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.
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news
The California Gathering That Hatched Plan to Prosecute Skeptics of Climate Change
Just before joining climate change activist and former Vice President Al Gore for a press conference in New York City, seven state-level attorneys general huddled with a representative of the Union of Concerned Scientists. The political activist, Peter Frumhoff, called for them and other elected officials to move decisively against major corporations and institutions for “denying”… -
opinion
California Regulations Threaten Single Mom Over Homemade Food
Should a single mom be facing jail time for selling homemade food? California investigators recently completed an undercover sting operation into a community group using Facebook as a platform to exchange and sell homemade food items. This is yet another example of overcriminalization under the watch of California Gov. Jerry Brown, which also limits the… -
news
California Voters to Decide Whether Schools May Teach Students in Spanish
Voters in California will weigh in Tuesday on a decades-old debate about bilingual education in the state’s public school system. The outcome ultimately could determine whether California schools will continue to be required to teach in English, or may use Spanish or another language. Although largely overlooked in a crowded election season, the issue has… -
news
The Government Seized $100K From This California Family’s Bank Accounts, College Savings
James Slatic was sitting in a breakfast meeting when he heard the news. An employee who worked for him and his medical marijuana business, Med-West Distribution, called to tell him he arrived at Med-West’s facility in San Diego, California, to find “25 police cars” outside. It was Jan. 28, and on that day, an estimated… -
news
Gun Control Measure Divides California’s Politicians, Law Enforcement
A gun control measure on California’s ballot Nov. 8 is pitting sheriffs, police chiefs, and prosecutors against most of the state’s political establishment. “This initiative would do nothing to stop criminals from acquiring ammunition, guns, or large-capacity magazines,” @michele_hanisee says. A state that already has some of the strictest limits on gun ownership in the… -
news
California Could Let Felons Behind Bars Vote, Despite What the State Constitution Says
California Gov. Jerry Brown is considering whether to sign a bill that would allow tens of thousands of incarcerated felons to vote, while continuing to deny the vote to others. The Legislature sent a bill to Brown’s desk that would restore voting rights to an estimated 50,000 convicted felons who are behind bars in county jails, but not… -
opinion
Planned Parenthood Wants to Use California Bill to Silence Opposition
At Planned Parenthood’s behest, the California Assembly has passed AB 1671 on to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk. AB 1671 amends a state anti-eavesdropping law to add criminal penalties for disclosing the confidential communications of a health care provider. The bill is designed to silence “undercover journalists” who might have reason to suspect foul play within… -
opinion
How a New California Climate Law Will Strangle Manufacturing
California just hung up a big “Manufacturing Workers Need Not Apply” sign. It took the form of extended, stricter, and even less realistic carbon dioxide regulations. A new California bill extends legislation previously set to expire in 2020 and imposes dramatically deeper emissions cuts for 2030. Under the new measure, California must cut its carbon… -
opinion
California Legislature Adopts Bill That Would Make It Tougher for Government to Take Your Stuff
The California Senate unanimously approved a landmark civil asset forfeiture reform package last week. If signed by Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, the bill would clamp down on one of the most pernicious practices in civil forfeiture: the bypassing of state law via the controversial federal equitable sharing program. It would also expand the range… -
news
What Conservatives Did to Pull Off Religious Liberty Win in California
California conservatives won a surprise victory this week, changing a state assembly bill that would have curtailed the freedom of private religious colleges. “We literally were able to see tens of thousands of people mobilize to make calls and to write their legislators, and to participate in the political process,” William Jessup University President John… -
news
Obama Administration Coy on Expanding Obamacare to California Illegal Immigrants
California Gov. Jerry Brown signed a bill to expand Obamacare to cover illegal immigrants, but now it’s up to the Obama administration to determine if the nation’s largest state will get an exemption related to a specific promise the president made when trying to sell the health care law. The Golden State will be asking… -
news
California Could Become the First State to Expand Coverage to Illegal Immigrants Under Obamacare
California state lawmakers are one step closer to expanding coverage under Obamacare to illegal immigrants, sending a bill to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk that would allow those living in the state illegally to buy health insurance on the exchange with their own money. The California Legislature passed a bill last week setting in motion a… -
opinion
The Zombie Voter Apocalypse: California Refuses to Admit Its Voter Fraud Problem
Hollywood has always loved making films about the walking dead, but in Southern California it appears they have a real life problem with “zombie” voters. An investigation by CBSLA2 and KCAL9 found that hundreds of deceased persons are still on voter registration rolls in the area, and that many of these names have been voting… -
news
Conservative Group Fights California AG’s Attempt to ‘Chill’ Speech
Though a federal judge recently ruled that a conservative nonprofit group doesn’t have to disclose its donor list to California’s Democratic attorney general, conservatives believe this case is just the latest in an ongoing fight related to political activity and free speech. “This was a great victory for free speech for everyone in this country,”… -
news
California Teachers Unions Force Nonmembers to Pay for LGBT, Other Political Goals
A large California teachers union and its national affiliate are forcing nonunion teachers to pay for political activism, according to a disclosure form acquired by The Daily Signal. Under a category called “human rights,” both the National Education Association and the California Teachers Association require nonunion teachers to finance LGBT leadership training and other political… -
news
California Looks to Cover Illegal Immigrants Under Obamacare
In an unprecedented move, California legislators look to extend Obamacare health coverage to the state’s estimated 2.6 million illegal immigrant population. If passed and signed into law, California would be the first state in the nation to request illegal immigrants be covered through a state exchange, the Los Angeles Times reported. It is against the… -
news
A Family-Owned Business Braces for California’s Minimum Wage Hike
SAN DIEGO—Elvin Lai has been in the hospitality business his entire life. The San Diego hotel where he serves as chief executive officer has been in his family for four generations, and Lai can rattle off childhood memories of his younger years spent at the beachfront property. Lai asked that his hotel name not be… -
news
Under California’s Minimum Wage, This Bookstore Owner Is Struggling to Survive
After more than a decade at the helm of her bookstore, Ann Kinner faces an uncertain future because of new measures at the city and state level to raise the minimum wage. On June 7, San Diego residents will vote on a ballot measure to raise the city’s minimum wage to $11.50 an hour in… -
news
For California Teacher Taking on Unions, Supreme Court Ruling Isn’t the End of Her Case
Two years after California teacher Rebecca Friedrichs first mounted her challenge to public-sector unions, she’s hearing the same thing today that she’s heard from fellow teachers all along: Keep fighting. The Supreme Court ruled 4-4 Tuesday in the case that bears her name, Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association, leaving in place agency fees public employees pay… -
opinion
New California Law Forces Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers to Advertise Abortions
Did you hear about the new bill that California Gov. Jerry Brown has signed into law? Under penalty of whopping fines, the new law orders the abortion giant Planned Parenthood and every other abortion facility in the Golden State to post a prominent notice in their waiting rooms, or give the mothers written or digital…