California Voices

Struggling community hospitals across California are ill-prepared for the creation of a $25 minimum wage for health care workers, should Gov. Newsom decide to sign the legislation.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom once pledged to implement single-payer health care but later backed away. He just signed a bill that takes a tiny step toward the holy grail of those on the political left.

In neglected areas such as South Los Angeles, the freeways that crisscross neighborhoods are choking residents with harmful pollution. A bill on Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk would extend a clean transportation program that can aid these communities.

While many wait to see how Gov. Gavin Newsom handles hundreds of bills on his desk, others await the looming deadline for tax returns to see whether the state will face another multibillion-dollar deficit.

Santa Monica, a bastion of progressive politics, is fighting an effort to change the way it elects city council members, with allegations that the city minimizes nonwhite representation.

California has a new proposal for allocating water to enhance the environmentally fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, but the state's fundamental water conflicts remain.

Los Angeles has passed restrictions and reduced gun deaths over the years, but its ability to innovate could be hindered as long as the Supreme Court emphasizes "historical tradition" over the effectiveness of new regulations.

Before decriminalizing psychedelic substances for personal use, California should allow them for therapeutic use, argues the founder of a community clinic in San Francisco.

The recent squabble between Gov. Gavin Newsom and union leaders over unemployment insurance for striking workers renewed attention on the insolvent system that administers benefits.

California courts give low-income jurors $15 per day. As a result, people with financial hardships are excused, leading to juries that often fail to reflect local demographics. A bill on the governor's desk would expand a San Francisco pilot program and up the rate to $100 in four new counties.