If you want to see two diametrically opposed views of what California lawmakers have done and should be doing or not doing, look no further than a new poll and a new legislative scorecard. On one hand, a survey out Monday from the National Federation of Independent Business found that overwhelming majorities of California small […]
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Posted inNewsletters
A county without a hospital
Up until this month, Madera County — with a population of more than 150,000 spread out across 2,000 square miles of Central Valley farmland and sparse Sierra — had a single general hospital. Then, on Jan. 3, it closed its doors for good. As CalMatters health reporter Ana B. Ibarra and California Divide reporter Nicole […]
Posted inWhatMatters
How will California handle the youth fentanyl overdose crisis?
Expect a lot of debate over how California should respond to the state’s mounting fentanyl epidemic when state lawmakers return to Sacramento early next year. Bills dealing with the super-powerful synthetic opioid are already piling up, many of them focused on youth in the wake of a stunning analysis that found fentanyl was responsible for […]
Posted inCommentary
U.S. Supreme Court gives business a ‘tort wars’ win
The term “tort wars” is shorthand for the perennial battles in the Legislature and other venues over the rules governing personal injury lawsuits and the U.S. Supreme Court has given business interests a partial win.
Posted inWhatMatters
Get ready for another gas tax increase
July 1 is shaping up to be a big day for California. That’s when the Golden State’s sky-high gas prices are set to tick up even more due to a scheduled increase to the excise tax rate, which will tack nearly 3 cents per gallon onto prices at the pump. On Wednesday, drivers were already […]
Posted inCalifornia Divide
California may give fast food workers power to bargain with their industry
Push to pass a labor-sponsored bill is a key ‘Fight for $15’ priority and a potential organizing foothold in an industry where unionization has long been elusive.
Posted inWhatMatters
A thirsty state
So it begins. More than 6 million water users (that is, humans) across Southern California woke up on Wednesday to find themselves under new drought restrictions. If you’ve been following the numbers, none of this should be surprising: As CalMatters’ tracker shows, California has been in a drought for 843 days In March, the State […]
Posted inCalMatters en Español
Guerra de dinero:grupos de intereses gastan mucho en las elecciones primarias de California
En resumen Los comités de gastos independientes financiados por grupos de intereses especiales están gastando millones de dólares para hacer sus selecciones en las elecciones primarias de California. En algunas contiendas, claramente apoyan o se oponen a los candidatos. En otras, la estrategia es más complicada. Read this article in English. Si no lo ha notado, […]
Posted inPolitics
Money wars: Special interests spend big in California primary
Independent expenditure committees funded by special interest groups are spending millions of dollars to make their picks in the California primary. In some races, they are clearly supporting or opposing candidates. In others, the strategy is more complicated.
Posted inWhatMatters
Inside one of the Capitol’s most secretive processes
There wasn’t a lot of light on what state lawmakers got up to on Thursday — literally. First, there was the power outage that swept across downtown Sacramento, delaying the start of the Assembly and Senate’s floor sessions. But it would have been understandable if you were left in the dark even after the electricity […]