28 articles in the public record carrying this byline — each story counts once, at its most authoritative copy. Labeled as Reporting (Tier 3). Bylines are shown as outlets printed them; a common name may cover more than one writer.
Scheduling note: WhatMatters is taking Indigenous Peoples’ Day off and will return to your inboxes Tuesday. With more e-bikes on roads and sidewalks, Gov. Gavin Newsom last week signed three new laws that aim to strengthen safety for riders and pedestrians. One of the laws sets sidewalk speed limits and another cracks down on electric […]
Gov. Newsom signed a law allowing San Mateo County to restrict teens' access to e-bikes. It was inspired by fatal accidents in the Bay Area community.
Demanding better pay and a more flexible work-from-home policy, state workers in SEIU Local 1000 voted to authorize a strike as the union negotiates with Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law prohibiting marriage for people under 18. Liberal civil rights organizations fought previous efforts to ban the practice.
Gov. Newsom signed a law prohibiting the sale of disposable vapes, a measure meant to prevent lithium battery fires at landfills and recycling centers.
A new California law prohibits people from selling concert and sports tickets that they don't own. The measure pitted Live Nation against Stubhub as it moved through the Legislature.
Many California public employees want more flexibility to work from home than Gov. Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office policy allows. He vetoed a bill that would have encouraged departments to set their own policies.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a spate of bills Saturday that aim to safeguard California elections and preemptively address potential actions by President Donald Trump to interfere with election results or limit how Californians can vote. Trump avows that his administration is attempting to stop widespread election fraud, which is exceedingly rare, and prevent noncitizens from […]
Many California public employees want more flexibility to work from home than Gov. Gavin Newsom's return-to-office policy allows. He vetoed a bill that would have encouraged departments to set their own policies.
Los californianos mayores de 80 años podrán obtener una exención permanente del servicio de jurado en virtud de una nueva ley firmada por el gobernador Gavin Newsom.
Californians over age 80 will be able to get a permanent exemption from jury duty under a new law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed.
Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated the U.S. Supreme Court's decision shooting down President Trump's proposal to restrict mail-in voting just before the November midterm election.
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Thursday more than a dozen bills strengthening online protections for kids. One of the more controversial measures requires social media companies to make their platforms less addictive and another reins in artificial intelligence chatbots, writes CalMatters’ Colin Lecher. Assembly Bill 1709 requires companies to either omit addictive features on […]
With less than two months until Nov. 3, it’s time to get serious about the upcoming election. In addition to choosing the next governor, insurance commissioner and other state leaders, voters will decide on 14 statewide propositions, U.S. House representatives and most members of the state Legislature. It’s a lot to decide, especially considering that […]
“We told you so.” That’s what privacy and immigrant advocates are saying about a federal subpoena to a national clearinghouse of DMV records. This summer, they tried to warn Gov. Gavin Newsom that sharing data about California driver’s license holders could put noncitizens at risk. As CalMatters’ Wendy Fry and Khari Johnson explain, Newsom’s office, […]
With four months left of his last term, state lawmakers handed Gov. Gavin Newsom a string of losses at the end of session, including the rejection of Newsom’s proposal to minimize utilities’ liability for the wildfires they cause, writes CalMatters’ Maya C. Miller. The Assembly killed a contentious bill Tuesday that would have given wildfire […]
Gov. Gavin Newsom might get a sense of déjà vu as bill after bill comes to his desk this week. In a few instances, lawmakers are hoping he changes his mind when he sees proposals he’s rejected in the past. In 2024, for example, Newsom spiked a measure that would have allowed students without legal […]
Today is the practical deadline for the state Legislature to pass bills before adjourning and lawmakers are in the final frenzy to cross the finish line. Many proposals still need to be resolved before they’re sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom. It’s his final year in office and Newsom’s last round of signatures and vetoes will […]
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law expanding privacy protections to people who work with immigrants. Republicans characterized it as a threat to the First Amendment.
As public backlash against artificial intelligence data centers grows, tech companies are spending big bucks to influence and dissuade state lawmakers from reining in the facilities, report CalMatters’ Katherine Ortiz and Khari Johnson. The Legislature is currently considering bills that would shift electric infrastructure costs toward data center operators and away from residential customers. Other […]
Gov. Gavin Newsom knows his changes to California prisons will be part of his legacy, from suspending the death penalty to refashioning San Quentin as a hub for rehabilitation. “It was always about public safety,” Newsom told a San Quentin press conference in February. “It was about dealing with the fundamental fact that 95% of […]
Comparing utility companies to terrorists, Democratic state lawmakers are pushing back against Gov. Gavin Newsom’s complex proposal that would reduce how much utilities pay for the wildfires they cause. As CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang and Levi Sumagaysay explain, the proposal’s most controversial provisions include capping compensation for fire victims; curbing insurance companies’ right to recover wildfire […]
California Forever wanted a ‘yes’ — and fast. In the weeks before the end of the legislative year last September, representatives for the tech billionaire-backed mega development emailed, called and texted Solano County officials, hoping to secure support for proposed legislation that would speed up environmental review for a shipyard that could yield thousands of new […]
About 15 years ago, the former prison towns of Blythe and Susanville were getting by relatively well. Many of towns’ residents were steadily employed by the state, and their good wages and benefits helped fuel the local, albeit isolated, economies. But after changes in California’s criminal sentencing laws led to fewer people being incarcerated — […]
