Commentary

A person, wearing a green shirt and gray pants, stands in front of a row of gray voting booths as they fill out their ballot.

Commentary

California can sidestep scandal and banish bias while counting votes

Open source voting systems are more transparent and cheaper than the state’s current contract with Smartmatic, which is facing bribery charges.

By Trent Lange • February 18, 2026

People stand at the steps of a school during a strike. The photo focuses on a person holding up their left hand in a fist while they hold a sign that reads "we can't wait" in Spanish with the other hand.

Commentary

California school systems face red ink despite boosts in education spending

While the state borrows $5.6 billion from education, districts throughout the state are struggling to balance their own budgets this year.

By

Dan Walters

• February 18, 2026

A firefighter in protective gear pulls a hose toward a massive structure fire at night, directing a stream of water toward towering flames that engulf a building and fill the air with smoke and orange light.

Commentary

Who’s running for California Insurance Commissioner? Here’s a look at the field of candidates

There are 15 candidates vying to be the state's top insurance regulator, a hot seat as thousands of LA residents try tapping insurance to help them recover from wildfires.

By

Guest Commentary

• February 17, 2026

Students hang out at the Shop 55 Wellness Center at Oakland High School in Oakland on May 10, 2024. Oakland High is able to offer a variety of medical services to students through the California Community Schools Partnership Program (CCSPP). Photo by Juliana Yamada for CalMatters

Commentary

Community schools are key ingredient of California’s tumbling crime rates

Community schools are becoming neighborhood hubs by prioritizing academics, youth and family services, mental health and restorative justice.

By Castle Redmond and John H. Jackson • February 17, 2026

A person in a grey sweatshirt is placing a cellphone into a dark grey packet on a table in a classroom. Behind the person is a group of students and adults standing around, talking and holding their cell phone packets.

Reader Reactions

California schools that ban cellphones make students want them more

Punishing all for the noncompliance of a few breeds resentment. Schools should confiscate phones from students who repeatedly offend.

By Evelyn Thill • February 13, 2026

A lawmaker — with salt-and-pepper colored hair and wearing a black suit — looks straight forward as the silhouettes of two people cover the foreground of the frame. Other people and the American flag can be partially seen behind the lawmaker.

Commentary

Here’s how Newsom’s spending binge outstripped revenues, creating California’s chronic deficit

Obscure charts show how California's spending exploded under Newsom, far outstripping its stagnant population growth, inflation and a hefty increase in revenues.

By

Dan Walters

• February 13, 2026

A burned-out structure with scorched walls and an arched doorway stands amidst charred vegetation. Smoke lingers in the background, and a partially intact gate with the number '203' leads to the property. A few green trees and palm trees remain standing in the hazy, orange-lit landscape.

Commentary

Candidate comment: Insurers’ blockbuster profits enrich shareholders and CEOs, not customers

Guest Commentary written by Jane Kim Jane Kim is a civil rights attorney, consumer advocate and a former San Francisco Supervisor With the first anniversary of the devastating Southern California wildfires approaching, CalMatters asked candidates for the 2026 state Insurance Commissioner race to share thoughts on what the state can do to help victims and […]

By Jane Kim • February 12, 2026

A silhouette of a person standing in a dimly lit prison cell with white walls, cabinets, and a mirror hanging.

Reader Reactions

Good behavior musn’t determine if a California prison inmate lives in a safe environment

An incarcerated person's constitutional right to a safe and healthy environment in a single occupancy cell cannot be withheld on the condition that she or he be good.

By Arthur Jackson • February 12, 2026

Amazon SMF1 facility in Sacramento on Sept. 25, 2023.

Commentary

Could taxing multinational corporations erase California’s budget deficits? Not likely

As Gov. Gavin Newsom gears up for a presidential run, other California Democrats are weighing tax hikes to counter budget deficits and federal cutbacks.

By

Dan Walters

• February 12, 2026

A close-up view of a person's hand holding a sign that reads "We wants answers! No more deaths!" and they stand at the front steps of a building surrounded by other people holding signs.

Commentary

California promised accountability for inmate deaths in jails. A year later, no results.

Lawmakers passed a law creating a state department to review inmate deaths, but it hasn’t completed a single death review in its first year.

By David Myers • February 11, 2026