California has a $109 million annual budget for marketing and the bulk is spent during open enrollment to outreach to Californians to sign up or renew coverage. Open enrollment started this week and runs through Jan. 31, 2023. Coverage can begin as early as Jan. 1. In San Jose, this is the change Patricia Moran has been waiting …Jul 7, 2023 · In summary. Legislative leaders declared support for a bill to let staffers finally form a union, but the newly amended bill wouldn’t allow one until 2026. They have waited decades for the right to form a union. But it looks like California’s legislative staffers will have to wait at least two more years. After a unionization bill failed on ... In summary. Learning loss during the pandemic hit California’s low-income students hardest. An agreement requires the state to focus spending there. California schools will have to spend $2 billion of their remaining Covid relief funds on tutoring and other measures to help high-needs students recover from learning loss, according to a …Nov 3, 2020 · Come rain, shine, pandemic or crippling recession, California voters can always count on one thing: a very long, very complicated ballot. Live election results beginning Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. Though the presidential race will gobble up most of the attention, the choice between GOP President Donald Trump and former Democratic Vice President Joe Biden ... California as of today is one of the first states with formal rules for government departments to follow when buying AI tools. The guidelines introduced this week are the product of an executive order aimed at challenges and opportunities from generative AI by Governor Gavin Newsom late last year. Generative AI produces text, imagery, audio, or ...Mar 5, 2024 · In summary. Recent polls show many Californians were undecided heading into Election Day on Gov. Newsom’s Proposition 1, which would fund new mental health treatment facilities. Opponents to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $6.4 billion plan to build mental health treatment beds and housing today conceded that his ballot measure is likely to pass. Sameea Kamal is a reporter at CalMatters covering the state Capitol and California politics. She joined CalMatters in June 2021 from the Los Angeles Times, where she was a News Desk editor. Sameea was... More by Sameea Kamal. New members of the California Legislature count some victories in representing constituents, but criticize the …Year in review: Climate change and flooding hit home in California. by Rachel Becker and Alejandro Lazo December 20, 2023 Updated December 21, 2023. Sunset above the flood waters in farmland with submerged tractors and farming equipment in Hansen Ranches south of Corcoran on April 26, 2023. Photo by …Prop. 1, the only proposition on California ballots this March, asks voters to green-light a $6.4 billion bond for treatment beds and housing units catering to people with mental illnesses and addictions. It also would restructure some current funding to funnel more mental health money toward housing. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has championed …Neither the draw of making California the first state to pass such a law, nor the month-long hunger strike by supporters persuaded Gov. Gavin Newsom to add caste to the list of categories in the state’s housing, education and employment discrimination laws. In his veto message on Oct. 7, Newsom said the bill was “unnecessary.”.California community colleges – through our programs, operations, alumni impact and other activities – added $128.2 billion in income to our state’ s economy, or 4.2% of the total gross state product, according to the economic data analytics firm Emsi who analyzed 2018-19 data. For perspective, this impact is larger than the state’s ...K-12 Education. Reading scores climb after targeted intervention at California’s worst-performing schools. In 2020, the state agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit that claimed too many students were not learning to read. As part of that agreement, the state spent over $50 million on 75 schools with the lowest reading scores.About 8,000 families and 12,000 children were homeless in California last year. In Los Angeles, their number spiked by 45.7%. As a result, family homelessness was the main focus of the 2021-22 state budget; Newsom announced a goal of zero family homelessness in the next five years.California doctors struggle to make payroll one month after ransomware attack. Dermatologist Dr. Margaret Parsons at her practice, Dermatology Consultants of … Round two: Garvey, Lee, Porter and Schiff clash at Senate debate. U.S. Senate candidates (from left) Rep. Barbara Lee, Steve Garvey, Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Katie Porter during a televised debate at KRON4 studio in San Francisco on Feb. 12, 2024. Photo courtesy of NewsNation. Dec 18, 2023 · More than 928,000 people had their Medi-Cal terminated between June and October, according to state data. The vast majority of them — close to 90% — lost Medi-Cal coverage because of so-called “procedural reasons,” often meaning problems with paperwork. California has the fourth worst rate of terminations linked to procedural issues in ... Californians infected with COVID-19 may go about their lives without isolating or testing negative as long as their symptoms are improving, according to new and significantly loosened guidelines from the California Department of Public Health. California’s top public health official, Dr. Tomás Aragón, last week quietly rescinded the state ...How college admissions are changing after the end of affirmative action. by Carolyn Jones and Mikhail Zinshteyn November 3, 2023. Maya Murchison at Eastlake High School in Chula Vista on Oct. 23, 2023. Murchison, a high school senior, says the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action has …San Quentin Prison is decaying and California would rather ‘transform’ it than fix it. California’s whopping $14.4 billion prison budget and the governor’s $360.6 million price tag to “transform” San Quentin into a rehabilitation center seemingly overlook the existing…. California can take kids from abused moms.California isn’t on track to meet its climate change mandates — and a new analysis says it’s not even close. The AES power plant in Redondo Beach on Jan. 28, …CalMatters Commentary features staff columnists, guest opinions, and reader reactions to amplify the issues that matter to Californians. Be an informed Californian Get news and …Sep 11, 2023 · Gov. Gavin Newsom is surrounded by lawmakers as he signs into law his oil profit penalty plan in Sacramento on March 28, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters. It’s California’s most diverse Legislature ever, and one-fourth of lawmakers are new. But some things never change: Legislators wait until the last days of the session to ... CalMatters events promote non-partisan civic engagement and build awareness about important issues, politics and policies that shape California’s future. From intimate salon sessions at the CalMatters Studio in Sacramento to public events across the state, our events bring interesting and compelling content to Californians in person and ...Overall suicide rates dropped in California and across the U.S. in 2020, but the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported a spike to a record-high of nearly 50,000 nationwide suicides in 2022. Federal data shows that firearm suicides also surged to an all-time high in 2022.WeeklyMatters Catch up on the top stories in California with a summary of our reporting and commentary from the past week. Weekly Walters Get a digest of new insights from veteran journalist Dan Walters, who holds powerful people in California accountable. WhatMatters Start your day with a comprehensive rundown of the most important stories in California …The Bay-Delta ecosystem is collapsing. California just unveiled rival rescue plans. The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta on June 22, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters. A long-awaited, controversial report weighs updates to standards that state officials say have failed to protect fish and wildlife.Now the state is considering hosting another renewable energy technology in the sea: Blue power, electricity created from waves and tides. A new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October instructs state agencies to study the feasibility and impacts of capturing ocean movement to create power and report back to the Legislature by January …California renters, who are still struggling to pay the rent even as the pandemic wanes, will be shielded from eviction through Sept. 30, under a last-minute deal announced June 25 by Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders. The agreement, which more fully opens up $5.2 billion to pay full back rent and rent …Cal Fire tracks how many firefighters and civilians have lost their lives in wildfires. Since 1992, at least 268 people have died in a wildfire, and since 2008, 193 civilians and 32 firefighters lost their lives. Half of California's 20 deadliest fires occurred in the 21st century. The deadliest fire in California history was the Camp Fire in ...Third, rapidly scaling up clean fuels initiatives today is vital to putting a clean-fuels network in place in time to help California meet its climate goals. The faster stakeholders can act collaboratively to expand and accelerate clean-fuels initiatives, the quicker California can decarbonize. Europe offers important clean …Gov. Gavin Newsom this year signed two union-backed bills that will boost fast-food and health care workers’ minimum wages. California-based fast-food workers for chains with 60 or more locations around the nation will earn at least $20 an hour beginning in April, $4 higher than the overall state minimum wage of $16 that will be effective Jan. 1.EN RESUMEN: Después de meses de presión y tras un aumento de las víctimas civiles, el gobernador de California se suma a los llamados a un alto el fuego en Gaza. El gobernador Gavin Newsom dijo el jueves que apoya el llamado del presidente Biden a un alto el fuego en Gaza, citando la “pérdida continua y horrible de vidas civiles …Sameea Kamal is a reporter at CalMatters covering the state Capitol and California politics. She joined CalMatters in June 2021 from the Los Angeles Times, where she was a News Desk editor. Sameea was... More by Sameea Kamal. With few strict rules, California lawmakers represent their constituents in different ways, but not always that well.CalMatters covers the California Legislature, its laws, interest groups and issues. Find stories on budget, education, housing, environment, justice and more.Feb 14, 2022 · Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters. In summary. California’s first-of-its-kind Medi-Cal reform aims to help low-income patients navigate problems like homelessness, poverty and substance abuse that can harm health. Lea este artículo en español. At 66, Edward El has a new lease on life — literally. California workers will be guaranteed five paid sick days a year starting Jan. 1, up from the three days that employers are currently required to provide, thanks to Senate Bill 616 . The bill, authored by Long Beach Democratic Sen. Lena Gonzalez, also extends protections against retaliation to workers who …Wildfires. The report foresees wildfires, exacerbated by climate change, as continuing to have a major impact in California. Of the 50 largest U.S. wildfires in 2020, 22 occurred in California, and the 7 largest wildfires recorded in California have occurred since 2018, the report noted. Three of the five deadliest fires on record in California ...In summary. Accelerated by the COVID pandemic, a shift by state officials toward emails and written statements is making it more difficult for journalists to be watchdogs for Californians. Like so much else about California, its state government is large: A $300 billion budget. More than 230 departments and agencies. More than 234,000 …When the California Supreme Court upheld Brown’s Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act in July of 2020, it directed the state’s 20 county-run pension funds to comply with it. The law reduced the potential retirement income of government employees hired after 2013 by changing pension formulas. It also restricted a variety of financial ...Dec 6, 2023 · Sameea Kamal is a reporter at CalMatters covering the state Capitol and California politics. She joined CalMatters in June 2021 from the Los Angeles Times, where she was a News Desk editor. Sameea was... More by Sameea Kamal. With few strict rules, California lawmakers represent their constituents in different ways, but not always that well. Imperial has the largest proportion of vaccinated residents in the entire southern half of the state. About 73% of Los Angeles County residents and 50% of Kern County residents, for instance, have received at least one shot, compared to Imperial’s 86%. El Centro, with a population of 44,000, is the … Capitol. California Senate leader Mike McGuire picks his team. The new top Democrat in the state Senate announces his leadership team and new committee chairpersons. He rewarded some allies who helped him win the post, and filled five of seven leadership posts with women or legislators of color. By Alexei Koseff • February 8, 2024. A group of California lawmakers is tackling reparations for Black descendants of enslaved people with a set of bills modeled after recommendations that a state reparations task force spent years studying and developing. The legislative package — a set of 14 bills the California Legislative Black Caucus released Wednesday — addresses ...Dec 6, 2023 · Sameea Kamal is a reporter at CalMatters covering the state Capitol and California politics. She joined CalMatters in June 2021 from the Los Angeles Times, where she was a News Desk editor. Sameea was... More by Sameea Kamal. With few strict rules, California lawmakers represent their constituents in different ways, but not always that well. That’s what prompted the Republican lawmaker from Bakersfield to introduce, for the third time, a bill to test for three years the Office of the California Public Records Act Ombudsperson. “To expect the average citizen to take the government to court and expend resources was just a nonstarter. It’s not fair,” Fong said.Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters. This fall, the San Diego College of Continuing Education has just shy of 6,700 English as a second language students — more than before the pandemic. Many of these students are over 50. In Lake Tahoe, the local community college saw a nearly 60% increase in students over …Feb 6, 2023 · Rules for thee: How California Legislature skirts its own laws. by Sameea Kamal February 6, 2023. New California legislators stand to take the oath of office in the Senate chambers in the state Capitol on Dec. 5, 2022. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters. Become a CalMatters member with a tax-deductible donation today to stay informed, bolster our journalism and expand how many people we reach across California. One of the most pressing issues in California is inequality. Sign up for …by Jocelyn Wiener September 28, 2022. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill addressing serious problems with nursing home licensing in California, although some elder care advocates contend the new law will not …Feb 5, 2024 · Your CalMatters 2024 Voter Guide is a team effort, made possible by the following: Reporters: Kristen Hwang, Sameea Kamal, Alexei Koseff, Yue Stella Yu Web producer: Liliana Michelena Neither the draw of making California the first state to pass such a law, nor the month-long hunger strike by supporters persuaded Gov. Gavin Newsom to add caste to the list of categories in the state’s housing, education and employment discrimination laws. In his veto message on Oct. 7, Newsom said the bill was “unnecessary.”.Jan 2, 2023 · Not to be outdone, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature passed this new law that allows private citizens to collect $10,000 by suing those who make or sell illegal “ghost guns” or assault-style weapons. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, could throw out the Texas law and ones like it, including California’s. Sep 1, 2022 · California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s last-minute legislative plan for tackling the climate crisis was largely victorious as lawmakers approved laws to set interim targets for 100% clean energy, regulate projects to remove carbon from the atmosphere and smokestacks, and end new oil drilling near communities. One ambitious bill for tackling climate ... Imperial has the largest proportion of vaccinated residents in the entire southern half of the state. About 73% of Los Angeles County residents and 50% of Kern County residents, for instance, have received at least one shot, compared to Imperial’s 86%. El Centro, with a population of 44,000, is the …A single-family home with an ADU complex in the backyard area in the Talmadge neighborhood of San Diego on Nov. 5, 2023. The ADUs were the first constructed under San Diego’s density bonus program. Photo by Adriana Heldiz, CalMatters. Before developers got their hands on the 49th Street site, it was a …Coastal elites. Just shy of 1 million people live in California’s coastal zone, according to an analysis provided to CalMatters by Nicholas Depsky, a climate change …California as of today is one of the first states with formal rules for government departments to follow when buying AI tools. The guidelines introduced this week are the …Nov 8, 2022 · Gov. Gavin Newsom and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom cast their ballots on election day at the California Museum in Sacramento on Nov. 8, 2022. Photo by MIguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters. Results: Gavin Newsom, 59%. Brian Dahle, 41%. Dec 18, 2023 · More than 928,000 people had their Medi-Cal terminated between June and October, according to state data. The vast majority of them — close to 90% — lost Medi-Cal coverage because of so-called “procedural reasons,” often meaning problems with paperwork. California has the fourth worst rate of terminations linked to procedural issues in ... Round two: Garvey, Lee, Porter and Schiff clash at Senate debate. U.S. Senate candidates (from left) Rep. Barbara Lee, Steve Garvey, Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Katie Porter during a televised debate at KRON4 studio in San Francisco on Feb. 12, 2024. Photo courtesy of NewsNation. CalMatters covers how decisions by California politicians and officials shape your lives and the state's future. Find stories, data and tools on topics such as elections, housing, justice, education and more. California lawmakers, raising fears of political violence, want to shield their properties. Lawmakers on the first day of session on the Assembly floor at the state Capitol on Jan. 3, 2024. Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters. A bill would let state legislators, who say they fear for their safety, shield their property holdings …websiteCalifornians infected with COVID-19 may go about their lives without isolating or testing negative as long as their symptoms are improving, according to new and significantly loosened guidelines from the California Department of Public Health. California’s top public health official, Dr. Tomás Aragón, last week quietly …Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters. In the 2019-20 school year, more than 3.6 million California students received free or reduced price meals — nearly 60% of all students in the state, according to the California Department of Education. In the 2020-21 school year, even during the pandemic, about 3.5 …As CalMatters higher education reporter Mikhail Zinshteyn explains, though the California Faculty Association — a union that represents 29,000 professors, lecturers, coaches and others — held one-day strikes at four campuses in December, this was the first time its members walked out at every campus since its founding in 1983.Cal Fire tracks how many firefighters and civilians have lost their lives in wildfires. Since 1992, at least 268 people have died in a wildfire, and since 2008, 193 civilians and 32 firefighters lost their lives. Half of California's 20 deadliest fires occurred in the 21st century. The deadliest fire in California history was the Camp Fire in ...In April, 30% of Black households in California were food insecure. Six months later, the figure was 40% — and nearly half of Black families with children. Anti-poverty advocates had feared a rise in hunger after the end of the aid boost this year, which affected the nearly 3 million California households that receive CalFresh, the federally ...In summary. California politicians tend to make decisions in the here and now, without fully exploring long-term consequences of their decrees. Decisions by governors, legislators and bureaucrats have consequences, some intended and some not. Were politics a rational exercise, decision-makers would fully explore potential effects …A CalMatters analysis shows that California’s offshore wind projects carry a host of implications and uncertainties: Energy companies will need hundreds of millions of dollars in state subsidies or bonds to assist with the extreme costs of construction and operation. Each wind farm could cost about $5 billion to develop, …Meanwhile, the California Energy Commission is slated to hold a meeting on Nov. 29 with oil industry executives and experts to seek more information about gas price spikes, refinery disruptions and record industry profits. Regulators are also set to discuss strategies to “insulate consumers from price shocks” ahead of the state’s 2035 ban ...Grief, fear, and hopes for peace: California college students describe campus climates during Israel-Palestine conflict. Hillel, a campus religious group, hosts a rally calling for the release of kidnapped Israelis at UCLA's Wilson Plaza in Los Angeles on Nov. 7, 2023. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters.U.S. abortion rate continues to fall — but California's is a mystery. In the years immediately following Roe v. Wade, the abortion rate skyrocketed across the country, reaching a high of 25 per 1,000 women of childbearing age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since that time, the rate nationwide has fallen by half.In summary. Accelerated by the COVID pandemic, a shift by state officials toward emails and written statements is making it more difficult for journalists to be watchdogs for Californians. Like so much else about California, its state government is large: A $300 billion budget. More than 230 departments and agencies. More than 234,000 …Lower cost, slower gains: California prepares controversial new climate strategy. by Nadia Lopez April 28, 2022. The state's climate change scoping plan would force use of renewable energy. The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the Mojave Desert is the world's largest solar plant. Photo by Bing Guan, REUTERS.
The Legislative Analyst’s Office recently said in its annual forecast that Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Democratic Party-controlled Legislature are facing a $24 billion projected budget deficit for the next fiscal year. If the state enters a recession the outlook is even worse, with revenues predicted to fall short by $30 …. Walmart boone nc
Californians infected with COVID-19 may go about their lives without isolating or testing negative as long as their symptoms are improving, according to new and significantly loosened guidelines from the California Department of Public Health. California’s top public health official, Dr. Tomás Aragón, last week quietly rescinded the state ...California as of today is one of the first states with formal rules for government departments to follow when buying AI tools. The guidelines introduced this week are the …The university received nearly 150,000 freshmen undergraduate applications for fall 2022 enrollment, the most in the country. Other UC campuses shared that they bring on 50 to 160 readers; the numbers vary depending on each campus’s application volume. The price tag for readers at UCLA is between $400,000 and $500,000.In summary. California politicians tend to make decisions in the here and now, without fully exploring long-term consequences of their decrees. Decisions by governors, legislators and bureaucrats have consequences, some intended and some not. Were politics a rational exercise, decision-makers would fully explore potential effects …San Quentin Prison is decaying and California would rather ‘transform’ it than fix it. California’s whopping $14.4 billion prison budget and the governor’s $360.6 million price tag to “transform” San Quentin into a rehabilitation center seemingly overlook the existing…. California can take kids from abused moms.Apr 21, 2022 · U.S. abortion rate continues to fall — but California's is a mystery. In the years immediately following Roe v. Wade, the abortion rate skyrocketed across the country, reaching a high of 25 per 1,000 women of childbearing age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since that time, the rate nationwide has fallen by half. CalMatters is a nonprofit newsroom that produces in-depth journalism on statewide issues such as water, housing, health, education and environment. Meet the team of reporters, …Grief, fear, and hopes for peace: California college students describe campus climates during Israel-Palestine conflict. Hillel, a campus religious group, hosts a rally calling for the release of kidnapped Israelis at UCLA's Wilson Plaza in Los Angeles on Nov. 7, 2023. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters.Grief, fear, and hopes for peace: California college students describe campus climates during Israel-Palestine conflict. Hillel, a campus religious group, hosts a rally calling for the release of kidnapped Israelis at UCLA's Wilson Plaza in Los Angeles on Nov. 7, 2023. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters.Jan 11, 2024 · The inside of an “emergency sleeping cabin” by the company Pallet Shelter on Jan. 9, 2024. The company recently won a contract by the state to address homelessness by providing temporary housing with the cabins. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters. The state requires each tiny home be at least 70 square feet for a single person and ... California Democrats have been on a decade-long tear increasing voting access. Same-day voter registration, automatic registration at the DMV and pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds are among the recent pro-vote innovations to come out of the Capitol. Letting people under 18 vote would be yet another …Sep 12, 2023 · The effort to allow California’s legislative staff to unionize — at least 23 years in the works — is nearly across the finish line. But to win enough support from their bosses, significant changes were made: New lawmakers would be able to dismiss their predecessor’s staffers. In July, the bill was amended to push back when the union ... Now the state is considering hosting another renewable energy technology in the sea: Blue power, electricity created from waves and tides. A new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in October instructs state agencies to study the feasibility and impacts of capturing ocean movement to create power and report back to the Legislature by January …CalMatters is a nonprofit newsroom that produces in-depth journalism on statewide issues such as water, housing, health, education and environment. Meet the team of reporters, …Together, they’ve spent more than $188 million lobbying the state government since 2005, making them the third and first largest spenders on hired advocates since then. Oil companies have had plenty of challenges in California, a state with ambitious climate goals including a ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.A CalMatters analysis shows that California’s offshore wind projects carry a host of implications and uncertainties: Energy companies will need hundreds of millions of dollars in state subsidies or bonds to assist with the extreme costs of construction and operation. Each wind farm could cost about $5 billion to develop, … CalMatters covers how decisions by California politicians and officials shape your lives and the state's future. Find stories, data and tools on topics such as elections, housing, justice, education and more. Californians infected with COVID-19 may go about their lives without isolating or testing negative as long as their symptoms are improving, according to new and significantly loosened guidelines from the California Department of Public Health. California’s top public health official, Dr. Tomás Aragón, last week quietly rescinded the state ...Dec 10, 2021 · The journalists at CalMatters followed these and many other California state government issues closely this year, listening to experiences from neighborhoods, schools and farms and questioning elected leaders, advocates and experts. CalMatters’ 2021-2022 Primer about state politics and policy is a collection of what we saw and learned. A new federal student aid application is blocking some students from completing their forms. Now California legislators are trying to extend the deadline for state student aid. Students seeking state financial aid have just two weeks remaining to beat a California deadline, even as thousands have been locked out of ….