California Legislature

On suspense file day, state legislators killed dozens of bills, including some controversial proposals on health care costs, social media regulation, pay transparency, climate change and much, more more.

Monkeypox tests and vaccines are in short supply as public health officials grapple with red tape and short supplies. Yet some of the processes put in place in response to COVID-19 have helped.

Red tape, red tape, red tape. That was the refrain that popped up repeatedly on Tuesday, when California lawmakers convened for two separate hearings on the two viruses for which Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a public health state of emergency: COVID-19 and monkeypox. The key takeaway from the two hearings — which, ironically, took […]

Today, California lawmakers are preparing to hold a series of high-stakes meetings — behind closed doors. The Assembly Legislative Ethics Committee — a bipartisan panel of three Democrats and three Republicans — is scheduled to meet privately to consider a complaint brought against a legislator or other public officer or employee, according to the legal […]

If Assembly Bill 2408 becomes law, it will hold accountable the largest social media giants that have played a leading role in the most acute and widespread youth mental health crisis experts have ever seen.

With California lawmakers debating the fate of some 1,200-plus bills ahead of the end of the legislative session this month, let’s check in on some existing programs’ effectiveness. Today, an in-depth assessment of California’s unemployment insurance program is set to be released by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, which advises lawmakers on fiscal issues. As […]

Blockchain and cryptocurrency. Artificial intelligence. Facial recognition technology. Health care innovation. The energy industry. Building tech economies in “underestimated” cities such as Fresno. Understanding the benefits of remote work. Helping small businesses thrive online. Those are among the topics that state lawmakers and tech industry lobbyists are set to discuss today at the luxurious four-star […]

Govern For California is using a network of local chapters to amplify the influence of its donors on legislative races. Among the biggest beneficiaries so far is Assemblymember Robert Rivas, who wants to become the next Assembly speaker.

Meet the biggest spending group of mega donors trying to reshape California politics you’ve probably never heard of. Govern For California’s 18 chapters have so far donated more than $3 million to candidates across California in the 2022 election cycle. One of the top beneficiaries: Assemblymember Robert Rivas, a Salinas Democrat. Rivas isn’t facing an […]

Innovations that have emerged from reforms in Utah and Arizona offer new, affordable ways to access legal help. Yet in California, none of these pioneering approaches could so much as be discussed under Assembly Bill 2958.