Commentary

Two people in suits stand face-to-face on a stage in front of a crowd holding signs supporting voting rights and democracy. A podium sign in the foreground reads “Election Rigging Response Act.”

Newsom handpicked a generation of California politicians. Can they help him run for president?

An entire generation of California elected officials owe their current jobs and their political prospects to Gavin Newsom.

By Robert Greene

A person stands at a podium smiling while speaking to a crowd, with large teal campaign signage in the background reading “Becerra for Governor.” Four other people stand on the left side of stage as they look towards the speaker.

If California’s race for governor is a stress test for democracy, it’s failing

The top-two primary system can produce chaos and disengaged voters. This year’s picks for governor are coming from a small share of voters.

By Daniel Wolf

A person smiles and applauds while standing in front of a large blue-and-yellow campaign sign. They wear a floral-patterned outer layer over dark clothing and are photographed outdoors in daylight.

Pratt out, Raman in: What Los Angeles voters can now expect in the mayoral race

Nithya Raman's success at making the runoff in the L.A. mayor's race means Karen Bass will need to answer difficult questions about high living costs and public safety.

By Jim Newton

Nancy Wiles holds her eviction notice on Dec. 4, 2023. Photo by Manuel Orbegozo for CalMatters

California treats homelessness spending as action. That’s not a measure of success

California understands the pathway into homelessness. What the state still lacks is a coordinated system designed to interrupt it before families lose housing.

By Tangela Babbitt

MacLemore Porter, whose father died of COVID, poses for a photo in her backyard in Bakersfield on June 22, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Commentary

California foster youth and COVID orphans gaining a sense of hope from trust fund program

A California program providing trust funds, or "baby bonds," for foster youth and COVID orphans is giving traumatized young people a chance to pursue their dreams just like everyone else.

By Celestina Ramirez • January 30, 2024

An Electrify America charging station in the parking lot of a center in Fresno on Jan. 29, 2024. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Commentary

California’s catalog of dysfunctional programs has a couple of new entries

California has amassed a catalog of programs and projects that fail to deliver as promised. The list of dysfunctional efforts has a couple of new entries.

By Dan Walters • January 30, 2024

Commentary

The collapse of California’s news industry is so severe it’ll require taxpayer support to rebuild

The collapse of local news is so severe that it'll require public dollars and other policies to rebuild. A combination of tax credits, revenue sharing and coupons in markets like Los Angeles could bring stability.

By Steven Waldman • January 26, 2024

María Dolores Díaz keeps a bowl in the sink while she washes her hands to save water on Aug. 8, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela, CalMatters/CatchLight Local

Commentary

California regulators want to spend billions to reduce a fraction of water usage

Household use is a tiny fraction of California's overall water supply, but the state wants to spend billions of dollars to make a tiny reduction in that already infinitesimal bit of water consumption.

By Dan Walters • January 26, 2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses the media during a press conference unveiling his 2024-25 January budget proposal at the Secretary of State Auditorium in Sacramento on Jan. 10, 2025. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Commentary

Newsom budgets have a lousy track record forecasting California’s tax revenues

The revenue estimates in Gov. Gavin Newsom's recent budgets have been off by as much as $17 billion, fueling skepticism about his outlook on the state's financial reality.

By Dan Walters • January 25, 2024

Children play in a pee-wee football game during halftime of a preseason NFL football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Dallas Cowboys in Los Angeles on Aug. 13, 2016. Photo by Ryan Kang, AP Photo

Reader Reactions

Why California shouldn’t give up on the youth tackle football ban

As California lawmakers back off a controversial bill that would restrict youth football, a safety advocate who lost his son to suicide says state leaders should reconsider.

By Bruce Parkman • January 24, 2024

Commentary

U.S. Senate debate raises key question: Will Republican Steve Garvey advance to November?

The four leading candidates for California's U.S. Senate race had their first debate Monday night. The question it raised is whether Republican Steve Garvey can finish second in the March primary to win a spot on the November ballot.

By Dan Walters • January 23, 2024

Two people in the foreground observe a large poster titled "OK, Computer," featuring an illustration of a human and a green-skinned humanoid figure with exposed circuitry staring intently at each other. The humanoid has a device attached to its head, suggesting a connection to artificial intelligence. The text on the poster references the AI revolution and Silicon Valley’s latest technological advancements. The image is framed in a dimly lit setting, with the focus on the futuristic artwork.

Commentary

How long will California lawmakers let tech companies make them look like fools?

Lawmakers in California and elsewhere can no longer take the tech industry’s word when their armies of lobbyists make the case that they police themselves and shouldn’t be held accountable. The basis for that trust is nonexistent.

By Casey Mock • January 23, 2024

A voter casts their ballot at a voting site at the California Museum in downtown Sacramento on June 7, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Commentary

California’s unique employee lawsuit law could be repealed if ballot measure passes

The Private Attorneys General Act is a unique California law making it easier for employees to sue their bosses. For two decades, it's been the subject of political and legal infighting but a pending ballot measure would decide its fate.

By Dan Walters • January 23, 2024

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to the media after announcing the state's plan to address homelessness across the state at Cal Expo in Sacramento, on March 16, 2023. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

Commentary

Journalism preservation bill gives California newsrooms much-needed leverage over Big Tech

News publishers in California are divided over proposed legislation that would require tech giants to set aside money for newsrooms. A journalism expert says Assembly Bill 886 would finally force Big Tech to the bargaining table.

By Courtney C. Radsch • January 22, 2024

California Voices

Viewpoints from across California