Southern California school boards have been battling with Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta over book bans and other culture wars in the classroom. 

On Monday, the Assembly finished its votes on Newsom’s series of infrastructure streamlining bills, although not without reservations. Today, the Senate is expected to take its final vote on the infrastructure package, agreeing to some Assembly amendments before sending it to Gov. Newsom’s desk.

After a prolonged transition, the Hollister Democrat was sworn in as Assembly speaker today, taking over from Anthony Rendon of Southern California. It’s been a meteoric ascent for the 43-year-old who grew up in farmworker housing, and worked as a high school counselor and community college teacher while serving as a San Benito County supervisor.

Much of the Assembly Public Safety Committee's debate centered on whether it's better to treat the fentanyl crisis as a public health issue, or to see it as a public safety emergency where harsher punishments could deter drug dealers.

The California Journalism Preservation Act directs big tech companies to pay publishers a “journalism usage fee” each time they use local news content and sell advertising alongside it. In turn, the bill requires news publishers to invest 70% of the profits from the usage fee in journalism jobs.

One in 10 state lawmakers is related by blood or marriage to other legislators past and present. State Sen. Dave Cortese, a Campbell Democrat, is one of these, who has benefited from name recognition: His father, Dominic, served on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors before nabbing a seat in the Assembly.

Nearly one-third of lawmakers — at least 37 of 120 — will be new to Sacramento, paving the way for new political dynamics and new legislative priorities.

The governor also signed six climate bills into law, including one that keeps the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant to stay open until 2030.

Supporters swayed moderate Democrats by removing a provision that would have put fast food corporations on the hook for labor violations at franchise locations, but industry lobbying and opposition from his own Department of Finance could convince Newsom to veto the bill.

The approximately 25,000 ballots counted by the Registrar of Voters Elections Division June 9 didn’t change any trends or flip any projected outcomes, but did suggest the early, expected outcomes are more likely to hold.

After a weekend of lobbying, jockeying and speculating, then a flurry of parliamentary maneuvers and a six-hour closed-door caucus meeting on Tuesday, Rivas’ campaign for speaker ended abruptly. California Assembly Democrats decided to keep their current leader, Speaker Anthony Rendon

A proposed California law that is part of a larger package of gun control bills would allow the attorney general to sue gun manufacturers over marketing practices.

A $300 penalty that California courts tack onto traffic and minor citations can cause the cost of a ticket to balloon. Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to reduce it by half but lawmakers want it gone.

Lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom have different opinions on the best next steps for California’s high-speed rail project.

Roughly 360,000 UC and CSU students may soon receive about $1,000 to $3,000 to fund their educations this fall as part of California’s effort to make college debt-free. Another form of aid to help more community college students has a less clear path

The Campbell Democrat and former Santa Clara County supervisor wants to send no-strings-attached checks to 15,000 homeless high school seniors in California.