California Governor

Environment

Newsom declares drought emergency across California

Gov. Newsom expands the California drought emergency from 50 counties to statewide, but does not order mandatory water conservation. He did authorize water regulators to ban wasteful water use, such as spraying down public sidewalks.

By Rachel Becker • October 19, 2021

Politics

Newsom’s vetoes: Why did the governor block California bills?

Gov. Newsom had his reasons for blocking California bills passed by the Legislature: cost, duplication and some politics. Overall, he signed 770 bills into law and vetoed 66, or about 8%.

By Laurel Rosenhall • October 12, 2021

Politics

Is this the year the California Legislature closes the digital divide?

Lawmakers have more money and political will, but the telecommunications industry could still stand in the way of broadband for all Californians.

By Ben Christopher • April 29, 2021

Environment

Up in smoke: Burns in San Joaquin Valley vineyards, orchards may finally end

California’s air board will vote this week on stopping burns that spew plumes of smoke that can trigger asthma attacks. The move is long in coming — it was supposed to end a decade ago under state law.

By Rachel Becker • February 22, 2021

California Divide

Governor vetoes bill extending protections to domestic workers

Socorro Diaz, who has worked cleaning houses for 17 years, was still trying to digest Gov. Gavin Newsom’s veto of a bill that would have provided protections for domestic workers. “I am very angry, very sad because I know that my work is worthy and deserves respect,” said Diaz. SB 1257, which was approved by […]

By Jacqueline Garcia • October 1, 2020

Politics

Trump and Newsom: Political frenemies make nice amid California’s mounting disasters

The dynamic between Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump has turned out to be a surprise during Newsom’s short time as governor, as he’s navigated an extraordinary spate of disasters requiring federal aid and diplomacy.

By Laurel Rosenhall • September 14, 2020

Capitol

The young Republican lawyer taking on California’s governor

Welcome to the next installment of Insiders. Assemblymember Kevin Kiley, a 35-year-old Rocklin Republican with degrees from Harvard and Yale, left a promising law career to run for a state Legislature so heavily dominated by Democrats as to render Republican votes almost meaningless.  “I would do it all over again if I had the opportunity,” […]

By Emily Hoeven • September 14, 2020

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

Explainers

The final say: Gov. Newsom has decided which of these 2020 bills will be California law

In a year when the coronavirus pandemic upended every aspect of normal life, the impact in the California Capitol was also dramatic. Lawmakers took an unprecedented two-month pause in the spring, when Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide order for people to stay home to prevent the spread of the virus. They returned to the […]

By CalMatters Staff • August 31, 2020

WhatMatters

Glitchy tech systems impede pandemic response

Good morning, California. It’s Wednesday, August 5. State, counties underreporting cases California’s glitchy tech systems strike again. Both the state and counties have been underreporting coronavirus cases and positivity rates due to data “getting stuck” in California’s disease reporting system, Dr. Mark Ghaly, the state’s health and human services secretary, said Tuesday. Ghaly: “We’ve discovered […]

By Emily Hoeven • August 5, 2020