Las familias de las víctimas de presos condenados a muerte reaccionan ante la decisión del gobernador de California, Gavin Newsom, de conmutar sus sentencias por cadena perpetua.
El gobernador Gavin Newsom conmutó las sentencias de muerte de 548 presos estatales, afirmando que "el asesinato sancionado por el Estado es incompatible con los valores de California". Los defensores de los derechos de las víctimas criticaron su decisión.
Happy Monday, California. We have new election results for you today, including good news if you wanted more business-friendly, centrist Democrats in the Capitol. Of course the progressive wing of the Democratic Party can celebrate Jane Kim’s election to state insurance commissioner. The nation over the weekend…
The influx of infrastructure to prepare for the 2028 Olympics shouldn't just allow more people to reach L.A. It should give the city's essential workers reliable, safe transportation.
Shasta County has refused to release a subpoena it allegedly received regarding June 2026 election results. CalMatters is suing to obtain a copy of the document.
New tech-backed super PACs spent tens of millions of dollars boosting some Democrats over their more progressive opponents. Almost all of their favored candidates won their contests, despite voters’ broad distrust of AI and billionaires.
Gavin Newsom reminded everyone that he’s still the governor on Thursday when he handed down a historic commutation of every California death sentence. We have more on that below. It was a big day in Los Angeles, too, where the city ousted Mayor Karen Bass and elected democratic socialist Nithya Raman. Come along with…
Advocates say distant polling places and unreliable mail still keep Native Americans in California from voting, and the state panel meant to help has never met.
A Kern County judge ruled that approval of California’s first operating carbon capture and storage project — a technology the state is counting on to meet its climate goals — violated state environmental law and must be set aside. Judge Marcos Camacho found that environmental review of California Resources Corp.’s…
El único condado de California que tiene problemas para contar las papeletas es Shasta, cuya oficina electoral está dirigida por Clint Curtis, uno de los negacionistas de las elecciones de Trump.
Nithya Raman positioned herself as an outsider to mainstream Los Angeles politics. The mayor-elect will quickly face an array of significant challenges.
Gov. Gavin Newsom commuted death sentences for 548 state prisoners, saying "state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California’s values." Victims rights advocates criticized his decision.
To win control of the U.S. House, Democrats needed to secure at least 218 seats. By Wednesday night, the party won at least 240 — picking up more than two dozen additional seats, and flipping the Senate too. A year ago Democrats were far less confident they could pull off the blue wave. Back then,
Up to half of Bay Area households can skip electric water heaters under an updated rule by air regulators. Residents not exempt have one more year to comply.
Democrats notched big wins across the country, even in deep red districts that Republicans in Texas, Florida and North Carolina had gerrymandered to benefit their own party. That begs the question — did California really need to toss aside its independent redistricting commission?
The only California county having problems counting ballots is Shasta, which has an election office run by Clint Curtis, one of Trump’s election deniers.
La Proposición 3 hace permanente un impuesto sobre la renta para los ricos con el fin de financiar las escuelas primarias y secundarias y otros servicios.
A diferencia de su predecesor, el gobernador electo demócrata Xavier Becerra ha hecho pocas promesas durante la campaña electoral y solo ha insinuado ciertas prioridades políticas.
Las 14 propuestas electorales de California incluyen un impuesto a los multimillonarios, la identificación de votantes, cambios en las elecciones revocatorias y un intento de acelerar la construcción limitando las evaluaciones ambientales.
The blue tsunami was bigger than almost any Democrat could dream up. Democrats not only reclaimed control of the House by a decisive margin, but they flipped the Senate too, claiming seats in deep red states like Kansas, South Carolina, and Texas. That gives the party a powerful check on President Donald Trump in his
Xavier Becerra has won California's race for governor. Just days after he is inaugurated in January, he will have to submit a new budget. He faces a stark choice.
California's 14 s ballot measures include a billionaire tax, voter ID, changes to recall elections, and a bid to speed up building by limiting environmental reviews.
Estas son las elecciones más trascendentales a la Cámara de Representantes de Estados Unidos en el estado de California, que podrían determinar el control del Congreso, así como el futuro rumbo del Partido Demócrata.
Supporters say Prop. 38 is needed to ensure health research dollars keep flowing even as Trump tries to cut science. Opponents say the measure is poorly written, lacks transparency and seems to heavily benefit one particular nonprofit.
The two borrowing measures — Propositions 1 and 37 — tackle the state’s affordable housing crisis in very different ways and by targeting very different constituencies.
Prop. 4 would allow the state and most local governments to set up public campaign financing if they choose to. Supporters say it would curb private money in politics and diversify the pool of candidates. Critics doubt its effectiveness and say taxpayers should not subsidize campaigns.
Backed by business groups and opposed by environmentalists, Prop. 45 would put deadlines on environmental reviews and lawsuits for housing, water, broadband and transit projects.
California voters have overwhelmingly rejected Proposition 44, which would have required community health clinics to spend at least 90% of their revenue on program services. With 81.7% of voters against it on Tuesday, the measure was defeated as polling had indicated. A Public Policy Institute of California survey in…
Californians are choosing a new insurance commissioner after almost a decade of deadly wildfires that threw the state’s property insurance market into a crisis from which it is still trying to recover. Two Democrats are competing for the position for the first time. Jane Kim, the former San Francisco supervisor, wants…
California voters are deciding whether Republicans will hold onto seats they flipped in 2024 and whether business-backed groups can help elect more moderate Democrats.
Election Day is here and it’s an exciting one. Tonight we’ll start to learn which party controls Congress in the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term, whether Californians want to tax billionaires and if Democrats will continue a run that dates to 2010 of winning every statewide office. We have reporters…
Democrats want to make recalls simply about whether an official should be recalled, not about who should replace them. The contest looked to be a toss-up going into Election Day, with the no side holding a small edge.
California’s Prop. 43 would require two-thirds of votes to pass any local taxes that pay for specific services, such as wildfire prevention, education and healthcare.
The state's Water Resources Control Board passed a revised water flow plan, but both farmers and environmentalists dislike it. Newsom wants to portray it as a truce.
Prop. 2 would allow California leaders to sock away up to 20% of the state’s general fund tax revenue, double the current cap of 10%. It would also require the state to save more when revenue is growing faster.
These are the most consequential U.S. House races in California, which could determine control of Congress as well as the future direction of the Democratic Party.
Leer en español. As the votes are counted for California’s elections, we’ve got you covered with stories on all the key races, plus continually updated results below starting at 8 p.m. Pacific time. Follow breaking news from the CalMatters team throughout the day by reading our live blog. In close contests, it could…
Democrats want to make recalls simply about whether an official should be recalled, not about who should replace them. The contest looked to be a toss-up going into Election Day, with the no side holding a small edge.
Polls have for months widely favored Democrat Xavier Becerra for governor in the most populous Democratic state in the country. Republican Steve Hilton is banking on dissatisfaction with the cost of living to get independents and even some liberals to consider him.
Some of the state’s wealthiest residents have spent hundreds of millions to defeat Prop. 40, the “billionaire tax.” Supporters say billionaires should pay their “fair share” and help fund social services.
A former employee of Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco sued the Downey Democrat and her chief of staff, alleging that they retaliated against him for requesting medical leave and whistleblowing, subjected him to a baseless theft investigation and excluded him from meetings.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to issue an emergency ruling in the Trump Administration’s case to sequester 20,000 ballots. Here’s what to know about the ongoing, unprecedented legal attack on California’s elections.
Una nueva ley de California exigirá que las universidades informen claramente a los estudiantes sobre cómo solicitar ayuda financiera adicional si consideran que la cantidad otorgada no es suficiente. Las instituciones también deberán publicar cómo calculan los costos de asistencia, que se utilizan para determinar la…
Los residuos nucleares de San Onofre han estado almacenados en una playa durante años. Este legislador quiere encontrar una comunidad dispuesta a recibirlos.
Miembros de consejos escolares citaron una serie de razones para no presentarse a la reelección, entre ellas la preocupación por los recortes presupuestarios y los conflictos laborales, las redadas de inmigración que afectan a las escuelas y a los jóvenes, y un clima político hostil en general.
Some California counties are issuing guidelines restricting the press from documenting Election Day proceedings at polling places in ways that appear to violate state statutes and the First Amendment. A coalition of media outlets, led by CalMatters, and a First Amendment advocacy group sent a letter to Kern County…
School board members cited a slew of reasons for not running for reelection, including distress over budget cuts and labor strife, immigration raids affecting schools and youth and an overall hostile political climate.
Some of California’s most populous counties are issuing guidelines restricting the press from documenting Election Day proceedings at polling places in ways that appear to violate state statutes and the First Amendment.
A new California law will require colleges and universities to clearly inform students how to request additional financial aid if they believe their awarded amount is not enough. Institutions must also publish how they calculate their costs of attendance, which is used to determine how much financial aid students…
Según las autoridades federales, Luis Arreguin había sido deportado cinco veces antes de su reciente arresto por motivos de inmigración en el condado de Fresno.
Dolores Huerta was an inspirational role model, a militant who named and shaped the world, writes a UC Berkeley professor reflecting on the labor icon's legacy.
Una investigación de CalMatters reveló que más de una docena de candidatos legislativos parecen estar proporcionando material de campaña a grupos de interés especiales externos para que lo utilicen en su nombre.
La Proposición 45, presentada como una medida a favor del desarrollo de viviendas, podría tener la consecuencia no deseada de facilitar la construcción de centros de datos, según afirman sus detractores.
How do you distinguish between the two Democrats running for insurance commissioner? Well, one of them wants state-backed public insurance. We have more on that, as well as details on a move campaigns are using to dodge spending limits this fall. But we have more than election news in your inbox today. California…
For those who just want effective governance that addresses the multitude of challenges California faces, the campaign season has been drearily disappointing.
A CalMatters investigation found more than a dozen legislative candidates appear to be providing campaign materials for outside special interest groups to use on their behalf.
Tech interests have spent tens of millions of dollars this year on state legislative races alone. Industry advocates say they want to protect innovation from overregulation.
Proposition 13 was sold as a way to save retirees' homes from rising property taxes. It became a permanent discount for rich, corporate property owners.
California approved Newsom’s Delta water rules, but Trump threatens to pull out and $740M with it. Water agencies that once backed the deal call it too strict; environmentalists say it’s too weak.
Ian Choudri, quien ha dirigido la agencia ferroviaria desde 2024, deja un legado problemático marcado por problemas presupuestarios, retrasos en los proyectos y diversos escándalos, incluidos viajes cuestionables de consultores financiados con fondos públicos.
Un juez federal se negó a ordenar a California que apartara 20,000 papeletas, citando un "patrón de intentos de interferencia electoral" por parte de la administración Trump.
We’ve got so much news in today’s WhatMatters: The latest homeless numbers, a brand new tool and the passing of an icon whose work transcended the California farmworker movement and became a worldwide symbol for human rights. We also have some breaking news this morning. The head of California’s high-speed rail agency…
La figura emblemática del movimiento obrero, Dolores Huerta, influyó en generaciones de californianos que se inspiraron en su defensa de los derechos civiles, los trabajadores agrícolas y los inmigrantes.
The L.A. mayoral race has not been marked by racial divisions or differences over immigration, assimilation or cultural hegemony. That represents a break from recent political history.
Ian Choudri, who has led the train agency since 2024, leaves a troublesome legacy marked by budget woes, project delays and various scandals, including questionable taxpayer-funded trips by consultants.
A federal judge refused to order California to set aside 20,000 ballots, citing a 'pattern of attempted election interference' by the Trump administration
A former staffer for Democratic Assemblymember Anamarie Ávila Farías accuses the lawmaker of whistleblower retaliation and racial discrimination in a recently filed lawsuit.
Californians’ appetite for a first-in-the-nation wealth tax appears to be waning. With less than a week before Election Day, support for Proposition 40, a proposed billionaire tax, is now under water, according to the latest poll by Public Policy Institute of California. Published Tuesday, the survey found that 46% of…