OPINION – Since January, ICE agents have arrested at least 22 people at California state courthouses in Fresno – with no regard for due process or dignity. These individuals were not fugitives. Some were awaiting trial and had not been convicted of any crime.
Image by sergeyryzhov. OPINION – Lawmakers must heed the message being delivered loud and clear by California voters and reject Assembly Bill 446 (Ward) – misguided legislation that would eliminate the discounts and loyalty reward programs that millions of California consumers rely on each year to save thousands of dollars and make ends meet.
Niesha Fritz, photo by Joha Harrison. Niesha Fritz’s career path began when she was young, with an electric typewriter gifted to her by her late grandfather and a pension for asking questions. Polishing her writing skills through contests her mother encouraged her to apply for, Fritz eventually settled on journalism. “It was the storytelling I really enjoyed, the process of gathering the details, and then sitting down and weaving them together into something that could be compelling,” she said. “I just sort of fell in love with the craft of it.”
Newsom bill signing. Image via YouTubeThis week was overwhelmed by the battle over redistricting, but there were other things going on as well.
The California state Capitol at dusk. (Photo: Karin Hildebrand Lau, via Shutterstock)The California Legislature has a combined 55 standing committees, with 32 in the Assembly and 23 in the Senate. In today’s Micheli Files lobbyist and law professor Chris Micheli breaks down the original bill referrals to policy committees during the 2025 Session (meaning the first committee that received a bill from the Rules Committee).
Image by PatrickCivelloOPINION – California faces a critical choice: confront a devastating water outlook head-on or continue to delay while the cost of inaction rises rapidly.
Image by NoDerogOPINION – The ongoing housing affordability crisis is as dire as the climate crisis. Smart, forward-looking policies must address both, and – at the very least – not worsen one in furthering the other. Unfortunately, California lawmakers did just that.
Blackjack, image by 18percentgreyOPINION – A set of proposed regulations, pushed by well-funded California tribal casino interests, would effectively cripple California’s local card rooms.
California Mass Deportation Protest, photo by AP. While redistricting has taken center stage for the moment, when lawmakers return next week they will also have a full package of bills addressing interactions with the federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) to consider forwarding to Gov. Gavin Newsom.
View of the Senate in the California State Capitol building. Image by Sundry Photography. With the final weeks of Session upon us, several procedural items that regularly occur on the Floors of the California Legislature may be in order.