Anthony Rendon

Members of the California Nurses Association and supporters rally at the State Capitol calling for a single-payer health plan on June 28, 2017, in Sacramento. When running for governor in 2018, Gavin Newsom vowed to implement single payer healthcare and the pressure is mounting to make good on that promise. Photo by Rich Pedroncelli, AP Photo

Politics

The squeeze is on: Amid recall threat, Newsom faces single-payer dilemma

Gavin Newsom campaigned for governor promising single-payer health care in California. Three years later, is he ready to risk it?

By

Ben Christopher

• February 19, 2021

WhatMatters

Inside Newsom’s $4.5 billion economic recovery plan: Clean vehicles a top priority

Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday unveiled a $4.5 billion plan for business and job recovery, dedicating one-third of the funding to eliminating new gas-powered cars by 2035. The plan offers a glimpse into Newsom’s priorities for the 2021-22 budget, which will be released in full on Friday, kicking off months of negotiations with the Legislature. […]

By

Emily Hoeven

• January 6, 2021

Matt Hoffman pets his Saint Bernard Jackson while on hold with Bank of America at his girlfriend’s house in Escalon on Nov. 13, 2020. Hoffman, who has been unemployed since suffering a stroke last year, has been unable to access his benefits since July. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Economy

California may change how unemployment gets paid

Could jobless Californians soon receive benefits by direct deposit? State legislators are considering reforms and asking Bank of America for answers following a CalMatters investigation into payment problems impacting more than 350,000 unemployment debit cards.

By

Lauren Hepler

• November 25, 2020

WhatMatters

California’s $26B surplus raises tough choices

Good morning, California. It’s Thursday, November 19. Spend or save? Even with a rosier-than-expected budget forecast, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers have some hard choices ahead of them. Wealthy Californians who made financial gains amid the pandemic and a booming stock market helped the state reap $26 billion in one-time surplus funds, according to […]

By

Emily Hoeven

• November 19, 2020

California expects a surprising windfall even amid the pandemic, but the long-term prospects are more bleak. A scale shows a map of California on one side and money on the other. Illustration by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters; iStock

Economy

Not dire, for now: California expects $26 billion windfall despite pandemic

Though the pandemic-induced recession hasn’t been as bad as expected, it is hitting the most vulnerable Californians hardest.

By

Laurel Rosenhall

• November 18, 2020

California espera una ganancia inesperada incluso en medio de la pandemia, pero las perspectivas a largo plazo son más sombrías. Ilustración de Anne Wernikoff para CalMatters; iStock

CalMatters en Español

No es terrible, por ahora: California espera $26 mil millones de ganancias inesperadas a pesar de la pandemia

Aunque la recesión inducida por la pandemia no ha sido tan mala como se esperaba, está afectando más a los californianos más vulnerables.

By

Laurel Rosenhall

• November 18, 2020

Gov. Gavin Newsom at a press conference in the state capitol following the first COVID-19 death in California. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

WhatMatters

California’s big budget bet fizzles out — will Newsom support new taxes?

Well, it doesn’t look as though California’s big bet on a federal stimulus package that would allow the state to reverse $11 billion in budget cuts is likely to pay off. In a Tuesday tweet that sent shock waves through Wall Street, President Donald Trump announced he was ending negotiations on a coronavirus relief package […]

By

Emily Hoeven

• October 7, 2020

A finger points at a bullseye taped over the official portrait of Democratic Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer

Elections

In attack ad, California prison guards put bullseye on legislator

Maybe you saw the video on Facebook before it was deleted: Glen Stailey, president of the state prison guards’ union, rails against “failed public safety policies” and “cheap political points” and announces that “it is time to bring accountability back to the state Capitol.” Cut to a shot of the union president, with a horseshoe […]

By

Ben Christopher

• September 17, 2020

A multi-family home in Oakland on Sept. 2, 2020. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Politics

Democratic squabbling doomed California’s ‘Year of housing production.’ What will happen in 2021?

Despite entering 2020 with the governor and many legislators pushing for an increase in housing production, none of the bills put forth went into effect. The coronavirus pandemic has also put prospects for such bills in 2021 in doubt.

By

Matt Levin

• September 11, 2020

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks poses with her newborn baby on the assembly floor as Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris snaps a photo with her phone on Aug. 31, 2020. Photo by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters

Housing

Podcast: Buffy Wicks on the eviction deal and the duplex debacle

On this episode of "Gimme Shelter: The California Housing Crisis Podcast", CalMatters' Matt Levin and the Los Angeles Times' Liam Dillon interview Wicks on the bizarre duplex debacle, the state's emergency eviction protections, and her newfound fame.

By

Matt Levin

• September 8, 2020