In summary

Highlighting all of CALmatters’ work over the past week

Recent Articles

For ‘hard-to-count’ California, 2020 census poses huge challenges and carries big stakes

By Martha Groves

Will the Trump administration be allowed to add a question about citizenship to the 2020 U.S. Census? If so, experts say, California could lose big.

As Trump rolls back student loan protections, an Obama-era watchdog brings the fight to California

By Felicia Mello

With student debt soaring, consumer champion Seth Frotman has taken his federal fight against predatory lending to the state level in California.

Send us your questions about college affordability

By Felicia Mello

What do you want to know about the cost of college? Send us a video.

Law enforcement backs down on deadly force standard—for now, anyway

By Laurel Rosenhall

Last-minute changes to a law enforcement-backed bill shift the political landscape in California’s debate over how to curb police shootings.

California’s war on plastic pollution targets tiny hotel toiletries

By Elizabeth Castillo

A California bill would force hotels to rid rooms of single-use, sample-sized plastic bottles of free shampoo, conditioner, lotion and other toiletries.

California’s hottest housing bill moves ahead—with a break for smaller counties

By Matt Levin

A controversial bill that would force California cities to allow denser housing around public transit cleared a major hurdle, but only after its sponsor agreed to go easier on smaller-sized counties.

State rent-gouging bill advances, but still no action on tighter rent control

By Matt Levin

A bill aimed at protecting California tenants from “egregious” rent hikes cleared a key hurdle in the state Legislature less than 24 hours after pro-tenant groups learned their latest try to expand tighter rent controls throughout California is flailing in the Capitol.

Universal preschool bills advance, and it’s more than just baby steps

By Ricardo Cano

Legislation that would significantly expand California’s subsidized preschool program cleared its first committee hearing this week, leaving early childhood education advocates increasingly optimistic that at least the first phase of their long-sought effort will cross the finish line this year.

Graying California: Profiles of aging in the Golden State

By California Dream Project

California is getting grayer. Over the next two decades, as more Baby Boomers reach retirement age, the state’s senior population will double. We profile California seniors and look at how their experiences have been shaped by, and will continue to shape, the California Dream.

California opinions on charter schools are divided—and more complex than portrayed

By Ricardo Cano

California voters are just as divided as their elected officials on the charter school issue, and maybe more so, a new PPIC survey on education shows.

Commentary

California faces a sexually transmitted disease crisis. Why aren’t we confronting it?

By Dr. Jeffrey Klausner, MD, MPH

Failure to respond to California’s sexually transmitted disease crisis will have serious and direct health consequences for Californians, ranging from infertility and blindness at the individual level to facilitating the development of multi-drug resistant and untreatable gonorrhea infections similar to cases already occurring outside the United States. If Californians don’t demand urgent action to stop this crisis in its tracks, we will doom the current generation of young adults to a legacy of ill health they did not deserve.

Can we protect kids from becoming zombies?

By Dan Walters

The Legislature has another chance to protect adolescents from too-early school start times. Former Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed a bill setting 8:30 a.m. as the earliest class time in most instances, but it’s back this year and opponents are trying to keep it from reaching Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.

Why is our ‘achievement gap’ so stubborn?

By Dan Walters

California’s “achievement gap” in its K-12 schools has persisted, despite spending many billions of dollars to close it. Two new proposals, a state audit and a system to track students’ achievement, may tell us why the gap has been so stubbornly wide.

The best way to help our homeless neighbors is to find them shelter ASAP

By Holly J. Mitchell

While the housing first model does not require sobriety, it clearly encourages sobriety. It has been shown that people who voluntarily sign up for supportive services are more likely to discontinue substance use, participate in job training programs and attend school.

School spending popular, taxes not so much

By Dan Walters

New poll says voters want to raise school spending but are leery about taxing themselves to do it.

California must provide workers with flexibility

By Shannon Grove

Our economy and workforce are transforming, especially in California. We cannot restrict workplace flexibility with bad court rulings, such as Dynamex Operations West, Inc. v. Superior Court of Los Angeles. Instead, we need to ensure Californians have the opportunity to choose the terms on which they work.

Can Newsom finally fix state’s tech woes?

By Dan Walters

Despite California’s status as a technological innovator, its state government has seen failure after failure in implementing information technology. Gov. Gavin Newsom is promising to fix this chronic problem.

California needs lawyers who reflect its diversity

By Leah T. Wilson

California needs lawyers who reflect the state’s rich diversity. Recognizing the importance of this, lawmakers recently amended the State Bar’s public protection mission to include the furthering of diversity and inclusion in the profession. Admittedly, we have a long way to go.

When oil industry supports legislators, air quality suffers

By Kathryn Phillips

One would expect to see growing devotion by the Democratic-led California Legislature to do more to help Californians access electric cars and cut pollution from delivery trucks. Instead, the California Assembly, specifically its transportation committee, has been the graveyard for legislation designed to help advance zero-emission vehicles.

Newsom offers a new approach to California’s water issues

By Don Nottoli and Bill Dodd

The impacts of a single tunnel are unknown absent further study. No details exist about the size, location, cost, construction timetable or how at single tunnel might operate. What is clear is that a conveyance-only plan is not a viable, sustainable solution for Northern and Southern California.

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