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David Lesher

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Co-Founder David Lesher is a veteran California journalist and state policy expert. He co-founded CalMatters in 2015 and led the organization as Editor/CEO until December 2018, when he continued to serve as Editor-in-Chief until May 2023. Previously, he was Director of Government Affairs at the Public Policy Institute of California, a non-partisan think tank focused on state policy issues. Lesher has more than 25 years of journalism experience, largely at the Los Angeles Times where he was a political writer, state Capitol reporter and assistant national editor for the White House campaign. He also has served as Editor of California Journal magazine and as California Director for the New America Foundation.

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California's state government in 2021 faced a windfall of dollars to address persistent inequality, a recall seeking to oust its government, and the challenges of learning to live with a pandemic. This CalMatters primer explains it all. Collage via CalMatters
Politics
Here’s your primer: What California state government has been up to in 2021
History will remember 2021 as the year when a windfall of governmentspending sought to address years of inequality, poverty and a growingpopulation left behind. Trillions of dollars were spent by the federal government, but California’s state government, facing the nation’s highest poverty rate, also saw an unprecedented budget surplus that the state’s supermajority Democrats used […]
By • December 10, 2021
Inside the Newsroom
Use our new tool to learn about your legislators, monitor their voting behavior
Six years ago, we started CalMatters with a bold mission to deliver strong public service journalism that empowers Californians to engage with their state government. I’m excited to share with you that we’re continuing this commitment with the launch of Glass House: California Legislator Tracker. Our team has been working hard to create an accessible […]
By • September 8, 2021
Inside the Newsroom
CalMatters expands its coverage of health care
Jocelyn Wiener, an award-winning Bay Area journalist with international experience, will join CalMatters to write about Californians and their experience with health care. Wiener worked recently as a freelance writer on a compelling series for CalMatters about mental health. The series, titled “Breakdown,” profiled intimate experiences with suicide, family stress and homelessness as well as the […]
By • January 10, 2020
Inside the Newsroom
California Divide media collaboration adds a veteran journalist in Los Angeles
Nigel Duara, a national, multi-media journalist, will join CalMatters to cover poverty and inequality issues as part of the California Divide project, a unique collaboration among major state news organizations. Duara most recently worked as a Los Angeles-based national and climate correspondent at VICE News Tonight on HBO. Previously, he was a national correspondent based […]
By • January 8, 2020
California Capitol. Photo for CALmatters by Max Whitaker
Commentary
If you’re not alarmed, you should be: Who’s left to hold California’s government accountable?
Media is declining nationally, but unique pressures have made California into America’s laboratory for a dangerous experiment about what happens to the public interest when policy is made without public awareness or accountability. In just the last three weeks, four major announcements about California media indicate a troubling downward spiral is accelerating.
By • January 24, 2018
Inside the Newsroom
Time, skill, persistence – that’s what it takes
Dear Friends, CALmatters. It’s not just our name. It’s what drives our team to produce compelling coverage on how Sacramento works and why it matters. CALmatters was launched two years ago because we saw a pressing need for statewide explanatory journalism, analysis and commentary about policy and politics to fill an alarming void in coverage […]
By and • October 5, 2017
Economy
The Pension Crisis: About this project
We are excited to launch a new project about California’s pension debt crisis that is a collaboration between CALmatters, the Los Angeles Times and Capital Public Radio.    In print, online and over the airwaves, this series will explore the consequences of a historic expansion of retirement benefits for California public employees. A series of […]
By • September 18, 2016

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Co-Founder David Lesher is a veteran California journalist and state policy expert. He co-founded CalMatters in 2015 and led the organization as Editor/CEO until December 2018, when he continued to serve as Editor-in-Chief until May 2023. Previously, he was Director of Government Affairs at the Public Policy Institute of California, a non-partisan think tank focused on state policy issues. Lesher has more than 25 years of journalism experience, largely at the Los Angeles Times where he was a political writer, state Capitol reporter and assistant national editor for the White House campaign. He also has served as Editor of California Journal magazine and as California Director for the New America Foundation.
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David Lesher