guns

A 76 gas station in Sacramento on March 10, 2022. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

WhatMatters

California lawmakers recess as crises collide

California lawmakers are calling for urgent action on gas tax relief and crime, but it may take a while to see meaningful progress.

By

Emily Hoeven

• April 8, 2022

Seriyah Harris, 11, organizes candles at a candlelight memorial for her father Sergio Harris, 38, who was killed in a mass shooting, in Sacramento. on Tuesday, April 5, 2022. Photo by Rahul Lal for CalMatters

WhatMatters

California eyes citizen lawsuits over illegal guns

Lawmakers advance a California gun control bill to allow citizens to sue manufacturers and distributors over illegal and "ghost" weapons.

By

Emily Hoeven

• April 6, 2022

Muhammad, who declined to provide his last name, warms his hand at a fire near his tent in Sacramento. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters

WhatMatters

Lawmakers double down on mental health reform

Elected officials are zeroing in on mental health reform, as well as gun control, as voters show increasing concern on crime and homelessness.

By

Emily Hoeven

• April 5, 2022

A police evidence technician photographs the crime scene after an early-morning shooting in a stretch of downtown near the Golden 1 Center arena in Sacramento, California, U.S. April 3, 2022. REUTERS/Fred Greaves TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

WhatMatters

Sacramento mass shooting supercharges crime debate

CalMatters is dedicated to explaining how state government impacts our lives. Your support helps us produce journalism that makes a difference. Donate now. Just blocks from the state Capitol where legislators have crafted arguably the toughest gun control laws in the country, at least two shooters early Sunday morning killed at least six people and injured another […]

By

Emily Hoeven

• April 4, 2022

WhatMatters

Abortion, guns, crime collide in California politics

Policies over abortion, guns and crime are colliding in California as the state intensifies its battle with Texas and the Supreme Court.

By

Emily Hoeven

• February 22, 2022

A San Francisco police department vehicle stands in front of the Dyson store in Union Square on Nov. 24, 2021. Videos on social media showed masked people running with goods from several high-end retailers in the storied shopping area. Photo by Samuel Rigelhaupt/Sipa USA

WhatMatters

Prop. 47 targeted by Dem, GOP lawmakers

A Democratic bill would reverse a key aspect of Proposition 47 by reducing the felony threshold for petty theft and shoplifting, while a Republican one would overturn Prop. 47 altogether.

By

Emily Hoeven

• January 5, 2022

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to the press during a visit to Ruby Bridges Elementary School in Alameda on March 16, 2021. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

WhatMatters

Newsom fights Texas abortion law with assault rifle ban

Give to CalMatters today and your gift will be doubled! Your support helps keep our nonprofit journalism free and accessible to all Californians. Donate now. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. That appears to be Gov. Gavin Newsom’s strategy for counteracting the U.S. Supreme Court’s Friday decision to let stand Texas’ ban on abortions […]

By

Emily Hoeven

• December 13, 2021

A custom-made semi-automatic hunting rifle with a high-capacity detachable magazine at a gun store in Rocklin on Oct. 3, 2013. AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli

WhatMatters

California scores gun control victory — for now

As California tries to crack down on crime, it secured a sizable victory for its strict gun control laws on Tuesday. That’s when a federal appeals court reinstated California’s bans on the sale and possession of high-capacity magazines that can funnel more than 10 rounds of ammunition into a single firearm. The 7-4 ruling from […]

By

Emily Hoeven

• December 1, 2021

A memorial is set up on the corner of Foothill Road and Morning Drive for 17-year-old Jose Flores in east Bakersfield on Nov. 16, 2021. Flores was stabbed and killed in a fight near Foothill High School in January of last year. Photo by Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters

Justice

‘Devil on the loose’: What’s behind Kern County’s soaring homicide rate?

Kern County has had state’s highest homicide rate since 2016, with rival prison gangs warring on its rural northern border.

By

Nigel Duara

• December 1, 2021

Pedestrians walk past vacant store fronts along Powell Street in the Union Square shopping district in San Francisco on June 14, 2021. Photo by Anne Wernikoff, CalMatters

WhatMatters

After looters ransack Bay Area stores, crime rises as 2022 state campaign issue

For evidence that crime will likely be a key issue for California voters in next year’s election, look no further than this weekend. On Sunday, a pack of looters robbed a jewelry store in a Hayward mall, smashing glass cases and absconding with the valuables into waiting cars. Also Sunday, Walnut Creek police recommended that […]

By

Emily Hoeven

• November 22, 2021