WhatMatters

In the aftermath of the deadly January Los Angeles County wildfires, Gov. Gavin Newsom traveled to L.A. and Washington, D.C. to lobby President Donald Trump and members of Congress for federal aid.  But three months later, Congress has yet to move on Newsom’s $40 billion request, reports CalMatters’ Alexei Koseff. Meanwhile, frustrations from Democratic voters […]

One of the fiercest legislative fights of 2019 was over a bill limiting the amount that many California landlords can hike rent. Six years later, legislators were back at it again as the Assembly’s housing committee took up a bill Thursday, authored by Democratic Assemblymember Ash Kalra of San Jose, which would:  If crowd size […]

As California moves to sue President Donald Trump’s administration over tariffs, Californians working in the state’s wine, agricultural and port industries must navigate a murky economic outlook that could upend their livelihoods, writes CalMatters’ Levi Sumagaysay. Igor Ivanov owns the Vinous Reverie wine shop in Walnut Creek. Because it sells mostly wines from Europe — […]

A CalMatters investigation of facilities emitting methyl bromide in Los Angeles County has found that local air quality officials won’t be monitoring the air or taking any immediate steps to protect people in nearby homes and schools. As Alejandra Reyes-Velarde explains, methyl bromide is a highly toxic gas used to kill pests on imported produce. […]

Special education advocates and educators in California are raising red flags over President Donald Trump’s dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education and how it would affect some of California’s most vulnerable students. As CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones explains, nearly 800,000 K-12 California students, or 14%, are enrolled in special education. Last year the state spent […]

By the end of last summer, CalMatters data reporter Jeremia Kimelman recognized that 2024 was on its way to break lobbying spending records in California. With the year concluded and recent data filed with the secretary state, lobbying groups indeed spent an unrivaled amount of money in 2024 to influence state government: $540 million, or […]

It was supposed to be a trial that would be closely watched by California homelessness advocates, public defenders and legal experts. But instead, the case was thrown out by the judge — leaving some stakeholders wondering whether it makes sense to arrest homeless people at all. As CalMatters’ Marisa Kendall explains, following a U.S. Supreme […]

Join CalMatters on April 24 for a conversation on how to solve California’s housing and homeless crisis. Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, California Secretary of Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency Tomiquia Moss and Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson will join the discussion. Register today to attend online or in person at the […]

Shortly after deadly wildfires ignited in Los Angeles County in January, California lawmakers introduced bills to stiffen penalties for arson and other related crimes. One contentious measure — which had the backing of nearly every environmental organization in California — also sought to hold oil companies accountable for wildfires and climate disasters. The bill failed […]

Before adjourning for Spring Recess last week, the state Senate and Assembly appropriations committees moved a total of 115 bills onto their “suspense files.” What follows is a rather opaque process that could end with roughly a third of those bills killed — away from public view and with little to no debate. As CalMatters’ […]