We now have results for key laws advocates promised would ‘protect’ teenagers. They don’t.
CALmatters is a Sacramento-based nonpartisan, nonprofit journalism venture committed to explaining how California's state Capitol works and why it matters. It works with more than 130 media partners throughout the state that have long, deep relationships with their local audiences, including Embarcadero Media (publisher of the Palo Alto Weekly, Mountain View Voice, Pleasanton Weekly and The Almanac in Menlo Park and their websites.)
Here are the most recent stories reported by CALmatters' team of journalists:
‘Fungibility’ means there’s no free lunch
"Fungibility," as applied to politics, means there's no free lunch despite politicians' efforts to persuade us otherwise.
Sun, May 26, 2019 12:01 am
Weekly CALmatters 05/24/2019
Highlighting all of CALmatters' work over the past week
Fri, May 24, 2019 9:22 pm
Why California’s air board won’t ban gas-powered cars yet
Mary Nichols, the powerful head of the California Air Resources Board, didn’t even need to explicitly threaten a ban on gas-powered cars last week to get the attention of carmakers. The warning was only in her prepared statements for a workshop with the state Transportation Commission. But the remarks, obtained by Bloomberg, hit headlines and […]
Fri, May 24, 2019 4:57 pm
Democrats in California have all the power—and much of the turmoil
You might think a political party racked by scandal, facing three lawsuits and riven with infighting would be in a bad spot politically. But, according to plenty of close observers, the California Democratic Party is doing just fine.
Fri, May 24, 2019 2:44 pm
Weekly Walters 05/24/2019
A collection of commentaries by Dan Walters over the past week.
Fri, May 24, 2019 5:46 am
A deal on police use of force. No deal on e-cigarettes
Legislature reaches deal on police use of force bill. No deal on e-cigarette legislation. Newsom promises action on housing crisis.
Fri, May 24, 2019 4:30 am
Service tax proposal is a veiled tax increase
Some California legislators are considering a sales tax on services. A services tax won't reduce California's budget volatility and would worsen the state's affordability crisis. With record budget surpluses, talk of new taxes should be political malpractice.
Fri, May 24, 2019 3:29 am
Deal: California poised to pass one of nation’s toughest police use-of-force standards
A historic deal to reduce police shootings will give California one of the nation's highest lethal force standards. Key will be defining 'necessary force.'
Thu, May 23, 2019 6:18 pm
Mischief managed? Push for 4 a.m. last call gets a fresh shot with winemaker Gavin Newsom
A bill that would allow 10 California cities to extend last call at bars from 2 to 4 a.m. has a fresh shot at making it to the governor's desk. Will Sen. Scott Wiener's SB 58 get a friendlier reception from winemaker-turned-governor Gavin Newsom?
Thu, May 23, 2019 3:19 pm
Death Watch: The bill killer is in the house
Welcome to death watch. The legislative kind. We’re tracking which bills California lawmakers are rejecting as the Legislature hits the half-way point for making new laws for this year. May 31 is the deadline for bills to pass the house in which they were introduced, a critical hurdle in the legislative process that will […]
Thu, May 23, 2019 1:45 pm
Vaccines, soda, mental illness and an ice cream man-candidate
Vaccination fight heats up in Legislature. Efforts to curb soda use fall flat. San Diego DA calls for mental health reform
Thu, May 23, 2019 4:30 am
Legislation seeks to outsmart ‘smart’ speakers
Smart speakers and tech companies have the capability of recording your conversations, even when you may think the device is turned off. Privacy in the home is at risk as this exciting technology proliferates.
Thu, May 23, 2019 3:29 am
Blue-state California now harassing journalists
Now we have a second instance in which California law enforcement officials try to crack down on journalists who obtained information the officials didn't want them to have.
Thu, May 23, 2019 12:01 am
Charter school curbs pass Assembly, but drama foretells compromise
A major bill to curb the growth of charter schools in California was narrowly approved in the Assembly Tuesday, but compromise appeared likely as moderates who let it proceed to the Senate called for a less hard line.
Wed, May 22, 2019 9:06 pm
Why California’s efforts to limit soda keep fizzling
After the beverage industry blocked local soda taxes, health advocates in California tried a statewide measure. Here's why Big Soda is winning anyway.
Wed, May 22, 2019 5:22 pm
A homeless task force, community colleges and bar closing times
Newsom creates homeless task force. Community colleges chief gets a vote of confidence. Chamber of Commerce tries to snuff out new tax.
Wed, May 22, 2019 4:30 am
Trump doing California a bullet train favor
President Donald Trump wants to claw back the federal money for California's bullet train project and may be doing the state a favor.
Wed, May 22, 2019 12:01 am
CalChamber-backed study says service tax would disadvantage California businesses
Some say California's economy would be more stable if we taxed the services of lawyers, accountants and consultants. A Cal Chamber study disputes that.
Wed, May 22, 2019 12:01 am
A charter school moratorium won’t help California schools
Rather than focusing on a decades-old political fight between charter and district schools, the Legislature should work on reforms that would help traditional public school districts by removing barriers that prevent schools from innovating and improving.
Tue, May 21, 2019 11:24 am
California brawling, from the White House to local government
May snow, Trump vs. California, what just happened with housing, labor pressures on ridesharing, mental health, brawling councilmen and spicy news.
Tue, May 21, 2019 4:30 am
“If you think the system works, you’re dead wrong:” a discussion on mental health in California
A physician, an advocate, a public health specialist, a suicide-attempt survivor and a California state lawmaker gathered in downtown Sacramento today to offer their diagnosis of the state’s mental health system. The consensus: “We need to start from scratch.”
Mon, May 20, 2019 5:30 pm
Should public pensions invest in Uber and Lyft? Sure, says the man who pushed to divest in guns
John Chiang says California's public pensions should stay invested in Uber and Lyft to improve worker benefits.
Mon, May 20, 2019 3:42 pm
With CA’s most closely watched housing bill on life support, what’s next?
On this emergency episode of "Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast," CALmatters' Matt Levin and the Los Angeles Times' Liam Dillon discuss why SB 50 failed, and what it means for other housing legislation going forward this year.
Mon, May 20, 2019 2:17 pm
Homelessness, vaping, potholes and kicks for a governor
Good morning, California. Ben Christopher is sitting in for Dan Morain, who is off for a couple more days. “San Francisco, where streets are named after union organizers and Mexican anti-imperialists, and local landmarks include murals from the Depression-era Public Works of Art Project, is becoming a paradoxical urban space: a homogenous corporate campus run […]
Mon, May 20, 2019 4:30 am
California gets a hollow win in tax battle
As California prevails in its tax battle with inventor Gilbert Hyatt, the Supreme Court's ruling for the state in his case could foretell a battle over abortion rights.
Mon, May 20, 2019 12:01 am
Industry aims to extinguish bills that would make California first state to ban flavored tobacco
As legislation to outlaw the sale of flavored-tobacco products flounders in the California Legislature, health advocates blame the influence the tobacco industry has with key state lawmakers. Vaping has skyrocketed among middle and high schoolers, many of whom are attracted by the sweet flavors. E-cigarette manufacturers such as Juul Labs in San Francisco say their products are intended only for adults and help them quit traditional cigarettes.
Sun, May 19, 2019 8:00 pm
Can California crack its housing nut?
California has a big shortage of housing, and a controversial proposal shows it's a tough political nut to crack.
Sun, May 19, 2019 12:01 am
Weekly CALmatters 05/17/2019
Highlighting all of CALmatters' work over the past week
Fri, May 17, 2019 9:28 pm
Weekly Walters 05/17/2019
A collection of commentaries by Dan Walters over the past week.
Fri, May 17, 2019 5:46 am
Stalled bills, bashed bullet trains, spell check and an acquittal
Good morning and TGIF, California. Ben Christopher is sitting in for Dan Morain, who is taking time off. “This fight is far from over.”—Sen. Scott Wiener on Senate Appropriations Chair Anthony Portantino’s decision to hold his SB 50, which would have forced cities to allow more housing around mass transit and in single-family neighborhoods. Not going […]
Fri, May 17, 2019 4:30 am
In housing, privacy and more, a Capitol lightning round nixes controversial bills
Some of the most controversial ideas California lawmakers were considering this year were set aside as the Legislature culled hundreds of bills in a fast-and-furious annual procedural ritual.
Thu, May 16, 2019 6:56 pm
California’s hottest housing bill was just unexpectedly shelved. What you need to know:
The sudden demise of the year’s most controversial state housing bill was celebrated by some and bemoaned by others. But very few—supporters, opponents, and even the author himself—can claim to have seen this coming.
Thu, May 16, 2019 5:17 pm
Despite sharp growth in electric cars, vehicle emissions keep rising
Unless the emissions trend is reversed, the state could stall on its route to clean air.
Thu, May 16, 2019 4:01 pm
Asbestos in your makeup? Legislature rejects proposal to ban toxics from cosmetics
California lawmakers refused to bar the sale of cosmetics containing toxic chemicals after pushback from business interests, who said it would apply to trace amounts too small to be harmful.
Thu, May 16, 2019 3:01 pm
Feds’ harassment of journalists threatens coverage at the border
As our border becomes more of a battleground, it is high time for a set of Justice Department-style news media guidelines for Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to give journalists the protection they need to keep the public informed.
Thu, May 16, 2019 8:00 am
Fire, water, a Trump pardon and crunch time in the Capitol
Good morning, California. Ben Christopher is sitting in for Dan Morain, who is off this week. “Queen @LorenaSGonzalez, first of her name, House of San Diego, protector of budget.”—Assemblywoman Wendy Carillo on the eve of a key legislative deadline, giving a “Game of Thrones”-style shoutout to the chairwoman of the Assembly Appropriations Committee, which will vote […]
Thu, May 16, 2019 4:30 am
A dangerous conflict-of-interest loophole
Public works project contracts are susceptible to insider dealing, and a pending bill in the Legislature might invite more misbehavior.
Thu, May 16, 2019 12:01 am
Key conflicts roil California’s ever-evolving waterscape
How the state's water supplies are divvied up over the next few years could shift them from agriculture to urban use and environmental enhancement.
Wed, May 15, 2019 6:21 pm
California can fix the bad math of new motherhood
Being a pregnant woman in California, in America, is fraught. I don’t feel supported, even as our society romanticizes motherhood. That's why Senate Bill 135 by Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson is so critical. It would expand our family leave laws to cover nearly all workers in California.
Wed, May 15, 2019 9:00 am
This legislation would pry open hard-to-find government data
Good government is open, clear government. Citizens who are not accountants also should be able to easily read government financial documents. Senate Bill 598 encourages the adoption of a readily accessible digital reporting standard. Legislators should approve it.
Wed, May 15, 2019 8:00 am
Drawing lines on privacy, wildfire, water and schools
San Francisco bans use of facial-recognition technology. PG&E's new CEO to face lawmakers today. Attorney general sues to stop raising of Shasta Dam.
Wed, May 15, 2019 4:30 am
Newsom must now deliver on promises
Gov. Gavin Newsom has promised action on a wide range of societal ills, but now must deliver.
Wed, May 15, 2019 12:01 am
California can help provide opportunity for its heartland. Here’s how
Stockton did not fall behind by accident. Years of redlining, tax structures that undercut development and missed opportunities led to California's fragmented economy. It doesn’t have to be this way. One way we can spur a resurgence of economic prosperity is to use a new tax incentive called opportunity zones.
Tue, May 14, 2019 10:00 am
CALmatters takes home 23 awards from the California News Publishers Association
CALmatters took home 23 awards, including nine first place winners, at the California News Publishers Association Journalism Awards dinner in Long Beach, CA. The awards, given out May 4, celebrate the best journalism in the state. This was the first year digital news outlets like CALmatters could enter. “We’re very proud of our very talented […]
Tue, May 14, 2019 9:06 am
New currents of cooperation on California’s wicked water problems
Difficult negotiations on how to efficiently and fairly share water among farmers, cities including San Francisco, and fish and wildlife have been underway since 2012 with little resolution in sight—until last month. With the leadership of the Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, representatives of farmers, cities and conservation groups are having productive negotiations.
Tue, May 14, 2019 8:00 am
Trade, taxes, health care, lending, and it’s getting hot
Stocks slide on trade wars. What a SCOTUS ruling on CA taxes has to do with abortion. Newsom takes health on the road. High-priced lending and heat laws.
Tue, May 14, 2019 4:30 am
Bonus: A discussion on police misconduct and transparency in California
Force of Law host Laurel Rosenhall moderated a panel in Sacramento on police misconduct and transparency in California.
Mon, May 13, 2019 10:38 pm
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