California Politics & News
Stay updated with California news, including reporting, analysis, and commentary on state government, progressive overreach, and the conservative response to Golden State policies.
-
- News
Judge Shoots Down California Ban on Handgun Ads in Gun Shops as ‘Paternalistic’
A federal judge has struck down a law banning handgun ads at gun shops as “unconstitutional on its face” and “highly paternalistic.” California officials had argued that they intended the ban to prevent advertisements from prompting state residents with “impulsive personality traits” to buy more guns, and thereby reduce the risk of “handgun suicide and…Troy Worden -
- Opinion
Norway’s Boardroom Gender Quota Didn’t Work. California May Try It Anyway.
From making war on straws to policing speech, California leads the nation in adopting half-baked ideas from Europe. The latest craze is a bill that would force publicly held companies to put women on their boards by 2019. Specifically, companies would have to add at least one woman to their board by the end of 2019,…Jarrett Stepman -
- Opinion
California Is Changing Its Bail System. The Reforms Are Hopeful, but Unproven.
California Gov. Jerry Brown on Aug. 28 signed state Senate Bill 10 into law, which will entirely replace California’s cash bail system with a risk-assessment bail system. Under the new law, which will take effect Oct. 1, 2019, California judges will no longer impose monetary bail conditions on criminal defendants who are in jail while…Jonathan Zalewski -
- News
California on Cusp of Banning Short-Term Health Coverage
State lawmakers in California are close to banning inexpensive, short-term health insurance plans backed by the Trump administration as a cheaper alternative to Obamacare. State Sen. Ed Hernandez, D-Azusa, has urged California Gov. Jerry Brown, also a Democrat, to sign his legislation to ban the short-term health plans, which passed both houses of the Legislature….Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
California Shows Why Congress Needs to Eliminate Food Stamp Work Requirement Loophole
Despite a booming economy and a record-low unemployment rate nationally, at least one state has been working overtime to ensure its work-capable food stamp recipients don’t have to work. Current law requires non-elderly, able-bodied adults without dependent children to work or participate in work-related activities, such as education and job training programs, for at least…Vijay Menon -
- Opinion
California’s ‘Must Stay Gay’ Bill Would Cause Severe Harm
A groundswell of opposition from churches, pastors, and ordinary citizens in California may have delayed but ultimately could not prevent the passage of AB 2943 by the California Senate on Aug. 16. The bill itself, dubbed by some as the “Must Stay Gay” bill, is a perfect storm of leftist political correctness that attacks free…Peter Sprigg -
- Opinion
Podcast: California Not Happy With Trump’s Regulation Rollbacks
On today’s edition of The Daily Signal podcast, Ginny Montalbano and Daniel Davis interview Heritage Foundation economist Nick Loris, who focuses on energy, environmental, and regulatory issues, about proposed regulation rollbacks in California. Loris discusses the Trump administration’s move to try to loosen fuel-efficiency and emissions regulations for cars and light trucks put into place…Daniel Davis -
- News
Trump Administration’s Fuel Economy Proposal Bucks California in Bid to Spur New Car Purchases
American consumers who want safe, affordable vehicles will find new models with improved technology becoming less costly if a federal rule amending standards for fuel economy and emissions goes into effect, Trump administration officials said Thursday in announcing the proposal. California has been permitted to set its own auto emissions standards under a federal waiver….Kevin Mooney -
- News
California Supreme Court Smacks Down Ballot Initiative to Split State Into 3
The Supreme Court of California struck down a ballot initiative Wednesday to divide the state into three states—California, Northern California, and Southern California. Proposition 9, which qualified for the November ballot with 402,468 signatures on June 12, would have appeared on the ballot in the general election, but will no longer be an issue residents…Jessica Kramer -
- News
California Man Arrested After Threatening to Murder the Family of FCC’s Ajit Pai
A man angry over net neutrality has been charged with threatening to murder the family of Federal Communications Commission chairman Ajit Pai. Late last month, Markara Man, 33, of Norwalk, California, was arrested and charged with “threatening to murder a member of the immediate family of a U.S. official U.S. [Ajit Pai] with the intent…Katherine Rohloff -
- Opinion
California Presses Assault on Free Speech With ‘Fake News’ Panel
As the Supreme Court strikes blows against compelled speech and restrictions on free speech, California is doing its best to resist. One of the latest legislative proposals from California aims to make government the arbiter of truth. Senate Bill 1424 would create an advisory group on “fake news” to work with social media companies to…Jarrett Stepman -
- News
California Can’t Make Pregnancy Centers Advertise Abortion, Supreme Court Rules
The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling Tuesday, struck down a California law mandating that pro-life pregnancy centers advertise where clients may get an abortion. The decision, supporters said, confirmed that government can’t compel citizens to promote messages they don’t agree with. “No one should be forced by the government to express a message that…Rachel del Guidice -
- Opinion
In a Win for Free Speech, Supreme Court Says California Can’t Force Pro-Life Centers to Promote Abortion
The Supreme Court ruled Tuesday in favor of free speech in NIFLA v. Becerra, a case regarding California’s attempt to force pro-life pregnancy centers to advertise the state’s free or low-cost abortion program. The court rightly held that the California law in question, the Reproductive FACT Act, “likely violates the First Amendment” and “unduly burdens…Elizabeth Slattery -
- News
More Stars on the Flag? California Split Vote Has Implications for Entire Country
Californians will vote this fall about dividing the state into three new states. The plan, called Cal 3, has implications for the entire country. It would bump the U.S. Senate up to 104 members as well as throw off the balance of the Electoral College. California currently has 55 electoral votes, but if voters OK the…Evie Fordham -
- News
California University Refuses to Speak With Pro-Life Group About Free Abortion Drugs
A pro-life group has sought without success to speak with California State University at Long Beach about its stance on an abortion bill that soon may take effect at all California public universities. Students for Life of America, which aims to abolish abortion on college campuses, launched a #RUSerious campaign to protest a proposal to give…Grace Carr -
- News
California Lawmakers Look to Extend State Medicaid to Illegal Immigrants
Both houses of the California Legislature have voted to lift the requirement of legal residency in the state to be eligible to receive the state version of Medicaid, adding to the state’s growing list of policies favoring illegal immigrants. The separate bills in the state Assembly and state Senate come as the state faces a…Jeremiah Poff -
- News
California College Spikes National Anthem From Graduation Ceremony
A California college stopped playing the national anthem for its 2018 graduation ceremony, a student publication revealed Monday. Pomona College, a private California institution, played the anthem in 2017, but dropped it for the 2018 ceremony, reported The College Fix. “I think private colleges should not be required to play the national anthem—three of the Claremont…Rob Shimshock -
- News
Google Blames Wikipedia for Listing Nazism as One of California Republican Party’s Ideologies
Google reportedly identified one of the ideologies of the California Republican Party as “Nazism” on its highly popular search platform. The piece of inaccurate information, which is hyperlinked to presumably take web browsers to more information about the hateful, fascist persuasion, is found in the “knowledge panel,” a sidebar widget that presents further, more immediate…Eric Lieberman -
- Opinion
These California Rebels Are Working With Trump, Not Against Him
The resistance is growing in California. The Golden State has set itself up as the stridently progressive thorn in the side of the Trump administration. California has not just become a sanctuary state in an attempt to undermine federal immigration enforcement, but has gone a step further. Recently, California lawmakers proposed giving health care to…Jarrett Stepman -
- News
California Could Become First State to Offer Health Care to Illegal Immigrants
Orange County 2nd District Supervisor Michelle Steel said Monday on Fox Business’ “After The Bell” that California could become the first state to offer free health care services to illegal immigrants. “California has 1.5 trillion in debt and on the top of it, that we have $258 billion unfunded pension liability. We’re talking about only two big…Nick Givas