News

Cyrus Farivar, Forbes 

For Mia Bonta, a California state legislator, last summer’s Supreme Court decision overturning 50 years of abortion rights in the United States was something of a wakeup call.

Black Women In California Legislature Lead The Charge For Change

Genoa Barrow, The Observer

The Greek goddess Minerva appears on the state’s official seal, but some Californians point to a Black female warrior, Califia, as a symbol who encourages others to leave their mark on the state Capitol and seal the deal with laws that seek to improve life for all Californians.

Carrie Hahnel & Francis A. Pearman, EdSource

New school enrollment numbers in California point to an uncomfortable truth: California may have too many schools for its shrinking student population.

Mark Hedin, California Black Media - Oakland Post

Since Yvonne Braithwaite Burke became the first Black woman elected to serve in the California State Assembly in 1966, 20 other African American women have represented their constituents in both houses of the California State Legislature with distinction.

Many of them have gone on to make their marks in various political arenas at the state, local and national levels.

Sebastian Cahill, The Daily Californian

After a slew of bills aiming to decrease reproductive rights swept the nation post-Roe, members of the California Legislative Women’s Caucus announced 17 bills aiming to safeguard reproductive rights across the country March 13 in a press conference.

Kaylee Pearlman, Davis Vanguard

SACRAMENTO, CA – California legislation has been introduced here to “expand access to the Cash Assistance Program for Immigrants (CAPI) to the state’s most vulnerable seniors and disabled documented population,” to undocumented immigrants.

Assemblymember Juan Carrillo (D-Palmdale) states, “Across our state, the aging, undocumented population is increasing, especially our immigrant seniors, many of whom have no retirement despite years of working in this country.”

Tom Joyce, The Center Square contributor

(The Center Square) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom is planning to overhaul the state's prison system.

Newsom visited San Quentin State Prison and announced his plan to make the San Francisco bay prison serve a different purpose.

He wants the prison to serve as a center for lower-risk prisoners to receive education, job training, and rehabilitation for substance abuse.

Morgan Rynor, ABC 10

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — It’s been nearly nine months since the Supreme Court overturned Roe V. Wade. Since then, voters approved Proposition 1 to enshrine the right to abortion in California, the legislature passed a package of more than a dozen bills, and the governor allocated $200 million in the last budget to increase abortion access.

Vanessa Arredondo, Los Angeles Times

Democratic lawmakers introduced a package of bills on Monday to further bolster California’s role as an abortion haven after last year’s repeal of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Roe vs. Wade.

Brian Joseph, Capitol Weekly

It sounds like something out of a George Orwell novel: Government agents tracking people who search the web for abortion services or gender-affirming care.