Texas Supreme Court upholds ban on youth gender medical transitions
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Supreme Court upheld the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youths Friday, rejecting pleas from parents that it violates their…
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…
Column: Why Newsom might not be cut out for Washington
SACRAMENTO — Sorry, governor, that wasn’t very presidential. It would never fly in the nation’s capital. A president couldn’t get away with delivering a State of…
Abortion access wins when it’s on the ballot. In many states, it isn’t
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Tucked inside the West Virginia Statehouse is a copy of a petition to lawmakers with a simple request: Let the voters decide whether…
Measure to restrict tax increases cannot appear on November ballot, California Supreme Court rules
A California ballot measure that would have required voter approval for any future state tax hikes violates the state constitution and will not be allowed…
Column: Stop playing politics on retail theft crackdown
SACRAMENTO — It’s hardball season in California’s state Capitol, and we’re not talking baseball. At times like this, I think of two all-star political philosophers: Otto…
Column: Sacramento’s tax rebate giveaway is coming home to roost
SACRAMENTO — It’s budget season in Sacramento and there are bound to be screwups. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic legislators are paying now for a huge…
Fighting lawmakers, protests mar start of Taiwan’s new government
TAIPEI, Taiwan — Thousands protesting outside parliament, lawmakers tackling and punching each other inside — it’s not the peace and unity Taiwan’s new president called for…
California Legislature issues official apology for slavery
SACRAMENTO — The California Assembly on Thursday voted to issue an official apology for the state’s role in slavery and the systemic racism that ensued, but…
Bill to regulate psychedelics fails in California Legislature
SACRAMENTO — Another attempt to make psychedelics legal in California has, once again, failed. Senate Bill 1012 by Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) was the latest…
Hey, California, Don’t spend it unless you’ve got it
SACRAMENTO — Here’s a novel idea: Don’t spend money until you’ve got it. What a concept! Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed that as a way to head…
California Legislature demands data after homelessness audit
SACRAMENTO — Democrats and Republicans expressed frustration Monday as they grilled Gov. Gavin Newsom’s top housing officials in a tense legislative hearing about how billions of…
Arizona Senate votes to repeal 1864 abortion law
The Arizona Senate voted Wednesday to repeal the state’s 1864 abortion ban, sending a measure to the Democratic governor that would end weeks of turmoil…
Hong Kong legislature passes tough new national security law | News
Hong Kong’s Legislative Council has passed a new national security law that expands the government’s power to crush dissent. The Safeguarding National Security Law passed…
Hong Kong jails 12 for storming legislature in 2019 | Hong Kong Protests News
Defendants jailed for terms between four and seven years after being found guilty of rioting after forcing their way into the chamber. A Hong Kong…
After Newsom veto, California lawmakers try again to ban tampons with ‘forever chemicals’
SACRAMENTO — A new bill could ban the sale of tampons and other menstrual products that contain potentially toxic chemicals in California, reigniting a push by…
Capitol Journal: California’s Legislature is less popular than Trump with the state’s voters, poll finds
Reporting from Sacramento — The heavily Democratic state Legislature is less popular among California voters than President Trump. That’s not a typo. It’s a poll finding…
Why California’s slavery reparations plan is so disorganized
On Thursday morning, state Sen. Steven Bradford sat down alone at a table inside the Capitol in Sacramento. He fiddled with a stack of papers…
Four found guilty of rioting over 2019 storming of Hong Kong legislature | Hong Kong Protests News
The storming of the building marked an escalation in the 2019 mass protests that began over a China extradition bill. A Hong Kong court has…