The final makeup of the 119th Congress was not settled until a month after the 2024 election as California worked to tabulate and certify its results. Representatives from both sides of the aisle say that was a problem, and some are pushing for Congress to intervene. “Everyone has experienced the heartache of seeing their candidate...
San Jose lawmaker withdraws bill to lower state rent caps
Politically-active landlords are coordinating a campaign to stop a proposal from California lawmakers to slash yearly rent control caps — and it appears to have worked. While Assemblymember Ash Kalra successfully advocated for his “Affordable Rent Act” proposal Thursday at the state Housing and Community Development Committee, further discussions with the Judiciary Committee led Kalra...
State senator pushes bill for San Jose State law school
A Silicon Valley politician wants to create California State University’s first public law school and is eyeing San Jose. State Sen. Dave Cortese’s Senate Bill 550 proposes establishing a law school at San Jose State University by integrating it with state-accredited, nonprofit Lincoln Law School of San Jose. If approved, it would be San Jose’s...
License to Kill
The California DMV routinely allows dangerous drivers with horrifying histories to continue to operate on our roadways. Too often they go on to kill. Many keep driving even after they kill. Some go on to kill again. By Robert Lewis, CalMatters This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters. Court research...
‘We can fight this,’ San Jose congressman says about eliminating DEI
California Democrats in Congress say they don’t want state leaders to cave to the Trump administration’s attempts to attach strings to federal support and its most recent demand to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs at schools — even if that means the state could lose out on millions or billions of dollars in federal funding. “The...
Freshman Silicon Valley lawmaker makes his mark
Silicon Valley’s newest assemblymember has hit the ground running in his first four months, with a hefty bill package supporting economically disadvantaged Californians. District 26 Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens was sworn into office Dec. 8, and since then he’s met with thousands of residents, community leaders and local officials. The freshman state lawmaker is carrying 17...
Silicon Valley lawmaker wants to reduce school funding inequity
State Sen. Dave Cortese wants more funding to go to underserved schools by leveling the playing field between wealthy and under-resourced districts, and is proposing a way to make that happen. For decades school funding has been based on two key factors — property taxes and school districts receiving state dollars based on school enrollment....
Ex-Silicon Valley lawmaker fined for hiding payments to Alec Baldwin
Former California Assemblymember Evan Low tried to conceal hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to celebrity Alec Baldwin for campaign appearances using a big tech advocacy group he founded, according to a recent state report. Low — who represented Assembly District 26 and lost a bid for Congressional District 16 to former San Jose...
California Democrats look for a path forward for their party
As Democrats soul-search for a new message to meet the current Trump era, many lawmakers are pointing to the ideas at the center of “Abundance,” the much-hyped book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, as at least a partial solution to the party’s woes. “This is one of the most important books Democrats can read...
DOGE is changing California — and Democrats worry it’s just starting
California is being hit particularly hard by Department of Government Efficiency cuts. It is home to more federal workers than any other state, many of them with the Department of Veterans Affairs, whose workforce is being slashed by thousands nationwide. Its national parks and reserves are facing staffing cuts, while its universities stand to lose...