California Democratic Party

WhatMatters

Legislative bloodbath as big bills die

Good morning, California. It’s Friday, May 21. Goodbye to all that Thursday was a brutal day in the state Legislature. Hundreds of bills met their demise or were watered down as lawmakers raced through an opaque process called the “suspense file,” a tool often used to euthanize proposals without having to cast a politically precarious […]

By Emily Hoeven • May 21, 2021

WhatMatters

How California makes millions off child support

Good morning, California. It’s Monday, May 3. Repaying public aid $18.4 billion. That’s how much California parents owe in overdue child support payments, but a staggering $6.8 billion of that debt is due to the government, not families — the result of the Golden State keeping an unusually large portion of payments for itself. No […]

By Emily Hoeven • May 3, 2021

Politics

Democratic leaders rally behind Newsom to fight recall, but how enthusiastic is the grassroots?

Democratic Party leaders unite behind a message that the recall is a desperate Republican plot that is bad for California. But will progressives and Latinos turn out to vote?

By Ben Christopher • May 1, 2021

Politics

California politicians owe $2 million in campaign fines, don’t get punished

A CalMatters analysis shows the state has a broken system to collect unpaid penalties for late campaign reports.

By Laurel Rosenhall • April 14, 2021

Commentary

Feinstein facing more questions about her future

Will California's senior senator, Dianne Feinstein, fill out her current term in the face of pressure to retire?

By Dan Walters • March 22, 2021

WhatMatters

Newsom launches anti-recall campaign

Good morning, California. It’s Tuesday, March 16. Democrats close ranks In a tacit acknowledgment that he will likely face a recall election this year, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday officially launched a campaign against the effort to remove him from office. The move came two days before the deadline for organizers to submit the final […]

By Emily Hoeven • March 16, 2021

Politics

Democrats have Newsom’s back as recall campaign ramps up

Gov. Newsom kicks off aggressive campaign to keep his job, blaming Trump and QAnon followers for recall effort.

By Laurel Rosenhall • March 16, 2021

Politics

How California’s recall rules could spell trouble for Gavin Newsom

In a recall election, Gov. Newsom could get more votes than his replacement — and still lose his job.

By Ben Christopher • March 8, 2021

Politics

Who has the power to reopen California classrooms?

Amid a confusing tangle of power, it’s hard to figure out who’s responsible for whether California kids will get back in their classrooms. Let's sort that out.

By Laurel Rosenhall • February 26, 2021

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