Dan Walters

The number of people registered to petition California's elected and appointed officials and its agencies has tripled in the past decade. California's budget is one reason why.

The Newsom administration released a new plan for addressing California homelessness, but the report failed to specify key details that will ultimately determine if its successful.

A phantom budget surplus in 2022 continues to haunt Gavin Newsom and state legislators after lavish spending, including a costly Medi-Cal expansion, has added billions more to California's chronic budget deficit.

Lawmakers keep introducing bills to make it hard for voters to tell from ballot language how much a proposed bond issue or tax increase would cost them.

Legendary journalist K.W. Lee was fiercely committed to exposing political malpractice in the Capitol and recognizing Asian Americans in California, compiling a lengthy list of accomplishments deserving of a spot in the California Hall of Fame.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to run for president, so he's going to drift rightward on some issues. But he jolted LGBTQ supporters recently with comments about transgender athletes.

California needs to "facilitate new construction at an unprecedented scale" to solve housing, water and climate issues, a legislative report says.

California agencies have spent hundreds of millions on technology projects with mediocre success or failure in some cases. Chaos administering the recent bar exam is the latest example.

Gimmickry has become an integral part of the current California budget process, even though the state faces a structural deficit.

As CalMatters columnist Dan Walters reaches a personal milestone entering his 50th year covering California politics, he reflects on his early days on the Capitol beat.