Lawsuit argues CA education spending is constitutionally insufficient

When it comes to lawsuits arguing that California’s education system is unfair and unconstitutional, the Vergara v. California case has gotten the most attention. A court hearing Thursday in Los Angeles began the state government’s appeal of Superior Court Judge

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New poll shows support for legalizing marijuana in CA

A majority of likely California voters support legalizing marijuana, a new pollster announced. Just shy of 60 percent of respondents to a survey conducted by Probolsky Research threw their weight behind the Golden State’s upcoming referendum on pot, which would

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Another year of CA water restrictions likely

After a sunny February, the hopes that El Nino storms would go a long way toward restoring California’s water supplies and relieving the damage done by years of drought are now fading. Instead, the new assumption is that in April,

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CA middle class fleeing to lower-cost states

New data has brought a new urgency to the souring fortunes of California’s middle class. “Not only are Californians leaving the state in large numbers, but the people heading for the exits are disproportionately middle class working families — the demographic backbone of

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Ballot initiative pits water against high-speed rail

What’s more important: High-speed rail or water? Proponents of a proposed ballot measure would force voters to choose just that. The measure would redirect $8 billion in unsold high-speed rail bonds and $2.7 billion from the 2014 water bond to fund new

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Bullet train plan counting on new federal funding

The draft business report released last week by the California High-Speed Rail Authority presumes that $2.9 billion more in additional federal funding will be provided in coming years to help pay for the approximately $20 billion cost of the initial

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Deaths in police custody up, half attributed to natural causes

Manuel Ornelas died as he battled Long Beach police officers who were trying to subdue him in response to a Saturday morning call for help last September. Ornelas was apparently intoxicated and bleeding. He was subdued with an “an electronic control

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Assemblymember to consider value of breasts in workers comp

Asm. Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, will hold an informational hearing on Tuesday titled “Establishing the Evidence Based Value of Women’s Breasts in Workers’ Compensation.” While details are sparse, the explanation in the hearing’s notice — a copy of which was

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Over-the-counter birth control soon available in CA

Californians interested in obtaining the pill won’t have to wait much longer to do it with ease. “Under a law expected to go into effect by April, women in California will be able to stop by their neighborhood pharmacy and

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Obama designates three national monuments in CA desert

With an eye toward cementing one unquestioned — but not unchallenged — aspect of his legacy, president Obama designated three California desert locations as national monuments, adding to a substantial tally of sites poised to grow further before his term

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