California lawmakers faced a difficult budget year, but they still managed to put hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarks in the state budget to benefit their districts — and help them get re-elected.

A controversial bill that would have banned short kids from the front seat was watered down, but small children face new rules in 2027. 

California’s Assembly Appropriations Committee killed bill that aimed to give classic car owners a pass from smog requirements.

Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest man, gave out $1 million checks to gin up support for Donald Trump. California lawmakers want to ban big cash payments to registered voters.

As lawmakers rush through thousands of bills in Sacramento and make decisions in secret, regular Californians are often silenced.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas pledged to tackle affordability in 2025, but Democratic lawmakers’ plans to address Trump cuts, housing costs, energy, insurance, grocery bills and inflation remain unclear.

Critics say a bill approved last year by the Legislature and sponsored by Assemblymember Ash Kalra of San Jose was the product of secret negotiations.

The federal government typically covers 75% of rebuilding costs after a major disaster. President-elect Trump has threatened to withhold firefighting money from California.

A new California law responds to rising attacks on health care workers, despite concerns from progressives and prison-reform advocates.

Gov. Newsom reluctantly signed a bill to reform the state’s lemon-vehicle law – co-authored by San Jose Assemblymember Ash Kalra – despite saying it has problems lawmakers will need to fix.

A bill awaiting the governor’s signature that makes it harder for consumers to get refunds for defective cars under the state’s lemon law was drafted in secret by auto manufacturers and attorneys.

Low's Silicon Valley constituents could lose tens of millions of dollars in local tax revenues if Gavin Newsom signs a bill that allows casino-owning tribes to sue private card rooms, their competitors.

A trio of California Democratic lawmakers say they’re frustrated by high cost estimates that helped kill their health care legislation. Did the Newsom administration inflate the numbers to quietly kill the bills?

The Assembly approved a union-backed bill that would add new disclosure requirements for local government contractors, but the Senate last week removed the self-auditing requirements and the public naming of private-sector employees.

The California Assembly last week voted 56-8 to approve a bill to force disclosures from artificial intelligence companies. The Senate now takes up the measure, which is opposed by the influential California Chamber of Commerce.

The Assembly has until the end of January to decide the fate of the youth tackle football bill, which would prevent kids under 12 from playing the sport to protect them from brain trauma.