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Lynn La

Newsletter Writer

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Lynn La is the newsletter writer for CalMatters, focusing on California’s top political, policy and Capitol stories every weekday. She produces and curates WhatMatters, CalMatters’ flagship daily newsletter with more than 150,000 subscribers.    

In the newsletter, Lynn analyzes the state’s policy issues for a broader audience, through original reporting and by summarizing and compiling stories from CalMatters and other news sources. Recently, she has reported on bills to address California’s worsening fentanyl epidemic, tackle retail theft and legislate happiness. She also reveals more about lawmakers by interviewing them for an occasional series on first-term legislators in 2023 and new committee chairpersons in 2024. 

Through WhatMatters, Lynn also plays a crucial role in CalMatters election coverage, helping to keep track of daily developments in key campaigns, including legislative and congressional races and ballot measures.  

Prior to joining CalMatters in March 2023, she wrote for the education technology startup Guild and was a senior editor at CNET. She also covered public health at The Sacramento Bee as a Kaiser media fellow and was an intern reporter at Capitol Weekly. 

Lynn is based in the Bay Area. She graduated from UC Davis and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Other languages spoken: Vietnamese (basic)

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Latest Stories

People lean forward while they stand in front of white voting booths as they vote at a polling place.
WhatMatters
What messages did California voters send
Politicians and pundits are reading the tea leaves from the sweeping Democratic defeats nationally, as well as the California election results. To California Republicans, the passage of Proposition 36 — coupled with the recall of Alameda County’s district attorney and the defeat of Los Angeles County’s district attorney — offers clear evidence that voters reject […]
By • November 7, 2024
A person sits in front of a stack of pink ballot envelopes laid out on a table.
WhatMatters
What we know about CA election results so far
Election Day has come and gone, but the suspense is far from over. Voting went relatively smoothly, as election officials across California reported they were confident about counting votes in the face of minor technical challenges. A new survey by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that only 14% of Californians planned to […]
By • November 6, 2024
Two voters hold their ballot envelopes as an election worker shows them how to use a voting box at a polling station.
WhatMatters
What to watch in early California election results
It’s Election Day in California! Today’s the last day to vote in person or return ballots by mail, though Californians have been voting for a month. As of Monday, more than 8 million ballots are already in of the 22.8 million sent out (the percentage returned is down from the same point in 2020). Here […]
By • November 5, 2024
Three individuals review and discuss information displayed on monitors in an office, with one person pointing at the screen while another sits in front of the monitors, focusing on election-related data.
WhatMatters
Why California’s vote count will take days
There are only two more days to vote in California, and more than 7.6 million Californians have cast their ballots. But the counting will last for days, if not weeks, before news outlets declare all the winners or candidates concede.  The delays and uncertainty — which have grown since California started sending mail ballots to […]
By • November 4, 2024
Two election workers, both wearing gray shorts and black pants, stand near a machine that sorts mail-in ballots. One person carries a box with ballots. The other sets a box down on a table nearby.
WhatMatters
It’s crunch time for California’s election
Californians have five more days to vote, and as of Thursday, more than 5.8 million of the 22.6 million registered voters had returned their ballots. In the final stretch, campaigns are amping up outreach efforts and some of the stakes in the election are coming into sharper focus: Legislative races: Democrats hold two-thirds supermajorities in […]
By • November 1, 2024
People carrying bags, luggage and other personal belongings walk before they board a bus at a public plaza in Los Angeles.
WhatMatters
Meet Californians stumping in swing states
California is a sure thing for Democrats in the presidential race. So some supporters of Vice President Kamala Harris are heading to Arizona and Nevada — two neighboring states where the outcome is uncertain and could help determine who wins.  CalMatters’ Ana B. Ibarra spoke with volunteers from Los Angeles who traveled to Las Vegas […]
By • October 31, 2024
A close-up view of a person's hands as they flip through a booklet with information on ballot propositions while they hold a pen with their right hand.
WhatMatters
Convincing California voters on ballot props
In the political world, there has been a lot of discussion lately about newspaper endorsements — or non-endorsements — and whether they matter for voters. They don’t for those who pick candidates based on party. But can they influence voters on ballot propositions? CalMatters politics intern Jenna Peterson looks at where California’s six leading newspaper […]
By • October 30, 2024
Two lawmakers hug in the middle of the Assembly floor during session. An LGBTQ pride flag is visible in the corner of the frame.
WhatMatters
Why the California Legislature will look different in 2025
No matter how many California lawmakers win reelection next week, there will still be plenty of turnover at the state Capitol. A dozen state senators and two dozen Assemblymembers are exiting — due to term limits; because they’re seeking another office; or for other (and sometimes multiple) reasons. That churn — which could grow if […]
By • October 29, 2024
Two hands with painted nails hold a heart-shaped photograph of a person smiling and wearing a baseball hat. The hands belong to a mother and a daughter, and the image has a feeling of "remembrance." The image is focused on the heart and the hands.
WhatMatters
A wrongful death case focuses on California mental health insurance
Many California families are still struggling to get mental health treatment four years after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a landmark law requiring health insurance plans to provide enrollees with all medically necessary mental health and addiction treatment.  A new investigation by CalMatters mental health reporter Jocelyn Wiener found the system for appealing mental health denials […]
By • October 28, 2024
Two people stand over a container labeled "official ballot drop box." One individual writes on a clipboard with papers and the other organizes ballot envelopes.
WhatMatters
California Republicans embrace mail voting
Voting ends in California on Nov. 5, and nearly 3.3 million ballots had already been returned as of Thursday. It’s not shocking that more than half of them are from voters 65 and older, the most reliable voters. What’s more noteworthy is that the turnout so far is higher among registered Republicans (16.5%) than Democrats […]
By • October 25, 2024

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Lynn La - CalMatters
Lynn La is the newsletter writer for CalMatters, focusing on California’s top political, policy and Capitol stories every weekday.
CalMatters
California, explained
Lynn La
Lynn La is the newsletter writer for CalMatters, focusing on California’s top political, policy and Capitol stories every weekday. She produces and curates WhatMatters, CalMatters’ flagship daily newsletter with more than 150,000 subscribers. Prior to joining CalMatters in March 2023, she wrote for the education technology startup Guild and was a senior editor at CNET. She also covered public health at The Sacramento Bee as a Kaiser media fellow and was an intern reporter at Capitol Weekly. Lynn is based in the Bay Area. She graduated from UC Davis and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Other languages spoken: Vietnamese (basic)