Abortion

Researchers predicted that as many as 9,400 people would seek out Los Angeles County for abortion care after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. No such rush has materialized, but the pro-choice consensus among L.A. leaders will establish the city as the nation's largest safe haven.

Legislators, advocates, policy nerds and reporters (including my CalMatters colleague Sameea Kamal) waited all weekend, but the big announcement of a budget deal between Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders never came. Instead, with time running short, bills were put in print that reflect some of the negotiations, even without an overall agreement. Leaders in […]

California legislators have passed a slew of laws to protect abortion rights. But after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, many fear attempting to regulate “crisis pregnancy centers” is legally risky.

Scheduling note: WhatMatters will observe the Juneteenth holiday on Monday and be back in your inboxes on Tuesday. From CalMatters politics reporter Alexei Koseff: As legislative leaders continue to negotiate a budget deal with Gov. Gavin Newsom ahead of the start of the fiscal year on July 1, expansive “trailer bills” proposed by the governor […]

In their twice-a-year exercise, legislators killed hundreds of California bills in the process known as the suspense file. They included ones on abortion access, climate and homelessness. The state budget deficit also made an impact.

California utility companies are working on a controversial pricing structure that would bill households a different fixed charge depending on their income — but the idea is catching heat from Republicans who argue it will hurt low-income families. As you may have already noticed on your own bill, monthly electric bills come with a few […]

The court decision preserves the FDA's approval of the abortion pill mifepristone until a lower federal court hears the case. California legislators and officials vow to protect abortion rights no matter the final outcome of the case.

From CalMatters’ health reporter Kristen Hwang and political reporter Alexei Koseff: Gov. Gavin Newsom and a cadre of Democratic lawmakers want to be clear: They will protect medication abortion in California no matter what the U.S. Supreme Court decides on the issue — they’re just not entirely sure how. In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, […]

From CalMatters’ health reporter Kristen Hwang: Doctors and patients in California can rest assured that the abortion pill mifepristone is legal to prescribe and take — for now.  Late Wednesday, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the most significant part of U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling last week out of Texas that the […]

In response to calls for greater police accountability, California passed laws to make police misconduct records more accessible to the public and placed the state Attorney General’s office in charge of investigating police killings of unarmed civilians. Following the 2018 Sacramento police shooting of Stephon Clark, who was unarmed, lawmakers now require law enforcement agencies […]