Public Health

What could have been a dramatic showdown Thursday, orchestrated by Republican legislators demanding action on bills addressing California’s fentanyl crisis, was ultimately avoided with a deal for a special hearing next week. Let’s back up a moment: In March, the chairperson of the Assembly public safety committee, Los Angeles Democrat Reggie Jones-Sawyer, announced that the […]

A bill to phase out all tobacco sales in California has been shelved, and anti-tobacco groups won't say why they didn't offer support. The bill was amended to focus on enforcing an existing ban on flavored tobacco.

From CalMatters’ homelessness policy reporter Marisa Kendall: California cities want more money to tackle homelessness.  That was the main takeaway from a rally Wednesday where about 100 city officials made a big ask of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration and the Legislature: They want $3 billion a year in guaranteed homelessness funding from the state.  That […]

The Legislature is back this week from spring recess and already things are getting busy.  CalMatters’ Julie Cart reports that a bill that would outlaw five chemicals in food products passed the Assembly health committee Tuesday after a robust debate — and a little snacking. The so-called Skittles Bill prompted both a freewheeling discussion of […]

The state ended masking and vaccination requirements, including in high-risk settings such as health care facilities. Some patients with chronic illnesses say they may avoid treatment rather than risk contracting COVID-19.

From CalMatters’ politics reporter Alexei Koseff: The California Assembly handed Gov. Gavin Newsom a long-awaited win on Monday, approving his revised proposal to punish alleged price gouging by oil companies and sending the measure to his desk for a signature, nearly six months after he first called on state lawmakers to take action on record […]

As the emergency declaration for COVID-19 expired, local public health officials are criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom's proposed budget cuts to a workforce program attempting to rebuild a system weakened by years of disinvestment.

As public health funding winds down, gaps in vaccination rates are increasing. Particularly for booster doses, the gap among racial and ethnic groups is widening significantly.

The award marks the first win for CalMatters in awards given by the Association for Health Care Journalists.

Gov. Gavin Newsom will soon lift the state of emergency he declared nearly three years ago due to COVID-19, but the negative effects will linger on for many years.