About 15 years ago, the former prison towns of Blythe and Susanville were getting by relatively well. Many of towns’ residents were steadily employed by the state, and their good wages and benefits helped fuel the local, albeit isolated, economies.
But after changes in California’s criminal sentencing laws led to fewer people being incarcerated — which then led to prison closures — these towns are struggling to survive, writes CalMatters’ Nigel Duara.
Gov. Gavin Newsom moved to close five prisons so far, including a facility in Norco scheduled to shut in October. The Legislature this year also passed a budget calling for the shutdown of at least one more prison, which could save the state about $150 million a year, although that directive did not become law.
In Blythe, the governor in 2022 ordered its Chuckwalla Valley State Prison to close. By then the small desert city near the Arizona border was already in decline: Its population was falling as people fled to Phoenix or the Coachella Valley, and a county investigation earlier that year found that the city couldn’t pay its bills.
The city lobbied state legislators and Newsom for some kind of economic rescue, but nothing has yet materialized.
- Blythe Mayor Joseph DeConinck: “Be honest with you, I don’t think they give a shit. We still haven’t got nothing from the state. I hate to say it, but Blythe’s in the middle of nowhere, we’re the furthest from Sacramento … we’re only a few votes out here.”
Susanville, located in the Lassen National Forest, is also on the brink of collapse. After the announcement of its prison closure in 2021, people put their houses on the market and left town, said Mayor Mendy Schuster. Its population fell from about 16,000 in 2021 to 14,000 in 2024.
- Dan Newton, Susanville’s former city manager: “We’re heading toward insolvency.”
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Other Stories You Should Know
Progressive insurance, literally
In the race for California insurance commissioner, the more progressive ideas of former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim appear to be resonating with voters who are eager for change, reports CalMatters’ Levi Sumagaysay.
Kim wants to establish state-run natural disaster insurance for all, and expand low-cost auto insurance to all California drivers. These proposals align with well-known progressive policies, such as Medicare for All, and are striking a chord with many Californians: Kim, afterall, received the most votes in the June primary.
Kim’s opponent, state Sen. Ben Allen of El Segundo, came in second. Though some of his supporters say Allen is also progressive, he is seen as the more traditional candidate and secured an endorsement by the Democratic Party.
- Shauhin Talesh, UC Irvine law professor: “(Kim and Allen are) a microcosm of the fracture going on in the Democratic Party across the country. They both think insurance companies should be regulated. The question: How aggressively should California intervene and what role should the government claim?”
Meta trial kicks off in Oakland
The trial between Meta and dozens of states, including California, kicks off today in a federal court in Oakland.
The tech giant faces accusations that it purposely designed its social media platforms to be addictive to young users. If it loses, it could pay as much as $1.4 trillion in financial damages and be forced to change how its platforms operate.
States filed the lawsuit in 2023, claiming that Meta designed Facebook and Instagram to target children, despite knowing the damage they could inflict on users’ mental well being. They also allege that Meta collected the data of users ages 13 and under, in violation of state and federal laws.
- Rob Bonta, California’s attorney general, in a statement, “Exploiting our most vulnerable residents to boost corporate profits is not only morally wrong, it’s also illegal. … As the home of great innovators and Silicon Valley, California has a particular opportunity and obligation to be a catalyst for change.”
Meta says this lawsuit, and the others it is facing over teen users, “misportray” the company, and that it has “listened to parents, researched the issues … and made real changes to protect teens online.”
And lastly: Funding cut for free learning materials
California lawmakers cut funding for a free database giving K-12 schools access to research and curriculum materials, including resources such as Britannica, PBS videos and scientific journals. CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones and video strategy director Robert Meeks have a video segment on the widely used program, as part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. Watch it here.
SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. Fridays on PBS SoCal.
California Voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: This year’s election includes congressional races in California and propositions that could have national political implications.
Two views on Proposition 3, a ballot measure to make income taxes on higher earners permanent to fund education and healthcare:
Without this measure, programs like free school lunches could be on the chopping block, students could see larger class sizes and families’ healthcare could be at risk, writes Starr Avila, cafeteria manager at Jurupa Valley High School.
Prop. 3 would permanently extend yet another tax hike formerly touted as temporary, and deepen California’s reliance on taxes paid by high-income earners, writes Robert Gutierrez, president of the California Taxpayers Association.
Other things worth your time:
State Farm defense lawyers admit AI generated fake cases in LA lawsuit // CalMatters (free)
CA backtracks on good-government policies in divided Trump era // Los Angeles Times (paywall)
Republicans won the redistricting competition. Don’t tell that to this CA congressman // AP News (free)
CA groups have a new way to get Newsom’s attention: Bash him in swing states // San Francisco Chronicle (gift link)
Newsom promotes affordable insulin, but CA’s generic label off to a slow start // KFF Health News (free)
New CA law requires AI companies to publish detection tools. Are they complying? // KQED (free)
Election denier to be hired as elections consultant in Shasta County // The Guardian (free)
