Newsom’s first rodeo: In year one, the governor bucks both Trump and Brown
Californians will soon be allowed to eat roadkill but be prohibited from buying fur coats. Abortion pills will become available on college campuses, but tiny bottles of shampoo will be banned from hotel rooms. High school and middle school kids will get a later first bell, but schools won’t be forced to give kindergarteners a […]
On Trump’s tax returns and maybe more, Newsom’s agenda isn’t Jerry Brown’s
As governor, Jerry Brown vetoed a 2017 measure to keep presidential candidates off the California primary ballot unless they release their tax returns. With a stern veto message, he said the Trump-trolling bill would create a political “slippery slope.” “Today we require tax returns, but what would be next? Five years of health records? A […]
New CA rules for deadly police force go to governor’s desk
Aiming to reduce police shootings in a state that has more than 100 of them each year, the California legislature passed a bill Monday setting a tougher standard for police to use deadly force, allowing officers to fire their guns only “when necessary in defense of human life.” Gov. Gavin Newsom said he intends to […]
‘Governor Dad’ Newsom budgets tax breaks for diapers, focuses on families
California’s generational changing of the guard showed in the governor’s office on Tuesday as Gov. Gavin Newsom rolled out proposals to lift taxes on diapers and menstrual products—ideas his predecessor vetoed—and reiterated his desire to spend billions of dollars from the state budget to expand services for kids. Joined by his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, […]
How powerful lawmakers are killing California bills—without a peep
Gun control, school spending, curbs on greenhouse gases: With Democrats holding more power at the Capitol than they’ve had since the 19th century, California’s legislative pipeline is full this year with big, blue-state ideas. In theory, no Democrat’s bill should be left behind. But that’s not what’s happening, and the reason is roiling both sides […]
Law Enforcement Backs Down on Deadly Force Standard—For Now
The political landscape in California’s debate over how to curb police shootings shifted Tuesday as law enforcement groups agreed to drop the part of their bill that would lock in the current national standard for justifying the use of deadly force. The move—intended to sustain negotiations on what could be a historic change in law […]
Factions Take Shape as California Advances Nationally Watched Police Shooting Bill
Even as a landmark California bill meant to prevent police shootings passed its first committee Tuesday, the fault lines among Democrats began to emerge, suggesting the measure will likely change as it moves through the Legislature. How much, though, was not yet clear. After emotional, standing-room-only testimony from Californians whose loved ones have been killed […]
Three Things to Know about California’s Data Privacy Fight
When California passed the nation’s first law giving consumers control over their personal data last year, legislators built in an unusual buffer: an extra year to change the law before it takes effect in 2020. Lawmakers and lobbyists are now making use of the time, submitting at least 20 bills in recent weeks that would […]
Diverging Bills Aim to Curb Police Shootings: Tougher Legal Standards vs. Better Training and Policies
Negotiations have broken down between law enforcement and civil rights advocates on legislation to curb police shootings, with each side proposing their own bill meant to reduce the number of Californians killed by police—a development that indicates the Capitol’s dominant Democrats will likely be divided as the emotional issue of police shootings takes center stage […]
Governor Dad: How Gavin Newsom’s kids are about to shape California
Gov. Gavin Newsom was about half-way through his inaugural address Monday when his 2-year-old son toddled onto the stage, sucking on a green pacifier and gripping his blankie. Newsom, barely missing beat, hoisted the boy onto his hip, kissed him on the cheek and gamely continued delivering his first speech as the 40th governor of […]