CALMATTERS

• California lawmakers strike wildfire deal that leaves out most of Newsom’s big demands
  August 29, 2026
  Gov. Gavin Newsom backed off his plans to ease costs for utilities following wildfires they cause, striking a narrower deal with Democratic lawmakers.
• Trump cuts to these college outreach programs are hurting rural California students
  August 29, 2026
  Campus tours, help with college applications and academic counseling. These are just a few forms of college outreach and assistance lost to California students when the U.S. Department of Education canceled over $40 million in […]
• What to know about the new California privacy law that became a flashpoint over free speech
  August 28, 2026
  Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law expanding privacy protections to people who work with immigrants. Republicans characterized it as a threat to the First Amendment.
• Will lawmakers water down data center rules?
  August 28, 2026
  As public backlash against artificial intelligence data centers grows, tech companies are spending big bucks to influence and dissuade state lawmakers from reining in the facilities, report CalMatters’ Katherine Ortiz and Khari Johnson. The Legislature […]
• California Democrats race to ban electric shock gloves before ICE buys them
  August 28, 2026
  Democrats are pushing a last-minute bill to ban federal agents from using electric shock gloves following reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is making moves to buy and use them.
• The data center backlash is here — and Big Tech is spending big to combat it
  August 28, 2026
  The public has turned against data centers, prompting a flood of legislation in California. Business interests are trying to blunt the backlash.
• California’s budget is so convoluted that even experts are perplexed at what it contains
  August 28, 2026
  The process has become opaque, and the budget itself is a hodgepodge of phantom revenues, accounting gimmicks and off-the-books loans.