San Jose Inside

Two-thirds of the bills opposed by the oil industry this year were killed, thanks in part to an alliance with the building trades union, forcing Democrats to sometimes choose between jobs and the environment.

California is modernizing how it pays health care providers through Medi-Cal. Some mental health providers say the changes endanger their services.

The strike in the first week of a new semester could be called off if both sides reach an agreement in contract talks Jan. 8-12, the union said.

Despite a few improvements, the data shows K-12 students are still struggling on several fronts.

Federal funding for domestic violence shelters and housing programs is declining. Advocates want the state to step in, but with a record projected deficit, new spending is unlikely.

U. S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey reported a recent increase in the theft of postal keys, break-ins of postal vehicles, assaults on letter carriers, and various other criminal acts involving interference with delivery of the mail.

The federal government suspended an annual Medicaid renewal requirement during COVID-19. Now that it has resumed, many Californians are losing coverage for procedural reasons.

While the crime spike resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic has receded in most parts of the country, California stands out as a stark aberration, with persistently high rates of violent crime and a spike in property offenses.

The Plaza Conservancy foresees an expanded park with fewer surrounding traffic lanes, a new stage and renovation of the more than century-old greenspace where the majestic old City Hall once stood.

San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan now has a primary opponent, Tyrone Wade, but past elections provide strong evidence the two-year incumbent will sail to an early victory in the March 5 primary.

Tech security entrepreneur Peter Dixon of Portola Valley filed his FEC candidate statement on Thursday and announced he already had raised $350,000; and Palo Alto Councilmember Julie Lythcott-Haims became the seventh Democrat – and first woman – to announce as a candidate for the seat held for 16 terms by Rep. Anna Eshoo.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a Hollister Democrat, says that when it became clear that tax revenues would be substantially below estimates, the Legislature should commit to a budget that protects classroom funding.

In his recent debate with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared that the state’s economy is “booming,” but a new report shows that it is actually slowing down.

The combination of the new early primary date, March 5, plus the prospect of the most hotly contested congressional primary in the Bay Area in decades boosts the likelihood of campaign war chests in the millions.

With the March 5 primary just three months away and a campaign period interrupted by the holidays, the candidates – a total of five Democrats and two Republicans so far – have a big fundraising challenge ahead of them.