Economy

A program that helps small businesses is just one of the proposed budget cuts on which California’s governor and Legislature disagree.

California can't legally require insurers to write either residential or commercial property policies. But the state expects insurers to comply with the options unveiled today because they get something they want in return: catastrophe modeling. 

Three men falsely arrested based on face recognition technology have joined the fight against a California bill that aims to place guardrails around police use of the technology. They say it will still allow abuses and misguided arrests.

A 2020 California law compels businesses to offer employment benefits to more workers rather than treating them like independent contractors. Uber lost an effort to overturn the law.

A panel of labor experts at the CalMatters Ideas Festival say California workers should have more access to more apprenticeships that pay more. Barriers still exist, especially for women and low-income Californians.

Panel of lawmakers and experts said discussions about regulating AI should center people first and foremost.

President Biden’s executive action could allow border agents to immediately return migrants to Mexico without considering their asylum claims. While the White House says the new measures will bring order, advocates for migrants say it could cause more chaos and danger.

California schools are using more chatbots, and teachers are using them to grade papers and give students feedback.

California cities funnel $1 billion in online sales taxes back to wealthy corporations, but the state Senate killed a bill that would change the rules for those arrangements. The vote came down to whether senators represent a city with a major retailer in a tax-sharing agreement in their districts.

A Bay Area transit funding bill is delayed so supporters can seek consensus on how the money will be raised and distributed. Many California transit agencies are trying to avoid financial disaster and increase accountability.