As California’s legislative session comes to an end tonight, the priorities and focus of the closing days have been heavily shaped by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who in the final year of his first term has taken significant steps to execute his agenda through legislation like never before. His first three years in office saw Newsom […]
Politics
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T-minus 3 Days for California Lawmakers
The two-year legislative session ends Wednesday at midnight, giving Gov. Gavin Newsom and state lawmakers just three days to hammer out agreements on complex, controversial bills and budget items encompassing everything from nuclear power to abortion to youth vaccination. According to veteran Sacramento lobbyist Chris Micheli, legislators still need to determine the fate of about […]
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‘Close to the Line:’ California’s Top Campaign Finance Watchdog Wants a Deeper Look at Donor Network
California’s campaign finance regulator will not investigate a complaint into Govern For California, the subject of a CalMatters investigation that explored the nonprofit’s role influencing legislative elections and “pushing the envelope” of state campaign finance law. But the chairperson of the Fair Political Practices Commission said he would seek to develop new regulations more clearly […]
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Back to School: California Republicans Bet Big on Local Board Races
When California Republicans gathered in Anaheim this spring, attention focused on candidate speeches and endorsement battles as the party tries to win its first statewide race since 2006. But a little-noticed, hour-long session in a small conference room at the Marriott could very well be more consequential for the state GOP this election. The meeting […]
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Suspense File: Which Bills did California Lawmakers Kill?
On most days, California lawmakers deliberate, debate and decide bills out in public for every Californian to see. Aug. 11 was not one of those days. In simultaneous marathon hearings, the appropriations committees in the Assembly and Senate rattled through hundreds of bills in a single discharge of rapid-fire legislating. Many proposals lived to see […]
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NCJ Preview: Firefighter PTSD, Auditor-Controller Deal, Boozy Summer Pie
The wildfires aren’t just devastating our landscapes, they’re taking a massive toll on the people who fight them. This week we’re talking about the rising PTSD crisis among Cal Fire firefighters and what’s being done to combat it. And the county has struck a deal to shorten Auditor-Controller Karen Paz Dominguez’ lame duck time. We’ll […]
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NCJ Preview: Post-Roe, Pride and Oyster Fest Fallout
After last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade, we’re talking about what it means for California and how we can fight for reproductive rights for everyone. Linda Stansberry joins us to talk about Ferndale Pride and the folks who are making the Victorian Village more welcoming to all. We’ve got a post-oyster […]
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Dozens Attend March For Our Lives Event in Arcata
The Arcata Plaza was flooded with people Saturday afternoon in solidarity with nationwide March For Our Lives protests to demand lawmakers work to enact new gun control measures in the wake of yet another mass school shooting. The local march, which was organized by March For Our Lives Arcata chapter leads Jasmine McKnight, Astreya McKnight, […]
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Topsy-turvy Top-two: Is California Primary System Keeping Its Promises?
If you need an example of just how befuddling California’s top-two primary system can be, consider the case of the $50,000 mailer sent to voters across 13 California counties in early June. The mailer’s message: In the crowded race for a state Senate district that sprawls from Modesto to Truckee to the Owens Valley, the […]
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NCJ Preview: Election Recap and Happy Lao New Year
The June 7 election is wrapped up — almost. We’ve got a rundown of who won what and how close the races are that still haven’t been called. That includes the landslide in the auditor-controller race and the 50 percent Natalie Arroyo clings to in the supervisor race. We’re also doing an after-party revel in […]
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Grand Jury Report Blasts Auditor-Controller, Auditor-Controller Says it’s All Incorrect
The Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury has interjected itself directly into the county’s auditor-controller race. Less than a week before Election Day, the Humboldt County Civil Grand Jury poured gasoline on what was already considered to be the county’s most contentious political race yesterday, issuing a largely scathing report stating incumbent Auditor-Controller Karen Paz Dominguez’s […]
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NCJ Preview: All in the Game – Elections and Arcades
With Election Day drawing near, we’re looking at the surprisingly contentious auditor-controller race between Cheryl Dillingham and Karen Paz Dominguez — a race in which the candidates are cordial and supporters are the main source of vitriol. We’ll get into some background and why accounting is such a hot topic these days. And break out […]