Political Stories – Top stories Confused over California’s new gun laws? Here’s when they take effect — Between state legislation and voter-approved ballot initiatives, 2016 saw passage of sweeping new gun regulations in California. Taken together, the new laws will add a host of restrictions for California’s more than 6 million gun owners, from where you buy […]

Political Stories – Top stories California bill aims to ban marijuana use while driving — While pot may be legal, two California legislators want to outlaw the “country cruise.” Sen. Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, and Assemblyman Evan Low, D-Campbell, introduced legislation Thursday outlawing smoking marijuana while operating a vehicle. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article California’s top court says […]

Political Stories – Top stories How to influence the California Legislature? New spending details revealed — The quarter that covered July 1 through the end of September was so important that companies, unions, trade associations and other groups paid $84.4 million to lobby officials on bills and regulations during the three-month period, according to state lobbyist disclosure […]

Political Stories – Top stories In the U.S. Senate, Boxer is out and Harris is in – – so what does that mean for the Valley? — Joel Nelsen, president of California Citrus Mutual, an Exeter-based growers lobby, said Harris is “an unknown quantity to us. We were concerned that her initial focus seemed San Francisco-oriented, and […]

Political Stories – Top stories California, at forefront of climate fight, won’t back down to Trump – California — a state that has for 50 years been a leader in environmental advocacy — is about to step unto the breach. In a show of defiance, Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, and legislative leaders said they would work directly with […]

Political Stories – Top stories Some women worried about Trump, rush to get affordable birth control — Three days after November’s election results were in, Alia Kuykendall made an intensely personal decision. She rethought her plan to remove the intrauterine device, or IUD, that she had been using since 2014 to ward off pregnancy. Like other California women, […]

Political Stories – Top stories California’s new laws in 2017: Drivers can’t hold phones, barber shops can serve wine — On New Year’s Day, Californians will wake up to hundreds of new laws, governing everything from the size of our paychecks to the rights of beauty salons to serve booze as they cultivate our coiffure. But some of the […]

Political Stories – Top stories Trump presidency presents a challenge for congressmen overseeing U.S. intelligence — The two contrasting Californians who lead House of Representatives oversight of U.S. intelligence operations will be tested as never before once Donald Trump becomes president. The committee’s chairman, Republican Rep. Devin Nunes of Tulare, advises the Trump transition team. The top-ranking Democrat […]

Political Stories – Top stories California and the feds: presidential picks aside, money matters – California and some other parts of the U.S. are in different political orbits when it comes to presidential picks. But the nation’s largest state and the federal government are more deeply entwined than ever on tax, spending and other fiscal matters. Sacramento Bee […]

Political Stories – Top stories Dan Morain: Jerry Brown plunges ahead on twin tunnels — Jerry Brown is jumping into the deep end, and he’s asking the rest of us to take a leap with him. Morain in Sacramento Bee Gov. Brown forgives more felons in past 6 years than were pardoned in previous 30 — He has granted […]