Jerry Brown

Education

California’s poor students rank next to last on national test

California’s poor students performed worse on a national exam than needy kids from all but one other state, according to results released this week by the National Center for Education Statistics.

By Jessica Calefati • April 13, 2018

Politics

Gavin Newsom says he’d refuse Trump on sending National Guard to the border

A day after Gov. Jerry Brown agreed to the Trump administration's request to beef up the National Guard in states along the Mexico border, fellow Democrat Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would not have made the same decision as governor.

By Laurel Rosenhall • April 12, 2018

Environment

California fights wildfires aggressively—but prevention takes a back seat

The state firefighting agency, Cal Fire, spends the bulk of its budget battling wildfires. A new report says it should do more to prevent them.

By Julie Cart • March 28, 2018

Politics

California utilities want customers to help pay wildfire damages. Will politicians oblige?

California utility companies worry they may be held liable for billions of dollars in damages from last year’s wildfires. State leaders may help them by changing liability rules.

By Laurel Rosenhall • March 21, 2018

Justice

News Analysis: Jeff Sessions comes to California bearing gifts

There's something for politicians on either side of the aisle in the federal lawsuit against California.

By Dan Morain • March 7, 2018

Politics

Video: Brown, Becerra hold a press conference on the Trump administration lawsuit

By CalMatters Staff • March 7, 2018

Education

A Community College online? Gov. Brown’s plan re-imagines cyber learning, but faces skeptics

Gov. Jerry Brown faces challenges to convince the Legislature and a skeptical community college faculty that online education is the key to reaching the 2.5 million Californians aged 25 to 34 who graduated from high school but lack a college degree.

By Felicia Mello • February 8, 2018

Politics

In his final State of the State speech, Jerry Brown remembers where he’s from

As Gov. Jerry Brown neared the end of his last State of the State speech Thursday, he invoked a name that has become a frequent theme: August Schuckman, his own great-grandfather, who left Germany in 1849 and “sailed to America on a ship named Perseverance.” The 79-year-old Democrat cast his ancestor’s journey—and the ship’s poetic […]

By Laurel Rosenhall • January 25, 2018

Justice

California may up its rehab efforts to keep ex-inmates from returning to prison

Gov. Jerry Brown wants to add millions in new spending on programs to help former inmates stay out of jail—a proposal generating bipartisan praise because of concern they are returning to prison in large numbers. But some say it still isn't enough.

By Sophia Bollag • January 24, 2018

Commentary

If you’re not alarmed, you should be: Who’s left to hold California’s government accountable?

Media is declining nationally, but unique pressures have made California into America’s laboratory for a dangerous experiment about what happens to the public interest when policy is made without public awareness or accountability. In just the last three weeks, four major announcements about California media indicate a troubling downward spiral is accelerating.

By David Lesher • January 24, 2018