CalMatters

Tax returns are used by the state government to send Californians money. But some of the people who could most use the money don’t get it.

A dozen days of wet and wild weather haven’t ended the drought and won’t cure the driest period in the West in the past 1,200 years.

After years of record California budget surpluses, Gov. Newsom outlines a plan to deal with a deficit he projects at $22.5 billion. He says he can keep his big promises despite the “modest shortfall.”

It’s been close to 30 years since California enacted the bulk of its seismic safety standards, but hospitals continue to ask for more time and flexibility. They argue that many facilities, especially smaller ones, can’t afford the retrofitting or replacement costs.

The California Legislature reconvenes with record diversity, but with several key questions and many significant challenges.

The new state Legislature is the most diverse ever, but by some measures, it still isn’t fully representative of California. See details in our interactive tool.

The graduate student workers who went on strike for six weeks won concessions like increased pay, but a substantial portion of the workers are still dissatisfied and the contracts are relatively short, so tough negotiations may resume again in 2024.

Some campuses have partnered with local transit agencies to reduce or waive all fares for students.

Although inmates are eligible for Medi-Cal after they are released, they often have long waits before their health services begin. The change is expected to improve care and reduce expensive emergency room visits.

Some California colleges are responding to campus sexual assault and harassment with restorative justice: a process that brings together the student who was harmed, the person who harmed them and the community to seek solutions.

The Supreme Court is keeping in place, for now, Title 42 — the pandemic policy that OK’d migrant expulsions. California has yet to figure out how to meet the needs of an influx of migrants if it does go away, especially given the state's projected budget deficit for the next fiscal year.

Nearly 100 committees are sitting on $35 million in leftover campaign funds. Candidates could give the cash to charity or return it to their donors, but many hold on to the money to retain political influence or to possibly run again.