California Voices

Homelessness has plagued Gavin Newsom's political career ever since he was mayor of San Francisco. Under his governorship, it has continued haunting him.

A cosmetologist who relocated to Davis after a family tragedy spent six months trapped in state bureaucracy before she could legally resume her trade in California. A legislative fix could make it easier for others who relocate to California, she says, especially those without loved ones to provide cover.

Proponents of a ballot measure to limit tax increases claimed the California Supreme Court had political motives in a recent ruling that removed it from the ballot. A careful reading of the decision indicates otherwise.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom's very belated State of the State address sounded like a 2028 presidential campaign kickoff.

Indian Americans bear a special responsibility to educate neighbors and lawmakers in California, and to prevent Hindu nationalism from gaining a foothold, as a series of violent incidents and protests signal has found support.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders have struck a deal to close a budget deficit, but it was ultimately a self-inflicted crisis, and the budget remains unbalanced when the gimmicks and reserves are taken out.

In recent years, California lawmakers have targeted coastal protections that impede housing, leading to heated debate in the Capitol and elsewhere. A former attorney for the Coastal Commission says California's landmark Coastal Act has failed to deliver on what it envisioned.

Efforts to weaken California's coastal protections and ease housing development have generated fierce debate. It's created a false choice, argues the Santa Cruz mayor.

The California Supreme Court blocked a pending ballot measure that would have made it more difficult to raise taxes, adding another chapter the state's history of writing laws through the ballot.

What if California "prescribed" housing to homeless people? As the state seeks a Medicaid waiver to help unhoused patients find and pay for housing, writing a prescription for housing could soon be possible.