Robert Rivas

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas wants lawmakers to assess the effectiveness of state laws as his new approach to accountability. But legislators get to pick which laws get the scrutiny and details remain scant.

AI can help businesses charge you more based on how it evaluates your personal history and desires. California lawmakers want to end that price discrimination.

A supermajority of Democrats and emboldened Republicans return to the Capitol today — at odds over how to lower the cost of living, how much to resist a second Trump presidency, where to trim state spending, how to harness tech innovations, and how far to go providing reparations to descendants of people once enslaved.

Few bills fail in the Legislature because lawmakers publicly vote “no.” Instead, most bills die when they are shelved, without lawmakers having to take tough votes.

Gov. Newsom wants the California Legislature to prepare for the Trump administration, but its leaders also say they heard voters’ message on lowering the cost of living.

Faced with a huge budget deficit, legislators are on warning not to expect bills with a high price tag to pass. But that’s not always the goal of introducing bills.

Assembly Speaker Rivas puts key allies into leadership posts and shuffles the top posts on committees heading into the 2024 session of the Legislature. One big winner: Pro-housing advocates.

Unions won major victories this session on pay for fast food and health care workers, benefits for strikers and bargaining rights. Business groups say that labor has too much power at the Capitol.

From CalMatters politics reporter Alexei Koseff: The key to understanding new Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas’ leadership might be his severe childhood stutter. Growing up, he often had his ears open more than his mouth. Now, Rivas said Wednesday in an interview hosted by the Sacramento Press Club, his greatest strength is hearing people out and […]

Assemblyman Anthony Rendon is stepping aside after one of the longest runs as speaker in California history. Supporters say his leadership style, empowering committees and legislators to craft policy instead of himself, made the lower statehouse more democratic.