Gavin Newsom

Charter school supporters may be an effective counterbalance to the prevailing influence public-employee unions have long exerted on Democratic politics in California. But the billions in campaign donations by pro-charter tycoons also points to the outsized sway personal wealth can have on elections.

The top candidates hoping to be the next governor of California all agree on this: The state is failing those who suffer from mental illness. Watch to see how they say they'll fix the state’s broken mental health system.

Good morning, California. “Pesticides classified as human carcinogens or likely human carcinogens were applied to nearly 9.2 million acres statewide in 2016. That’s more acreage than the entire land area of each of nine states.” – Fairwarning.org. Gretchen Carlson stumps in Sacramento. Will it help? Gretchen Carlson speaks at a press conference held by Assemblywoman […]

Good morning, California. “Has he endorsed her? No. No one on our team knew these were going out,” Dana Williamson, consultant to Gov. Jerry Brown, said of Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia’s campaign mailers suggesting Brown endorsed the Bell Gardens Democrat. Garcia is running for reelection, but is on leave pending an investigation into sexual harassment allegations against […]

On stage for 90 minutes tonight in San Jose, the top six contenders to be California’s next governor echoed existing positions, with no one managing to score a breakout moment or strike a fatal blow. And there isn’t much time left. California’s “top two” primary on June 5 will weed out all but the first […]

Good Monday morning, California. “He then slowly inhaled the Pineapple Thai. It was the first time he’d had cannabis, he said, since 1979. ‘Somebody said I’m overdue,’ he laughed.” — Leafly, quoting Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer at his West Hollywood fundraiser last week. The Los Angeles Democrat chairs the Assembly Public Safety Committee, which hears bills […]

Good morning, California. House Speaker Paul Ryan may not care about California potholes and doesn’t have to pay the new gas tax for road repairs. But the Wisconsin Republican has given $50,000 to a proposed initiative to repeal the new 12-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax, evidently believing it will draw Republicans to the polls in November and […]

Cannabis companies are hiring well-heeled lobbyists and donating money to politicians.

Good morning, California. “Employers will ignore  it at their peril,” Teamster lobbyist Barry Broad said of Monday’s unanimous California Supreme Court decision in Dynamex Operations West. The ruling could upend the gig economy by requiring that employers treat many more workers as employees, not independent contractors. Broad: “A lot of labor representatives are elated.” A drop-out, […]