From CalMatters Digital Democracy reporter Ryan Sabalow:
I had a routine lawmaker profile story in mind — not an investigation — when I went to interview Assemblymember Mike Gipson in his state Capitol office earlier this month in Sacramento.
I knew that the Gardena Democrat was a former law enforcement officer whose family had suffered through the unsolved hit-and-run death of their 3-year-old child. I was intrigued when CalMatters’ Digital Democracy system flagged as a possible story a bill that Gipson had authored to give families of murder victims more power to pressure police agencies to review stalled “cold-case” investigations.
It seemed like a good opportunity to let readers know about Gipson, who for years has been a Democratic leader in efforts to reform California’s police agencies. In the interview, he told me something I didn’t know: His partner, John Hoglund, had been killed in the line of duty. I was intrigued to do more research about the 1992 murder when I got back to my desk.
But things started to not add up when I went to fact-check what Gipson told me. He said he was an officer for 5 ½ years, but his police employment record I obtained from the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training only showed he worked as a reserve officer at the Maywood Police Department for 18 months.
I also didn’t see Gipson’s name mentioned in archival news accounts from 1992 that described Hoglund’s murder, his funeral or the murderer’s court appearances. And I couldn’t find Gipson among those who went online to share memories and grief on Hoglund’s remembrance page for fallen officers. That struck me as odd, because I assumed, as I think most people would, that Gipson had a close relationship with the man he described as his “partner.”
The reporting that followed led to today’s accountability story that sheds fresh light on the claims Gipson has made about his police service over the years.
CalMatters events: Join us April 16 for “How are the kids? A dive into what’s stressing young Californians and the state’s plan to help.” This half-day symposium in downtown Los Angeles will examine youth mental health issues and includes lunch. Register today.
Other Stories You Should Know
UC walks a tightrope with Trump
As President Donald Trump and his administration issue a flurry of executive actions and directives to reduce campus research funding, crack down on undocumented immigrants and rein in diversity efforts, the University of California must walk a thin tightrope between the federal policies it decides to aggressively oppose and ones that receive a more measured approach, writes CalMatters’ Mikhail Zinshteyn.
In February the administration planned to enact a policy capping funds that the federal National Institutes of Health provides universities for scientific research. The UC receives more than $2 billion in grants from the institutes and has been pushing back against the plan. Its Office of the President joined one lawsuit and the system endorsed another filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta to block the cap.
But on other issues, the university appears more muted or even compliant. While it publicly states that it supports diversity and immigrant students regardless of their legal status, it recently eliminated its diversity statement requirement for prospective faculty members.
Uber, Lyft could still be on the hook for back pay
With a potential payout worth upwards of $1 billion, Uber and Lyft drivers rallied Wednesday in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego to highlight a longstanding wage-theft lawsuit against the rideshare companies.
As CalMatters’ Levi Sumagaysay explains, the lawsuit seeks back pay for drivers who worked for the companies from 2016 to 2020. It alleges that under a retroactive law that took effect in 2020, drivers were to be considered employees and entitled to minimum wage and other benefits.
Uber and Lyft never complied with the law, and instead poured record-breaking amounts of money at the time to successfully persuade voters to pass Proposition 22 in November 2020. That measure allowed the companies to continue classifying drivers as independent contractors who would receive some benefits, but not full employment rights.
The lawsuit seeks to hold Uber and Lyft accountable for the time before Prop. 22 kicked in. Rideshare Drivers United, a gig workers group, estimates that drivers who filed claims are owed at least $1.3 billion.
Public agencies are now in negotiations to potentially settle the suit, court documents show, with Lyft’s next mediation session scheduled for April 8. If no settlement is reached, the case then goes to trial, which would likely begin in 2026.
California Voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: State lawmakers’ focus on school ‘culture wars’ underscores their lack of interest over a real crisis: California schools’ shamefully low levels of academic achievement.
Reader reaction: Homeless shelters provide safety and basic necessities, and stats like ‘rate-of-housing’ diminish what makes a shelter truly invaluable, writes P. W. Robinson, an advocate and formerly unhoused person.
Other things worth your time:
Democrats target four CA GOP congress members in effort to retake House // Los Angeles Times
CA signs $189M contract with company that recorded calls between inmates and attorneys // San Francisco Chronicle
Can CA finally crack down on ‘swatting’ calls? // Los Angeles Times
How COVID’s mental health toll transformed CA’s schools // EdSource
San Mateo County measles case highlights risk for unvaccinated, expert says // KQED
Lawsuit blames downed power lines as second ignition point in Palisades Fire // The Orange County Register
LA County DA allows prosecutors to seek death penalty again // The Guardian
Kaiser mental health workers strike nears its six-month mark // The San Diego Union-Tribune
Beverly Hills seeks $400K in legal fees from abortion provider blocked from opening // Los Angeles Times
