After weeks of negotiations, state legislators will start voting today on a budget deal that sets spending and policy across a wide range of issues affecting Californians.

California legislators have passed a slew of laws to protect abortion rights. But after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, many fear attempting to regulate “crisis pregnancy centers” is legally risky.

People who fail to grasp the big picture, or choose to ignore the combined impacts of poor planning, discriminatory zoning practices and the complexities required to fund affordable housing projects are among the first to argue passionately how much they feel sorry for the homeless – but just as passionately argue that they shouldn’t be allowed to live in their neighborhoods.

Under the proposed state changes, recipients would gain greater flexibility to participate in activities such as going to school, domestic violence counseling, addiction treatment or mental health care, at an estimated cost of100 million.

One bill will require social media companies to share advertising revenue with news publishers.

A bill to tax Airbnb and other short-term rentals to fund affordable housing projects could be voted on by the Senate as soon as today. The proposal has revived the debate over Airbnb and its role in the housing crisis.

After unanimously clearing the Senate, a bill expanding first responders’ access to workers’ comp for PTSD moves to the Assembly.

A 2021 state law took investigations into California police shootings out of the hands of local cops. Now, some families say the new system is agonizing in its own way.

A 2015 law to bring more transparency to paid trips for California legislators has led to only two disclosure forms being filed by the sponsoring groups.

There are 50,000 humanitarian reasons for the state to follow through on its funding commitment. There is also a powerful economic incentive.

The revised budget proposal now provides a total of $452 million for statewide flood protection, including the hard-hit Central Coast.

Atlanta-based Pulte Group contends its Quito Village project doesn’t need to abide by the original developer’s first-of-its-kind union-hiring standard set by a new housing law.

A California housing law grants generous benefits to builders who agree to only hire union workers. Trouble is, few if any builders found a way to do it.

AB 1657 would authorize $10 billion in general obligation bonds to provide funding for affordable rental housing for lower income families, homeownership opportunities, and supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness.

SB 634 would make the task of housing unhoused and low-income residents on vacant land easier for California cities.

Sen. Dave Cortese of San Jose began pushing for the audit after touring a massive homeless encampment on vacant land near the San Jose Mineta International Airport. San Jose will be one of two cities targeted by the audit.