Economy
California’s employment safety net is still broken. Will anyone fix it?
Out-of-work residents fight new fraud battles. The system bleeds money. And a $1 billion technology overhaul marches on.
This embattled consumer agency went 2 years without a director. Newsom finally appointed one
CalMatters’ reporting found the Professional Fiduciaries Bureau hasn’t stopped conflicts prohibited by its own code of conduct.
CA’s privatized public defense leads to caseloads 3x the most basic standards, report finds
The report follows a CalMatters investigation highlighting problems with privatized public defense.
New bill would stop DMV from making millions off auctioned cars without telling the owners
The bill is inspired by a CalMatters story that revealed state law allows the DMV to collect money from towed cars in secret.
‘It’s time’: California leaders unveil biggest crackdown on drunk drivers in decades
A bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers has introduced 10 bills, an unprecedented package designed to stop deadly drivers.
Health
California birth centers are shutting down. A lawmaker has a new plan to help them
Birth centers are midwife-run facilities that deliver babies outside of hospitals. They have struggled to stay in business in part because of strict state licensing requirements.
Show Your Work
How we investigated California’s campaign finance watchdog
Despite inconsistencies and flaws in the Fair Political Practices Commission’s enforcement data, we found 15% of investigations took more than two years to resolve.
Health
After CalMatters investigation, Newsom signs law to shed light on maternity ward closures
More than 50 California hospitals stopped delivering babies in the past decade, limiting maternity care options in both rural and urban communities.
California Divide
10 years later, California may finally allow undocumented immigrants cell service subsidies
Advocates say the California Public Utilities Commission’s 10-year-old promise to make the state’s cell phone service subsidy program available to undocumented immigrants could be fulfilled in November.
Mental Health
California sent a mentally ill man to a state hospital. Then it charged him $760,000
California State Hospitals can bill patients for the care they receive during confinement. The charges often run in the tens of thousands of dollars, putting vulnerable people in debt for years.
Inside the Newsroom
CalMatters’ Digital Democracy makes a difference in the Legislature
CalMatters launched Digital Democracy in April, and its impact has rippled across the Legislature.
Higher Education
An obscure option could help Californians without high school diplomas pay for college — if it survives
Adults without high school diplomas can attend community college, but few of them receive financial aid, even when they’re eligible. A new proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian aims to fix that. But it may be too late.
Justice
We investigated California’s rehab for parolees. Now, the state is taking action
As the state moves to shrink its prison population, it hasn’t been measuring the effectiveness of a key parole program known as STOP, the Specialized Treatment for Optimized Programming.
Politics
Why California cities use your tax dollars to lobby the Legislature
Local governments account for about 10% of total spending on lobbying state lawmakers and agencies. Often, they’re seeking state money. Sometimes, they’re trying to get a say on specific bills.