Californians: Here’s why your housing costs are so high
Half the state’s households struggle to afford the roof over their heads. Here’s what you need to know about one of California’s most vexing issues.
ECONOMY
California already may be paying for Trump’s hypothetical tax cuts
Tax reform may not be much more than a glimmer in the eye of Republicans in Washington D.C., but their promise of lower rates and closed loopholes appears to be already jostling state and local finances.
California’s gender pay gap: How two proposed laws aim to close it
California boasts some of the toughest “fair pay” laws in the country—yet the average full-time working woman has been earning only 86 cents for every dollar earned by a man. A recent study...
Here’s the most detailed visual of the California budget we know of—come get lost in it
A mutant octopus? A psychedelic Rorschach test? The world’s most elaborate Chinese finger trap? No, this CALmatters creation is the California state budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year. Follow...
Early returns suggest smoking drop in response to state tax
It’s early, but it looks like good news for public health advocates.
California gives gig workers a break—just a little one, but it’s a start
Angelo Henry describes himself as “unemployed,” but that isn’t entirely right. Under California labor law, he’s a self-starting freelancer. An entrepreneur. A 25 year old...
What you need to know about the state budget, in less than 2 minutes
The governor just authorized more than $180 billion in state spending. Where is that money going?
What you need to know about the state budget — in 2 minutes
State lawmakers just approved more than $180 billion in spending. Where is that money going?
Amid housing crisis, why 2 out of 5 young Californians live at home
Nearly a decade removed from the depths of the Great Recession, a staggering 38 percent of California’s 18 to 34-year-olds still live with their parents.
Why some experts say a court just created a new pathway to “tax” Californians
Could a few words buried within a recent court ruling make it easier for the state to raise money from Californians? Those words—contained within a decision affirming the constitutionality of...
Rains cause severe road damage as legislature approves costly repair plan
The legislature’s approval Thursday of a $52 billion road repair plan couldn’t come too soon for rain-battered streets and highways that have already suffered severe damage this year....
Retirement savings for all? California vows to proceed despite new D.C. obstacle
See correction below California’s grand plan to extend retirement security to millions of workers, a cornerstone of the economic agenda put forward by state Democrats, is looking a little bit less...
To create affordable housing, lawmakers eye ending tax breaks for vacation homes
Lifelong Californian Lori Thompson is well aware of the state’s dire affordable housing problem. She’s just wondering why she’s the one who has to pay to fix it. After her daughter moved to Reno to...
The withering California Dream—by the numbers
The California dream isn’t dead. It just upped and moved to South Dakota. Less than half of people born in California in 1980 are making more money than their parents did as young adults. That’s the...
Trump suggests yanking fed dollars if California’s a “sanctuary” — can he do that?
Five things to know about sanctuary status for at-risk immigrants
Democrats torn between shiny new ventures and old-school allies
Sharing. It sounds so simple, but as an economic trend, sharing is a divisive issue for Democrats. Tension over the so-called “sharing economy” has been on full display in Sacramento, with Democrats...
