Don’t ask Gov. Gavin Newsom about Democratic lawmakers’ proposal to create a state-funded single-payer health care system — he hasn’t read it. “I have not had the opportunity to review that plan, and no one has presented it to me,” Newsom said Monday while unveiling his record-high $286.4 billion budget proposal — which includes an […]
California
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Empower Workers or Government Overreach? California’s Fast Food Bill Tests Labor Laws
Amid growing awareness of inequality and jobs that don’t pay enough to cover child care and housing, California is considering a radical proposal: Allow the state to negotiate wages, hours and work conditions for an entire industry. Proponents in the state Legislature say one solution to inequality is to empower workers to negotiate through unions, […]
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Unboosted: California COVID-19 Booster Rate Falls Below 40% in Most Counties
Hospitals are at capacity. COVID-19 infections are at record highs. Testing lines stretch for hours. Yet even as the omicron variant batters the state, only 38 percent of vaccinated Californians have gotten a booster shot. As with initial vaccinations, acceptance of the booster shot has varied throughout California: Counties in the far north and rural […]
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No, California’s Drought Isn’t Over. Here’s Why.
In a clear sign that the drought persists, California this week adopted new emergency regulations aimed at stopping residents from wasting the state’s precious water. The rules ban practices such as hosing down sidewalks and driveways with drinking water, washing cars without a shutoff nozzle on the hose and irrigating lawns and gardens too soon […]
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The California Legislature is back: What to expect in 2022
Another coronavirus variant spreading like wildfire, and another huge state budget surplus: In some ways, 2022 is off to a similar start as 2021. That could carry over to the state Legislature’s new session that started Monday. In addition to the pandemic and surplus, California is dealing with some of the same big issues it […]
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Unseen and Unsafe: ‘Deadnamed’ Students Explain Why a New California Law Matters
Jamie Marquis can’t count the number of times they’ve been called the wrong name. A junior psychology major at the University of California, Davis, who identifies as non-binary, they changed their name several years ago. But since then they’ve struggled to get that name even on basic educational records, instead of their name assigned at […]
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Why is California’s Redistricting Commission Under Increasing Scrutiny?
California’s independent redistricting commission is taking a lot of heat for the congressional and legislative maps it’s drawing to beat a Dec. 27 deadline. But it’s not just the at-times confusing product that’s under the microscope. It’s also the commission’s messy process — with accusations of secrecy, complaints about public input and now questions about […]
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Is ‘Right to Housing’ a Solution to California Homelessness?
The law says that every student is entitled to a free public education. What if it said the same about housing? That’s what Darrell Steinberg, the mayor of Sacramento, believes to be the key to addressing California’s homelessness. He recently proposed an ordinance that would require the city to provide at least two housing or […]
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First US Omicron Infection Found in San Francisco, Humboldt Residents who Traveled Internationally in Recent Weeks Advised to Get Tested
California will increase COVID-19 testing of some airport travelers after a passenger flying to San Francisco International Airport from South Africa was identified as the first known case of the omicron variant in the United States. The California Department of Public Health announced today that travelers arriving from countries identified by the Centers for Disease […]
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Assembly Bill 1311 Brings New Hope to CRV Recycling for Rural Areas
California rural counties will have new tools to make California Redemption Value (CRV) recycling easier now that Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed North Coast Assemblymember Jim Wood’s CRV bill. AB1311 makes changes to the state’s recycling law to better meet the CRV recycling demands of California’s rural counties by allowing CRV redemption centers to operate […]
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A 50% Coupon for One Tool? Gardeners Call California’s Subsidy Inadequate
Though Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a bill banning the sale of most new gas powered tools by 2024, gardeners and landscapers say a $30 million state subsidy isn’t nearly enough to help small operators make the switch to electric. The state agency responsible for administering the subsidy estimates it has only enough to give […]
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Most Californians say Economic Inequality is Getting Worse, New Survey Shows
Seven in 10 Californians say the gap between rich and poor is getting larger, according to a statewide survey released Tuesday. The survey, conducted last month by the nonpartisan think tank, Public Policy Institute of California, polled 2,292 adult Californians about their opinions on the state’s economic outlook, financial security, job security, among other topics. […]