Newsom signs more anti-crime bills, including laws targeting rape
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed five more anti-crime bills sent to his desk by California lawmakers this month, enacting mostly modest increases in punishment and…
California lawmakers got tougher on crime. What will Newsom decide?
SACRAMENTO — In response to growing worries about crime in California, the Democratic-controlled Legislature has passed a set of stringent crime bills, marking a significant change…
Newsom calls California Legislature into special session on oil prices
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom called California lawmakers into a special session Saturday after Assembly Democrats pushed back on his request to approve new requirements on…
Buying sex from a minor could be a felony under bill headed to Newsom
SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers on Friday approved legislation to crack down on child prostitution and allow prosecutors to charge anyone who purchases sex from a minor…
California passes Paris Hilton-backed bill to protect teens in residential treatment
SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers on Wednesday passed bipartisan legislation to enact stricter public oversight on the use of seclusion or restraints on children and teenagers in…
Deal reached in feud between California publishers and Google
SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers intend to shelve legislation that would have required Google to pay news outlets for distributing their content, and in its place announced…
Newsom signs legislative crime package addressing organized retail theft
SAN JOSE — Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed 10 bills in what he is calling an unprecedented effort to combat escalating retail crimes, car thefts and…
California Legislature passes bills to curb retail theft
SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers on Monday gave final approval to a package of 10 bills meant to combat retail theft, an effort that divided Democrats as…
California forges ahead with social media rules despite legal barriers
California lawmakers are pursuing legislation aimed at protecting children from the dangers of social media, one of many efforts around the country to confront what…
California Legislature sends school gender notification bill to Newsom
SACRAMENTO — After a chaotic debate on the Assembly floor full of shouting and tears, California lawmakers on Thursday sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a bill…
California lawmakers pass CEQA exemption for Capitol annex project
SACRAMENTO — Tucked into a sprawling budget plan the California Legislature approved Wednesday night was a last-minute exemption from the state’s landmark environmental law that lawmakers…
California lawmakers at odds over passing retail theft laws
SAN FRANCISCO — After coming out as gay at 14 years old, Nicholas Michael Nelson was kicked out of the family home in Oceanside and…
California lawmakers are trying to get ahead of AI
For four years, Jacob Hilton worked for one of the most influential startups in the Bay Area — OpenAI. His research helped test and improve…
California lawmakers revive debate on requiring Big Tech to pay for news
SACRAMENTO — California lawmakers have revived legislation to charge online platforms for the news articles they publish, a proposal that stalled last year amid divisions within…
Bill could end holdup for studies on psychedelics, addiction treatment
California lawmakers could soon clear a governmental logjam that has held up dozens of studies related to addiction treatment, psychedelics or other federally restricted drugs.…
California wants to improve animal shelter conditions, reduce strays
Cats and dogs can’t speak up for themselves, but their allies have been making a lot of noise in the California Legislature recently. The overcrowded…
California may cut many new programs due to massive budget gap
SACRAMENTO — Just a few years ago, California’s budget was overflowing with a record high surplus, spurring the creation of a slew of programs reflecting the…
California lawmakers come back with bill targeting ‘buyers’ of child sex trafficking
SACRAMENTO — After her noteworthy success in establishing harsher criminal penalties for child sex traffickers, Republican Sen. Shannon Grove has introduced legislation to lengthen prison terms…
California lawmakers can’t take lobbyist donations — unless they’re running for Congress
State Sen. Susan Rubio has a powerful position in Sacramento. As chair of the Insurance Committee, the Baldwin Park Democrat can help pass or kill…
Alex Padilla and Tom McClintock crossed their parties on immigration fight
It was a wild week in Washington, D.C., that included decisions by two California politicians to buck their parties, unusual moves in the nation’s highly…