California legislature

Four new laws that went into effect on July 1 focus on keeping California students healthy, safe and concentrating on learning, according to legislators.

Southern California Democratic lawmaker Blanca Pacheco’s bill would have added high fees to records requests submitted for a “commercial purpose” and allowed counties more avenues to deny records and take people to court.

Assemblymember Blanca Pacheco’s legislation would allow public agencies to delay records requests it deems “improperly” filed, sue for “malicious” requests and charge up to $66 an hour to produce government records. One good governance advocate calls it a “virtual horror show of governmental non-transparency.”

State lawmakers’ budget plan would reject or delay many of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s social service cuts. Now, the budget negotiations begin in earnest.

Arts advocates are asking for $90 million in one-time funding for California’s arts agency and independent contractors to be included in the state budget ahead of the June 15 deadline.

California lawmakers are holding up money the Newsom administration requested for a nationwide driver license database over concerns that the information could lead to deportations.

Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed new carbon market rules that could drastically shrink the state’s funding for climate projects, threatening the spending deal he struck with legislators last year. Senate Democrats aren’t having it.

A State Assembly oversight hearing on petroleum in California Tuesday painted an uncertain picture with projections the state has enough oil and gas for the next six weeks.

The potential release of two men who were convicted of molesting children in the Sacramento region has California lawmakers racing to revise elderly parole rules.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Trump administration in striking down a California law banning immigration agents from wearing masks.

A California lawmaker wants to bring more families into the state's formal child support system, a move that advocates say could reduce child poverty. Her plan is moving forward in the Legislature, but even supporters have questions about how it could affect family dynamics.

Legislative Democrats on the Assembly Elections Committee advanced a bill on Wednesday aimed at keeping armed officers away from polling places and daycare facilities.