Digital Democracy

Politics

A student sent a swastika to a Jewish lawmaker’s daughter. The response led to his new bill

Democratic Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal wants to give school administrators the authority to suspend students for cyberbullying after his daughter was sent a swastika in social media. Will the bill run afoul of recent reforms to make schools less punitive?

By Ryan Sabalow • April 16, 2024

Jose Villanueva carries siding while building a home in Paradise on Oct. 25, 2023. The project is partly funded by ReCoverCA, a state program providing money to rebuild homes in disaster areas. Photo by Noah Berger, AP Photo

California Wildfires

California requires new homes to have solar panels. Should wildfire victims get a break?

A California Republican’s bill would exempt low and middle income wildfire victims from solar panels requirements on rebuilt homes that didn’t have them when they burned down.

By Ryan Sabalow • April 12, 2024

A close-up of a key with a California flag keychain on a voting panel with the "Aye" vote button lite up in green on a legislator's desk on the Assembly floor at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Aug. 17, 2023. Photo by Semantha Norris, CalMatters

Digital Democracy

Power is never having to say ‘no.’ How California Democrats kill bills without voting against them

Democrats in California’s Assembly and Senate rarely vote against bills, yet few seem willing to discuss their voting records, as well as the controversial practice of declining to vote instead of saying “no.”

By Ryan Sabalow and Julie Watts • April 9, 2024

Digital Democracy

How California legislators got more than $1.4 million in travel and gifts in 2023

Financial disclosures show that state lawmakers were showered with more than $330,000 in gifts, plus more than $1.1 million in travel sponsored by interest groups. That total last year is 28% higher than in 2022.

By Jeremia Kimelman • April 9, 2024

Digital Democracy

High stakes: Inside the multimillion-dollar battle for gambling rights in California

California’s powerful tribal casinos and their longtime rivals, privately owned gambling halls, are spending huge sums of money to influence lawmakers. The legislative fight could reshape the state’s multi-billion dollar gambling industry.

By Ryan Sabalow and Jeremia Kimelman • March 27, 2024

Assemblymember Marie Waldron, a Republican from Escondido, convenes with legislators during session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Monday. Aug. 22, 2022. Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters

Digital Democracy

How psychedelic drug therapy became a rare bipartisan issue in California

Former Assembly Republican leader Marie Waldron and San Francisco Democratic state Sen. Scott Wiener may not have a lot in common, but they’ve formed an unlikely alliance over psychedelic drugs.

By Ryan Sabalow • February 19, 2024

A protest against "big oil" outside of the Democratic Party convention at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center in Sacramento on Nov. 17, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Politics

How Big Oil wins in green California

Two-thirds of the bills opposed by the oil industry this year were killed, thanks in part to an alliance with the building trades union, forcing Democrats to sometimes choose between jobs and the environment.

By Ryan Sabalow and Jeremia Kimelman • December 19, 2023