California Legislature

A new law requires K-12 schools to add media literacy to curriculum for English language arts, science, math and history-social studies. Among the lessons will be recognizing fake news.

Ramon Ruelas grew up in California and served a decade in prison. Now free, he can’t live with his wife and daughter, who are U.S. citizens. Lawmakers want California to stop handing former inmates like him to ICE. Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed the bills.

Despite spending by Democrat lawmakers, California's homeless population kept growing over the last five years. The current approach of throwing money at the problem is clearly not working.

The Little Hoover Commission recommended pausing California's landmark law aimed at reducing organic waste in landfills. Senate Bill 1383 could use an update, but given the importance of reducing methane emissions, pressing pause would be a mistake.

The state’s unemployment insurance debt, which ballooned as a result of the pandemic, is in dire straits with no clear path forward.

Some advocates believe the state should expand the Cal Grant program next year, even if that means pulling money from a financial aid program that benefits middle class students.

Signed by the governor in September 2022, AB 2881 aims to identify and address the needs of student parents in California by offering them priority registration. Coordinators and advocates are optimistic the law will formalize data collection, allowing them to better serve this student population that represents 1 in 5 students nationally.

California passed a series of gun restrictions this year, including an excise tax on firearm and ammunition purchases. While the revenue is supposed to fund gun violence prevention, the state's lackluster history with prevention programs suggests little will actually change.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta praised Placer County's prosecution of a fentanyl supplier responsible for the death of a teenage girl, but was AWOL when the Legislature was considering bills to address the fentanyl crisis.

When Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 365 last week, he opened a new front in a complex, decades-long political and legal war between employers and unions.