Thanks to those bums in Illinois, California is no longer the state with the worst credit rating in the nation—a position we have held since 2009. Moody's Investors Service penalized Illinois with an A2 rating, which is even worse than our A1. more ›

Maybe someone in the Department of Finance didn't get the memo: The California State Budget was supposed to be kept under wraps until next Tuesday, but since it was accidentally already posted online, they're going to publish it ahead of schedule this afternoon. more ›

Mid-year budget cuts are coming in the state of California, and with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) set to lose out on $38 million, Superintendent John Deasy has announced today plans to sue the state. more ›

If a proposed tuition increase is approved by the California State University Board of Trustees, it would mean a sixth straight year of fees going up. The current increase is a proposed 9 percent, or $498 annually for full-time undergrads at the CSU's 23 campuses. more ›

Faculty at California State University's 23 campuses will be holding informal protests today to draw attention to the current "impasse" in an ongoing salary dispute and in the wake of executive pay raises. A strike by the faculty union has been called at two campuses for November 17. more ›

Anschutz Entertainment Group isn't the only big winner from a pair of bills Governor Jerry Brown signed on Tuesday that fast-tracks any lawsuits against the proposed downtown stadium. Supporters of the slow-going subway to the Westside believe these bills could help them out, too, according to The Daily News. more ›

How will the City of Los Angeles cope with the statewide release of inmates under a new plan to lessen overcrowding in prisons? Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck says 150 officers will be taken away from regular duties in order to "deal with" the plan, according to L.A. Now. Doing so, cautions Beck, will affect how the LAPD deal with crime and emergency responses. more ›

Gentlemen and the parents of baby boys in California, you are free to do as you wish with the penises in your purview when it comes to circumcision. Specifically, you will not be subject to a ban on the act of male circumcision, thanks to Governor Jerry Brown signing into law a bill that bans the bans on foreskin removal. more ›

It's time to raise your glass for a toast in appreciation to Governor Jerry Brown, who today signed into law SB 32, the bill that ends a decades-old ban on infused spirits in the state. more ›

Hundreds of Californians are getting into the spirit of the judicial process, and are working to get a bill signed into law that would overturn an almost-100-year-old ban on serving cocktails made with infused alcohol in the state. more ›

A bill that bars Californians from buying booze in self-checkout lanes is heading to Jerry Brown's desk for his signature. Supporters say that requiring face-to-face sales decreases the likelihood that a minor will buy alcohol. more ›

California became the first state to ban foie gras back in 2004, but the law will not be enforced until next year. In July 2012, "duck liver cannot be served throughout the state if the duck was force fed, which is the method used by duck raisers for the liver to become fatty," explains AHN. Not all chefs are on board with the ban, though. more ›

Our state laws regarding cellphone use while at the wheel of our cars, and while we're riding on two wheels, are staying status quo. Tuesday, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed State Bill 28, which would have seen fines for illegal cellphone use while driving double. The bill also included new legislation that would have applied to bicyclists' use of cellphones. more ›

A warning to all those for whom the temptation to let their fingers do the talking while driving is impossible to resist: If Governor Jerry Brown signs SB 28 into law, failing to go hands free while you're at the wheel could soon cost you more than twice as much in fines. Bonus: The bill extends the ban on illegal cellphone use while you're in charge of two wheels. more ›

Lawmakers have sent Governor Jerry Brown (and his corgi Sutter Brown) a bill that would require all cats and dogs that are adopted or reclaimed at shelters to be implanted with microchips. The pluses for owners are obvious: those microchips would help lost animals become reunited with their owners. And that will be good for shelters, too, which are often crowded with lost pets. more ›

Yesterday, California Governor Jerry Brown signed into law Senate Bill 39, which bans the importation, production, and sale of caffeinated beer beverages at retail locations throughout the state. The ban, passed in the state senate last month, goes into effect on January 1, 2012. Behind the law is local state senator Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima), who has been vocal about his concerns about the popular boozy drinks that mix stimulants with alcohol. more ›

Jury duty is always good for people watching, and one state courthouse may provide particularly good fodder this week, as Governor Jerry Brown is slated to make an appearance as a juror, reports NBC LA. The CA state governor has been asked, by the same kind of summons received by civilians like you or I, to call in and see if his services are needed on Wednesday. more ›

Stock up now, party people, before it's too late: In a move aimed at protecting the youth of our state could find caffeinated beer beverages, such as Four Loko, banned in California. All that the ban needs to go through is Governor Jerry Brown's signature, after the State Senate gave the bill, SB 39, legislative approval. more ›

Pending Gov. Jerry Brown's signature, California's vote in the 2012 presidential primary will move from February to June, meaning we'll only have to get to the polls twice next year instead of three times. The state senate voted 34-3 on Thursday to move the date to June and consolidate the presidential primary election with the state primary vote, more ›

They landed, they were greeted by grinning politicians, they motorcaded, they mingled with venture capitalists, they were received at a Hancock Park garden party. Ah, what a first day for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in Los Angeles. more ›

In the face of a $408-million shortfall, the Los Angeles Board of Education approved its final budget on Thursday, "bridging a multimillion-dollar deficit in the state's largest school district with pay cuts and the layoffs of about 3,000 people, including some teachers, counselors and office workers," according to the LA Times. more ›

Gov. Jerry Brown approved the months-late state budget as passed by state legislators Wednesday night and signaling the beginning of various cuts on state programs and tax hikes for Californians. more ›

A ruling today by the Supreme Court may be felt as a loss for California Governor Jerry Brown, but a boon for youngsters with a love of video games and some cash in pocket. A 7-2 ruling made today "determined that California’s 2005 violent video game restrictions violated free speech rights protected by the First Amendment," according to the Sacramento Bee. more ›

After reviewing the budget passed last week by the California legislature, State Controller John Chiang found that it was unbalanced, and that legislators will therefore forfeit their pay and living expenses. In a statement, Chiang said that “My office’s careful review of the recently-passed budget found components that were miscalculated, miscounted or unfinished. The numbers simply did not add up, and the Legislature will forfeit their pay until a balanced budget is sent to the Governor.” more ›

The budget package passed Wednesday by Democratic legislators has been vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown, sources say, according to the L.A. Times. more ›

June 15th is the day the State Budget gets voted on by our legislators, and as that day nears, Governor Jerry Brown has taken to YouTube with a video message about what he wants to do, and what he needs to happen to get it done. more ›

There are 29,398 fewer state-issued cellphones in use today thanks to a massive cut implemented by Governor Jerry Brown. The removal of the state employees' state-funded phones is part of cost-cutting plan to save the taxpayers at least $13 million. more ›