California Legislature

Local governments account for about 10% of total spending on lobbying state lawmakers and agencies. Often, they’re seeking state money. Sometimes, they’re trying to get a say on specific bills.

From CalMatters’ state Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff: Californians have a legal right to “information concerning the conduct of the people’s business,” but actually getting those public records is easier said than done. In the past few months alone, a former employee of the San Jose mayor’s office sued the city for “perpetually extending its own […]

As the first generation to grow up in a digital world, teens are susceptible to influencer marketing, staged content and misinformation. A legislative proposal would help add media literacy to K-12 education so California children are better equipped for life on social media.

As California's budget faces years of operating deficits, politicians may be tempted to borrow money to cover them, but that would be a misuse of the state's bonding authority.

California grants school boards much local control, but some recent events have pushed the state to rein that in.

To reduce the death toll of the opioid epidemic, California Assemblymember Liz Ortega wants health insurers to cover the costs of Narcan, a nasal spray that can reverse an overdose. Of course, increasing access comes with a price tag.

A workers comp study says one day above 100 degrees can cause 15% more accidents, costing workers and employers millions. A new advisory panel may help the state improve its work heat rules.

The state budget that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed in June largely uses gimmicks to bridge a big deficit, and hopes increasing revenues in the future will make it work. However, his own administration sees a string of deficits in the future.

A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling involving free speech protections and immigration law reaffirmed a longstanding view that could help lawmakers in California and elsewhere attempting to regulate harmful social media algorithms.

Transfer to a four-year institution is a benchmark for success among community colleges, but the numbers are low and disparities across the system persist, especially between colleges in rural areas and those in wealthy suburbs.