Image by hapabapaAs I make my way through bills in the second house policy committee, I continue to run across interesting provisions contained in these bills. Here is a short explanation of some recent examples from 2025 bills that the “legislative geek” in me finds interesting.
The California State Capitol Building in Sacramento. Image by t:Marcopolo9442It has been a big budget week, with lots of ups and downs. In today’s briefs we look at some of those as well as a few more happenings in and around the Capitol.
Image by Robert Way. OPINION – OpenAI needs the state of California to approve a corporate restructuring that would fundamentally alter its commitments to the public. But its plans are remarkably short on details, and the public deserves to know much more about how restructuring would affect them.
Vacaville Correctional Medical Facility. Photo by AP.Without emergency legislation, a little more than two dozen disabled people, including veterans, who work as janitors at a state prison facility in Vacaville are poised to lose their jobs at the end of this month due to a protest lodged by the Service Employees International Union Local 1000.
Image by John BlottmanOPINION – Now is the worst time for California’s leaders to inflict unforced errors and bad laws that will make the healthcare system even more unstable—especially when they will do nothing to lower costs. Senate Bill 41 (SB 41)—a bill currently under consideration in the State Capitol—is exactly such a mistake.
Image by Jair Ferreira Belafacce. OPINION – California’s public works construction market is worth a staggering $46 billion—and growing. But behind this impressive figure lies a problem that’s costing workers, taxpayers, and responsible contractors alike: outdated penalty and registration systems that effectively reward cheaters and leave regulatory agencies dangerously underfunded.
OPINION – The story of the Digital Age is one of rapid innovation, with people quickly adopting new tools while institutions meant to ensure everyone shares in the benefits often lag behind.
AI continues to advance at astonishing speed. More than 500 million people around the world—including 80,000 developers representing the next wave of business
Image by PhonlamaiPhoto. OPINION – With workers facing such unprecedented disruption — on top of the Trump Administration’s proposed $1.6 billion in cuts to Department of Labor funding — it’s imperative that state lawmakers prioritize workforce development funding during final budget negotiations.
The California state Capitol at dusk. (Photo: Karin Hildebrand Lau, via Shutterstock)This was crossover week, and both chambers considered hundreds of bills that only a few days before had cleared their respective suspense hearings. Here is a smattering of some of the significant action under the dome this week.
Image by KamionskyOPINION – As lawmakers in Sacramento increase their focus on human trafficking, we’re urging those in charge to focus on what really matters: survivor support and real recovery.