It’s been almost 20 years since Laura Wilcox, a 19-year-old volunteer at a mental health clinic in Northern California, was shot and killed by a mentally ill man who refused treatment. A year later in 2002, California passed “Laura’s Law,” an assisted outpatient treatment program that gives counties the ability to mandate that severely mentally...

While women’s healthcare services are being threatened nationally, Santa Clara County leaders are fighting to preserve and invest in securing those rights at the local level. In two monumental moves for women, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted on Tuesday to reserve $5 million to support services for victims of sexual assault and gender-based violence...

In a win for education advocates and leaders, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted Tuesday to extend a pilot program intended to help the most vulnerable kids in San Jose. The Universal Access to Early Childhood Care, Education & Health Services program was introduced in 2017 by former Supervisor Ken Yeager to provide...

South Bay college students and cannabis advocates on Wednesday pressured District Attorney Jeff Rosen to comply with a California law that clears the records of incarcerated individuals who have cannabis convictions. Assembly Bill 1793, a law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last year, requires district attorneys to review all existing marijuana conviction cases by July 1, 2020 with the...

The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously voted to explore the legality of creating a county-operated public bank in support of a California bill that, if passed, will allow local governments to form their own banks. Advocates say that public banks would help strengthen local institutions, keep public money within the local economy...

More assault weapons were received in 2016 and 2018 than years prior. Last year, LaCap said her department capped buybacks at $400 maximum because “we had these people that would bring in like 40 guns, and they would wipe out all of our funds on one person.” “A lot of it was gun dealers who...

Amid a brewing battle on immigration, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors announced Tuesday that it will explore changes to the county’s sanctuary city policy following immense backlash from the community. After an emotional meeting that included three hours of public testimony, county lawmakers voted 4-1 in favor of requesting county staff to come...

Santa Clara County ranks third overall in public health in California, beating San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego counties on the list of 58, according to annual county health rankings released last week by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Santa Clara County has been ranked third since 2013, with Marin and San Mateo counties...

For thousands of years, indigenous tribes near San Jose have hosted ceremonial practices, prayer and festivities on the land they refer to as Juristac — more commonly known as Sargent Ranch — that they consider as their most sacred spiritual site. But that might soon be coming to an end, as developers who own the...

After failing to meet response times amid a spike in 911 call volume, San Jose firefighters are asking the county to consider opening an ambulance contract to competitive bidders. The county contract, which was extended for three years in December, follows a model in which the county works with a private, for-profit ambulance company to provide services...