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A blue and white lawn sign, that says "Vote Here" in different languages, is placed near a sidewalk where people wait in line to enter a vote center.

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Kinks in election system are no excuse to resume old, flawed voting method

If we switch from top-two primaries after this year's elections, two other options are open primaries and proportional representation.

By Alan Zundel • 3월 10, 2026

An inmate at San Quentin State Prison on March 17, 2023. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters

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California’s elderly parole program saves money and makes sense

Less than 2% of elderly parolees reoffend. Those with sex offenses must register and often get treatment and wear a monitor.

By Keith Wattley • 3월 9, 2026

A person in a grey sweatshirt is placing a cellphone into a dark grey packet on a table in a classroom. Behind the person is a group of students and adults standing around, talking and holding their cell phone packets.

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California schools that ban cellphones make students want them more

Punishing all for the noncompliance of a few breeds resentment. Schools should confiscate phones from students who repeatedly offend.

By Evelyn Thill • 2월 13, 2026

A silhouette of a person standing in a dimly lit prison cell with white walls, cabinets, and a mirror hanging.

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Good behavior musn’t determine if a California prison inmate lives in a safe environment

An incarcerated person's constitutional right to a safe and healthy environment in a single occupancy cell cannot be withheld on the condition that she or he be good.

By Arthur Jackson • 2월 12, 2026

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The gap between CARE Court’s intent and its real-world application

CARE Court can produce some positive results, but many people may not succeed for reasons unrelated to their ability to survive safely.

By Tom Scott • 12월 23, 2025

Two electrical towers are seen on top of a small brown mountain with wires running through them on other side.

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Small-scale bioenergy is critical for wildfire prevention, climate resilience, and emissions reduction

Ending BioMAT in 2025 would undermine investments in bioenergy and leave communities without safe biomass disposal options.

By Gary Bradford • 12월 22, 2025

The sun sets behind rows of high tension power lines on a warm evening in Los Angeles.

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California is drowning in hazardous forest waste with nowhere to put it

Biomass energy is not about cutting healthy forests or replacing solar and wind. California faces a dangerous accumulation of forest fuels with limited safe disposal options.

By Matt Dias • 12월 22, 2025

The back of students as they stand in front of a long lab bench during a middle school science class.

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California families should feel safer thanks to law confronting antisemitism in schools

AB 715 creates the nation’s first statewide antisemitism prevention coordinator, a position dedicated to helping schools respond to incidents, train educators, track data and recommend future reforms. It also requires swift responses when bias occurs and promotes inclusive learning environments so that all students can learn without fear.

By David Bocarsly and Miller Saltzman • 10월 31, 2025

A white and blue train zooms by a street next two a multi-story apartment building in beige and cream tones.

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Proposed California housing reform could result in ‘too much upzoning’

A controversial housing bill seeking to make it easier to build dense housing near certain transit stops would cause "too much upzoning," a former East Bay councilman argues.

By Michael Barnes • 8월 25, 2025

The exterior of the Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration in downtown Los Angeles.

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Don’t just blame Los Angeles County’s lawyers for accidentally repealing justice reform measure

The blanket blame being placed on the L.A. County Counsel's Office for the accidental repeal of Measure J glosses over the root cause, argues the county counsel.

By Dawyn Harrison • 8월 14, 2025