Are you addicted to tanning? If you're under 18, you may only have a few months left to get your fix. When the dark days of January arrive, it may no longer be legal for teens to don the goggles and go under the ultraviolet lights. 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 ›

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 ›

January 1 is right around the corner, and for California drivers, that means a slew of new laws go into effect. The California Highway Patrol sent out a reminder and details about all of the state's new traffic laws that will govern the roads and their drivers starting with the turn of the calendar. more ›

In the latest round of lobbying firm disclosures filed to the state, records show that California lawmakers as usual accepts gifts from various corporate entities, according to the LA Times. Of note is the more than $1,400 in basketball tickets given to politicians who helped push through the NFL stadium proposal for the city of Industry. Disney gave thousands of dollars worth of tickets to Iron Man 2 and Toy Story 3 to legislators. Various other companies wined and dined lawmakers. more ›

It's not that one side is not planning to save or even increase public transit funding, it's that they are cutting it and disagree by how much, according to the LA Times. In his budget plan, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed eliminating public transit funding via the state's voter-approved gasoline tax and then replacing it with a new tax to help solve the state's budget crisis. In the end, drivers would pay about 5-cents less per gallon at the pump. more ›

Would you like to redraw the political district lines of California's state legislature? How about the lines for the Board of Equalization, which administers some taxes? more ›

In an attention grabbing poll, California's legislature slightly edged out Britney Spears when polled Californians were asked who they would rather see manage their family budget. "Thirty-five percent of respondents said they would opt to have the Legislature manage their money, with 31 percent preferring to put Ms. Spears in charge. Thirty-four percent of those surveyed either didn't know or refused to answer the question," reports the Sacramento Bee's Capitol Alert. more ›

The state legislature early this morning finally passed a big water package that will bring an $11.1 billion bond to voters next year. In part, "it sets aside $3 billion for new storage and $2 billion for ecosystem restoration in the delta," explains the LA Times. "It would fund recycling and groundwater cleanup important to Southern California, pay for Salton Sea restoration and watershed projects on the Los Angeles and San Gabriel rivers. There is money for drought relief, Lake Tahoe, a dam removal project on the Klamath River in Northern California and Sierra foothill communities." The bond has split environmental groups. Some, like the NRDC and the Environmental Defense Fund, like it. Others, such as the Sierra Club, do not. more ›

That's the lowest approval rating of the Legislature from registered voters in the Field Poll's 26-year history. And that's not the only record broken. He may eat adorable breakfasts, but that's not going to save Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's 27 percent rating, the lowest since he entered office (and a number only found back in 1961 with Pat Brown). But still, he isn't the governor with the worst approval rating, that goes to Gray Davis (22%) before he was ousted from office in a recall election that Schwarzenegger won. more ›

As the legislature wrapped up last week, a slew of bills were voted down and voted through to the Governor's desk, many of them dealing with the environment from issues like state parks to air quality and other issues. more ›

Come June 15th--that's just 13 days from now--the state of California could be a path to having no money, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger told the legislature yesterday. Tough choices lie ahead, such as those we've been hearing about since last week like the cutting of most all state parks and all of welfare. He's urging lawmakers to pass those budget proposals within the next two weeks, a short time to solve a $24 billion deficit. more ›

$11.2 billion or $28 billion? Neither are good numbers when it comes to California's deficit, but that's the reality--our current budget shortfall is projected to be $11.2 billion and that could reach $28 billion in the next 18 months. more ›

It only took 77 days into the new fiscal year for California lawmakers to make a deal and pass the state's budget but when all was said and done, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger threatened to veto it. They debated early into the morning but made a plan that reportedly would solve the state's $15.2 billion deficit and would produce a $104.3 billion general fund that the Sacramento Bee says would bring "short-term relief but likely lead to shortfalls in future years." more ›

Not only are there Props 7 and 10, which are environmentally intentioned with heavy opposition from businesses and eco-groups alike, there is also a possible prop being pushed around by Governor Schwarzenegger and Senator Dianne Feinstein. It would be a $9.3 billion water bond, mainly for water surface storage. more ›