Alexei Koseff
State Capitol Reporter | CalMatters-
With President Joe Biden announcing he won’t seek reelection and endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, some California Democratic delegates quickly went along. The Democratic National Convention will decide the new nominee.
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Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders announce an agreement to bridge the state budget deficit by dipping into reserves and reducing some spending. The deal also calls for a bill in August to set aside more money and a 2026 constitutional amendment to grow the state’s rainy day fund.
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The state Supreme Court takes a business-backed initiative to make it more difficult to raise taxes off the Nov. 5 ballot. Gov. Newsom and legislative leaders sued to kick it off.
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The Legislature passes a placeholder state budget, but must still negotiate with Gov. Newsom on the final deal. How the state spends taxpayer money is largely being decided out of public view.
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Since Gov. Newsom proposed a 28th Amendment one year ago, there has been far more progress on online petitions than in other state legislatures. His team says the effort will pick up speed in 2025.
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The state’s multibillion-dollar shortfall shapes which spending bills survived the ‘suspense file’ hearings by the Assembly and Senate appropriations committees.
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Gavin Newsom proposes a mix of spending cuts and using reserves to balance the state budget. He says that core services will be largely untouched, but some existing programs would be affected.
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The California Supreme Court will decide in the coming weeks whether to kick a measure off the November ballot that would make it more difficult to raise taxes. The case pits Democratic leaders and unions against business and taxpayer groups.
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Gov. Newsom and Democratic leaders in the Legislature announce a deal on early action to shrink the state’s budget shortfall by $17 billion. Votes are expected next week, ahead of action on the 2024-25 budget in May and June.
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It’s a common complaint that it takes so long for election officials to finish counting votes. But there are ways to get your ballot to count in the first round of results.
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The new top Democrat in the state Senate announces his leadership team and new committee chairpersons. He rewarded some allies who helped him win the post, and filled five of seven leadership posts with women or legislators of color.
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A bill would let state legislators, who say they fear for their safety, shield their property holdings from disclosure forms. But critics say that could conceal potential conflicts of interest.