Category: Government & Politics
How Trump’s proposal to strip tax-exempt status affects California private schools
By William Melhado, EdSource A proposal by the Trump administration to revoke the tax-exempt status of private schools with diversity, equity and inclusion programs could make it harder for independent schools to raise money and maintain programs intended to broaden access for minority students. Nonprofit and tax law experts say the proposal, announced by the…
Women Learned Their Jail Strip Searches Were Recorded. Their Outrage Changed the Law
TEXAS METRO NEWS — Suzanne Garcia, arrested in 2020, underwent a strip search at La Plata County Jail in Colorado. She later learned that this search, along with dozens of others, had been recorded by an officer’s body-worn camera. In 2022, Garcia was informed by a reporter that La Plata County Jail commander Edward Aber…
Most significant journalism bill nears the finish line
By Laura Rearwin Ward, founder California Independent News Alliance | publisher, Ojai Valley News News outlet owners, journalists and coalitions of organizations that have come together to support the nation’s most important journalism legislation to date were still in scramble mode this week, even as supermajorities in the California Legislature passed the Community NEWS Act,…
Legislative leaders decline to intervene in Sacramento City Unified oversight dispute
By John Fensterwald, EdSource The California County Superintendents organization failed to persuade legislative leaders to intervene in its dispute with State Superintendent Tony Thurmond. The county superintendents had sought to introduce emergency legislation to thwart Thurmond from carrying out a threat to take over oversight of financially stressed Sacramento City Unified from the Sacramento County…
Asm. Isaac Bryan’s Bill on Corporate Slavery Ties Moves to Gov. Newsom’s Desk for Signature or Veto
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media The Truth in Disclosure Act, the bill that proposes forcing private corporations to report their historical ties to chattel slavery, passed out of the California Legislature and has now moved to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature or veto. Authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights), Assembly…
California approves local journalism tax credits
Gretchen A. Peck | E&P Magazine California lawmakers have sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a sweeping new plan to bolster local journalism, approving the Community NEWS Act (AB 2222) with bipartisan supermajorities in both chambers. The “NEWS” in the Community NEWS Act is an acronym for “Newsroom Employment and Workforce Sustainability.” The bill was first introduced…
The utility deal with Newsom is heating up, and Black households are left footing the bill
By James Farr | OPINION CONTRIBUTOR BLACKPRESSUSA—A secret Sacramento deal would protect Southern California Edison’s profits while Black ratepayers across California absorb the cost—and the governor holds the only pen that matters. You Gonna Let My Good Air Out? By late afternoon in August, the west-facing wall of the house in Oak Park has been…
How three bills to close California’s student achievement gap ran aground
By John Fensterwald, EdSource Since last October, the California School Boards Association has pressed the Legislature to take greater responsibility for narrowing California’s immense student achievement gap. That gap is the disparity — by 30 percentage points or more — in test scores and other measures between low- and high-income students and between Black…
Senator Barbara Boxer Endorses Connie Chan for Congress
SAN FRANCISCO — Today, trailblazing former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer endorsed Supervisor Connie Chan for Congress. Boxer started her career on the Marin County Board of Supervisors, including as its first woman President, before representing San Francisco for over 30 years in the U.S. House and Senate. Her endorsement adds to the growing momentum behind…
Gov. Newsom Signs Law Shielding Immigration Aid Workers From Doxing Threats
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Aug. 22 designed to protect immigration service providers and humanitarian volunteers from targeted harassment, doxing and violence. Authored by Assemblymember Mia Bonta (D-Oakland), Assembly Bill (AB) 2624, the Privacy for Immigration Support Services Providers Act, establishes an address confidentiality program modeled after…
Statement: Rep. Dave Min on Supreme Court Decision on Mail-in Voting
Washington, DC — Representative Dave Min (CA-47) issued the following statement after the Supreme Court majority’s decision on mail-in voting: “This is the most corrupt and out of control Supreme Court in history. While this decision, as Sotomayor notes, does not hold that Trump can stop mail-in voting, it does allow Trump to continue to…
From the ‘Worst of the Worst’ to the Easiest To Arrest: How AI Is Powering Immigration Enforcement
By Edward Kissam Rather than the “worst of the worst” that Trump promised to target on his 2024 campaign trail, immigration authorities are increasingly using AI-driven surveillance tools to find and arrest whoever is easiest to catch. A strategy described by Trump “border czar” Tom Homan as one of “shock and awe” saw masked immigration…
On Your November Ballot: Prop 42 Would Ban New Taxes on Retirement Savings and Personal Assets
Edward Henderson | California Black Media California voters will decide in November whether to amend the state Constitution to prohibit new taxes on retirement savings, personal assets and other forms of personal wealth while also banning retroactive taxation. Proposition (Prop) 42, titled the Prohibit New Taxes on Retirement Holdings, Personal Assets, and Savings and Limit…
Asm. Elhawary “Hopes” Bill Barring Police From Blocking Emergency Medical Care Will Advance to Floor for Vote
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media A bill Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (D-Los Angeles) authored would make it illegal for law enforcement officers to deny or delay emergency medical care for people under their control when it is safe to provide treatment. Assembly Bill (AB) 2318, known as the Ensuring Accountability After Tragedies Act, was…
Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed
Bo Tefu | California Black Media Three Black Women Among Gov. Newsom’s Recent Judicial Appointments Gov. Gavin Newsom has nominated three Black women — Justice Rashida Adams and Judges Denise Hippach and Juliet Macaulay — to serve on California Courts of Appeal. They are among eight appellate court nominees recently announced by Newsom. The governor…
Talarico Pitches ‘a New American Dream’ as Economic Agenda Centers Workers, Affordability
By BlackPressUSA Newswire ARLINGTON — Framing affordability as the defining issue facing Texas families, Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico unveiled what he called “A New American Dream” Wednesday night, introducing an economic platform centered on lowering household costs, strengthening workers’ rights and expanding access to housing, healthcare and education. Speaking before a crowd of…
Sacramento City Unified remains on path to state takeover after Thurmond rejects appeal
By Diana Lambert, EdSource Last week, Sacramento City Unified leaders thought they had solved the district’s financial problems with a plan to save $158 million, in part by dipping into retiree health benefits, to stave off bankruptcy. That plan fell through Monday when state Superintendent Tony Thurmond denied an appeal by the district after the…
California Lawmakers and Advocates Push Voter Protection Measures Ahead of November Election
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media With less than three months until the general election, Darius Kemp, executive director of California Common Cause, says California must protect both election security and voter access for the state’s approximately 23 million eligible voters. Kemp delivered that message during a June news conference at the State Capitol…
California Bill Would Let Abuse Victims Use Trauma as Legal Defense for Violent Crime
BlackPressUSA Newswire Susan Bustamante isn’t giving up. The formerly incarcerated 71-year-old woman has repeatedly made the long trip from Orange County to Sacramento to urge lawmakers to pass legislation she believes would help her fellow domestic abuse victims facing criminal charges. Each time, lawmakers seemed supportive — only to kill her bill in secret. She…
California school boards grant themselves hefty pay raises following new law
By Diana Lambert, EdSource School board members at dozens of California districts have voted to increase their own pay by thousands of dollars per year after a 2025 law raised trustee compensation limits for the first time in 41 years. In the first six months of the year, Elk Grove Unified School District trustees raised…
Asm. McKinnor’s Bill Banning Drones Above Outdoor Entertainment Events Awaits Senate Decision
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) is advancing legislation that would prohibit unauthorized drones from operating within 400 feet of large outdoor ticketed entertainment events. Assembly Bill 2113, titled “Aviation: Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Ticketed Entertainment Events,” passed the Senate Public Safety Committee on June 30 by a 6-0 vote…
Caltrans Receives $1.4 Million Grant to Improve Highway Safety
Sacramento – Caltrans announced today that it received approximately $1.4 million in grant funding from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to help expand and improve traffic data collection that will help improve safety on the state highway system. Caltrans analyzes a wide variety of data sets to help evaluate road safety, including lane…
Los Angeles Public Library Hangs Soccer Mural to Celebrate the Return of the World Cup to Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES June 5, 2026—The Los Angeles Public Library presents World Encounter over El Arroyo Seco, a mural by the East Los Streetscapers, to celebrate the FIFA World Cup. On view through August 2028 to coincide with both the World Cup and the LA2028 Olympics and Paralympics, the mural hangs in the Atrium of the…
Election Day Is Right Around the Corner. Here’s How to Prepare
Solomon O. Smith | California Black Media Voters in California have two major elections coming up this year: the state primary election on June 2, and the midterm election on Nov. 3. To help make sure eligible state residents understand the voting process, the state has created resources to inform the public. Shirley N….
Q&A With Steven Bradford: Why He Wants Your Vote for California Insurance Commissioner
Edward Henderson | California Black Media As California confronts rising insurance costs, market instability, and growing concerns about access and equity, the race for the state’s top insurance regulator is drawing increased attention. Among the candidates is Steven Bradford, a veteran public servant with more than two decades of experience in government, including eight years…
