Grace Gedye/CalMatters

New rules proposed by California’s Department of Insurance would require insurers to take homeowners’ efforts to reduce wildfire risk into account when setting premiums. But they would still allow non-renewals.

California has invested heavily in switching away from gas-powered cars to meet its climate goals. Now Gov. Newsom has proposed sending out checks to car owners to help with the price of gas. That move wouldn’t necessarily prop up demand for gas — economists say people may use the money to buy other things.

State lawmakers have several proposals for sending checks to people to help with the increased cost of gas. One-time checks would be especially helpful for people with lower incomes, economists and policy experts said. Republicans are pushing to temporarily suspend the state gas tax to reduce the price of gas.

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed pausing tax increase on gas sellers and Republican state lawmakers have pushed for suspending the tax entirely in the short term. Those plans would likely reduce the price of gas, but it’s not clear by how much. This week Newsom teased a possible rebate to deal with gas prices.

California has almost $20 billion of debt from the surge in unemployment claims during the pandemic, more than any other state. One reason is California’s higher unemployment rate; another is that employer taxes haven’t kept up with increasing benefits. Now, employers will see an automatic tax increase to start paying off the debt, and Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed spending $3 billion in state funds to reduce the debt.

A state law that requires California companies to have women on their boards is facing a legal challenge in Los Angeles, where a trial concluded Wednesday. Since the law passed in 2018, the share of women on boards has increased from 15.5% to 29%.

California lawmakers’ plan to bring back COVID supplemental paid sick leave, but it won’t cover small business workers.

Tighter mask rules and increased vaccination rates could have made a difference, but omicron was going to be a problem no matter what. In response to worker shortages, the Newsom administration has made it easier for schools to hire subs, requested $8 million to address health care staffing issues and more.

Updated COVID workplace rules go into effect January 14. Several of the changes increase protections for vaccinated workers.

California has the highest unemployment rate in the country. Several factors are contributing, including the state’s slow-to-rebound leisure and hospitality sectors. But the state has a lot of job openings, and high quit rates suggest workers are optimistic they can find better positions.

California built many new tech tools in response to the pandemic, often on a tight timeline. But the tools, such as MyTurn, the state’s vaccine portal, worked less well for older Californians, as well as those who lacked consistent internet access, or didn’t speak English fluently.

Global supply chain problems have led to a massive backup at Southern California ports. California lawmakers are asking experts about what the state could do to help — including locating temporary storage, growing the truck driving and warehouse workforces, suspending regulations and creating a new inland port.