Some advocates believe the state should expand the Cal Grant program next year, even if that means pulling money from a financial aid program that benefits middle class students.
California’s poverty rate climbed and its working poor grew this spring, says the Public Policy Institute of California. Safety net programs played a major role in poverty rate changes.
After years of planning a broadband system to bridge California’s digital divide, officials deprioritized some low-income areas due to unexpected costs. Gov. Gavin Newsom says he’s committed to funding the entire network, but advocates are skeptical.
In neglected areas such as South Los Angeles, the freeways that crisscross neighborhoods are choking residents with harmful pollution. A bill on Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk would extend a clean transportation program that can aid these communities.
California courts give low-income jurors $15 per day. As a result, people with financial hardships are excused, leading to juries that often fail to reflect local demographics. A bill on the governor's desk would expand a San Francisco pilot program and up the rate to $100 in four new counties.
The budget-cutting efforts in Congress putting the U.S. government on the verge of a shutdown could become a fixture. The current spending proposals put Census Bureau funding on the chopping block, which could have lasting impacts if California's population remains undercounted.
More than half a million fast food workers, mostly minorities and women, will earn higher minimum wage because Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a fast food bill Thursday. But some say that’s not a living wage.
After Congress did not extend a pandemic-era tax credit, California's poverty rate for children rose from 7.5% to nearly 17% in one year. The false narratives that describe people in poverty often don't reflect research or reality, and further harm them by stalling policy solutions.
California's beleaguered Employment Development Department could be asked to dole out benefits to striking workers if Gov. Gavin Newsom signs a bill providing them the right. Critics say the EDD has enough problems to address before the next economic downturn.