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Some legislators proudly refuse pay increases

Only in public office could the distinction of lowest paid be worn as a badge of honor. But Richard Roth, a Riverside Democrat, has refused every pay increase since being elected to the state Senate in 2012, making $90,526 per year

California readies for contested presidential primary

James Poulos February 26, 2016

As the GOP field consolidates in a bitterly contested election season, California Republicans brace for an uncertain but likely bruising state primary. Though small, California’s mainstream conservative establishment has a degree of power that appears to be unusual this election cycle, coalescing

New poll shows support for legalizing marijuana in CA

James Poulos February 25, 2016

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

CA middle class fleeing to lower-cost states

James Poulos February 24, 2016

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

Ballot initiative pits water against high-speed rail

Matt Fleming February 23, 2016

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

Deaths in police custody up, half attributed to natural causes

Steve Miller February 23, 2016

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

Assemblymember to consider value of breasts in workers comp

Matt Fleming February 23, 2016

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

Over-the-counter birth control soon available in CA

James Poulos February 22, 2016

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

Obama designates three national monuments in CA desert

James Poulos February 22, 2016

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

Covered CA draws state and industry fire

James Poulos February 22, 2016

Struggling to prove that it has stabilized its business model, Covered California rebuffed criticism from industry leaders burned by their Obamacare experience, while a new state report called the exchange’s own practices and plans into question. Most recently, Covered California fired back at