January 2023

Assemblymember Mia Bonta, an Oakland Democrat, convenes with fellow legislators during the first day of session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Jan. 4, 2023. Photo by Rahul Lal for CalMatters

CalMatters en Español

La Legislatura de California está de vuelta: cinco preguntas clave

EN RESUMEN La Legislatura de California vuelve a reunirse con una diversidad récord, pero con varias preguntas claves y muchos desafíos importantes. Read this article in English. Una creciente población de personas sin hogar. Una amarga batalla con la industria petrolera por los precios de la gasolina. Un plan de gastos para un estado con […]

By

Alexei Koseff

and

Sameea Kamal

• January 5, 2023

Capitol

The California Legislature is back: Five key questions

The California Legislature reconvenes with record diversity, but with several key questions and many significant challenges.

By

Alexei Koseff

and

Sameea Kamal

• January 5, 2023

CalMatters en Español

Los campus universitarios de California intentan reducir los costos con transporte gratuito

EN RESUMEN Los gastos de transporte son una parte del alto costo de la universidad que está obligando a muchos estudiantes de bajos ingresos a salir de los sistemas de educación superior del estado. Algunos campus se han asociado con agencias de tránsito locales para reducir o eliminar todas las tarifas para los estudiantes, pero […]

By

Carmen González

• January 5, 2023

James Mackey, program manager for Transitions Clinic Network, outside the Community Medical Centers administration building in Stockton on Dec. 21, 2022. Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters

Health

New rules to let inmates enroll in Medi-Cal before they leave prison

Although inmates are eligible for Medi-Cal after they are released, they often have long waits before their health services begin. The change is expected to improve care and reduce expensive emergency room visits.

By

Kristen Hwang

• January 5, 2023

A Sacramento Regional Transit bus arrives at Sacramento City College in Sacramento on Nov. 30, 2022. Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters

College Beat

California campuses try to lower college costs with free transit

Transit expenses are one part of the high cost of college that is pushing many low-income students out of the state’s higher education systems. Some campuses have partnered with local transit agencies to reduce or waive all fares for students, but recent efforts to create more partnerships with state funding have failed.

By

Carmen González

• January 5, 2023

A play area at WestCoast Children’s Clinic in Oakland on Sept. 22, 2021. The clinic serves nearly 1500 children annually, many of whom are low-income. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

Commentary

No more excuses. California must prioritize children in foster care

Roughly 60,000 children are in California's foster care system. For years, state leaders have failed to make progress or increase support for them. In 2023, it must be a priority.

By

Guest Commentary

• January 5, 2023

State Sen. Melissa Hurtado, a Bakersfield Democrat, bows her head in prayer before session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Jan, 4, 2023. Photo by Rahul Lal for CalMatters

WhatMatters

Why 20 votes matter in California, Washington, D.C.

One shared takeaway from the otherwise very different starts to new legislative sessions in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.: What a difference 20 votes make. The Legislature that reconvened Wednesday in the California Capitol is the most diverse in state history, with a record 50 women — although there’s still a slim possibility that number could […]

By

Emily Hoeven

• January 5, 2023

Nurse practitioner Surani Hayre-Kwan, right, speaks with patient Mary Valesano, left, and her caregiver Georgia Fraley, far left, about Valesano’s sleep habits during an office visit at the Russian River Health Center.

CalMatters en Español

Medi-Cal mantendrá más planes de seguro después de ser presionado

EN RESUMEN Los funcionarios estatales de salud lanzaron el año pasado un primer proceso de licitación competitivo para sus contratos de seguro de Medi-Cal, con el objetivo de implementar estándares más altos. Pero cuando se anunciaron los ganadores, varias aseguradoras se quejaron del proceso y del posible impacto en la atención al paciente. Read this […]

By

Kristen Hwang

and

Ana B. Ibarra

• January 4, 2023

A car stops on a flooded Lambert Road off Interstate 5 in Sacramento County on Jan. 3, 2023. Northern California was hit by a major rainstorm that caused power outages, landslides and flooding over the New Year's holiday weekend. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Environment

Sacramento Valley, already deluged, braces for more floods

As a "bomb cyclone" descends on Northern California tonight, storms have already tested a region highly vulnerable to flooding. One report says the Central Valley needs $30 billion in improvements over 30 years.

By

Julie Cart

and

Alastair Bland

• January 4, 2023

An illustration on the diversity of the California Legislature by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

CalMatters en Español

¿Qué tanto se parece la Legislatura a California?

En Resumen La nueva Legislatura estatal es la más diversa que ha existido, pero por algunas medidas, todavía no representa completamente a cómo luce California. Read this article in English. La Legislatura de California que se vuelve a reunir hoy es la más diversa de la historia: Incluye un número récord de mujeres, ocupando 50 […]

By

John Osborn D'Agostino

,

Sameea Kamal

and

Ariel Gans

• January 4, 2023