California legislature

Top California Democrats announced Sunday they will ask voters to approve a plan cracking down on retail theft.

California’s nation-leading $25 minimum wage for health workers will rely on a significant boost in federal funding and exempt thousands of state employees under an agreement that is expected to be approved in the coming days.

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.

California’s Black Legislative Caucus is touring the state to promote reparations bills that address forced prison labor and efforts to improve health, longevity and financial equity. The six-city tour is meant to urge the public to get involved in lobbying lawmakers.

A California Democratic lawmaker took a shot at the salaries of nonprofit CEOs after they opposed her union-backed bill that would add new disclosure requirements for local government contractors.

Gov. Newsom’s latest budget proposal cuts the Middle Class Scholarship to $100 million. The Legislature wants to provide more than $900 million for it.

A program that helps small businesses is just one of the proposed budget cuts on which California’s governor and Legislature disagree.

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.

Three men falsely arrested based on face recognition technology have joined the fight against a California bill that aims to place guardrails around police use of the technology. They say it will still allow abuses and misguided arrests.

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.

Adults without high school diplomas can attend community college, but few of them receive financial aid, even when they’re eligible. A new proposal from Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Community Colleges Chancellor Sonya Christian aims to fix that. But it may be too late.

As funds for climate change programs are cut, Democrats and environmentalists are pushing for a bond measure on the ballot to restore some funding.