WhatMatters

Two days before the fiscal year kicks off on Wednesday, state lawmakers today are poised to approve a budget agreement between Democratic legislative leaders and Gov. Gavin Newsom. Democrats say the plan — Newsom’s last as California governor — balances the state’s budget through 2028, and includes $351 billion in spending for 2026-27. This means […]

Seasoned Californians by now should be used to various bans on single-use plastics, like grocery bags, straws and food packaging, in an attempt by the state to curb environmental waste. But one proposal to ban single-use nicotine vapes ranks waste as a secondary concern. Instead, bill proponents argue that banning disposable electronic cigarettes — better […]

If at first you don’t succeed in your plan to build a new city from scratch, try again with a pair of the state Capitol’s best known dealmakers of this century. That’s essentially the new tactic a group of tech billionaires is using in its decade-long effort to turn an underdeveloped stretch of Solano County […]

The developer behind what would be California’s single-largest data center — a 1 million foot campus in the Imperial County desert — isn’t backing down as public opinion and local officials turn against him.  As CalMatters’ Deborah Brennan explains, Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing, LLC wants to build what it calls a “hyperscale facility” in Imperial […]

Which pricey ballot measures will dominate your algorithms and streaming ad breaks this fall? The one that would tax billionaires to prop up healthcare services? How about the one Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to again boost affordable housing?  Or the one where Uber was ready to go to war with trial attorneys? As CalMatters reporters […]

California’s slow vote count garnered national attention in the days following the June 2 primary — raising familiar questions about what can be done to speed up the tally. And while both state Democrats and Republicans say they would like results to be finalized faster, Democratic leaders aren’t likely to implement serious changes if it […]

Scheduling note: WhatMatters is taking Juneteenth off and will return to your inboxes Monday. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate for state workers to return to the office four days a week is back on, and many public employees are fighting to stop it with little time to spare. Dozens of them showed up at a Senate […]

As proponents of artificial intelligence insist that the AI future is inevitable, one California city is pushing back. It might not be the last. Earlier this month, residents in Los Angeles County’s Monterey Park overwhelmingly voted to permanently ban data centers in the city, becoming the first city in the U.S. to do so. The […]

Saying that he is “proud” to join the list of President Donald Trump’s political enemies, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday accused the U.S. Department of Justice of conducting a baseless investigation of the governor and first partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom. Newsom claims he’s in the crosshairs because he’s considering running for president.  As CalMatters reporters […]

The Legislature is expected to pass a state budget today to fulfill its state constitutional duty and to keep getting paid. But the final spending plan that will be approved by the start of the fiscal year on July 1 will almost certainly look different, as negotiations with Gov. Gavin Newsom continue. As CalMatters’ Yue […]