Capitol

The state auditor confirms that severe understaffing, poor training and other problems at the Labor Commissioner’s office are causing long delays in wage theft investigations.

Facing a deadline next month, top Democrats release their counter proposal to Gov. Newsom's May budget plan. They push back on some cuts that Newsom is seeking.

A group trying to force an election to kick the Fremont Democrat out of office didn’t submit the necessary signatures in time. It and the Secretary of State’s office dispute what went wrong.

More than $114 million was spent to lobby California state government in the first quarter of this year, about the same amount as last year when advocates set a record for spending on influence efforts.

State lawmakers often don’t know how well a program is working before deciding whether to cut or increase spending. Instead, they hear from advocates, interest groups and sometimes the public. Key budget hearings ramp up this week.

The state's multibillion-dollar shortfall shapes which spending bills survived the 'suspense file' hearings by the Assembly and Senate appropriations committees.

After a tragedy 25 years ago, state lawmakers and the California Highway Patrol acted to make farmworkers’ commutes safer. But workers still die in crashes — in vans the law doesn’t cover.

Los Angeles County recently declared the anniversary of the Fall of Saigon “Jane Fonda Day,” outraging California’s Vietnamese-American lawmakers. They’re glad the county is reconsidering the controversial decision.

Gov. Gavin Newsom is recommending small cuts to the state prison system, avoiding the closures of additional facilities.

Gavin Newsom proposes a mix of spending cuts and using reserves to balance the state budget. He says that core services will be largely untouched, but some existing programs would be affected.