Category: Government & Politics
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…
Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed
Bo Tefu, Antonio Harvey and Edward Henderson | California Black Media California Launches Free Diaper Program for Newborns Statewide Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Friday that California will launch a first-in-the-nation programproviding free diapers to families with newborns, part of a broader effort to lower costs for parents and improve infant health outcomes. The initiative, called…
Asm. Jackson Bill Requiring Anti-Hate Speech Training for Calif. Public Officials Sent to “Suspense File”
Bo Tefu, Antonio Harvey and Edward Henderson | California Black Media After a hearing on May 6, the Assembly Appropriations Committee ordered Assembly Bill (AB) 1578to the Suspense File, delaying action on legislation that would require California public officials to complete anti-hate speech training. The bill, authored by Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), would add…
California Youth Groups Participate in Legislative Advocacy Days at the State Capitol
Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media Various youth organizations and youth-led initiatives participated in legislative advocacy days last month at the California State Capitol to amplify the voices of Black communities and help cultivate the next generation of leaders. Among the organizations, the NAACP California-Hawaii State Conference youth councils and young people sponsored by…
Targeted Crime Suppression-Operation Consequences, April 27, 2026, through May 3, 2026,
SUMMARY: Between April 27, 2026, and May 3, 2026, investigators from the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department – Gangs/Narcotics Division, along with deputies from patrol stations, and personnel from partnering agencies served 17 search warrants and contacted suspects throughout the county. Additionally, the San Bernardino Movement Against Street Hoodlums (SMASH) Street Enforcement Team (SET) conducted…
Early voting has begun for the 2026 Statewide Direct Primary Election
SAN BERNARDINO, CA — The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters has delivered mail ballots to the U.S. Postal Service for all 1.2 million active registered voters. Voters do not need to wait for Election Day or for their mail ballots to arrive to cast their votes. Early voting is available at the Registrar of…
Gunfire Shatters White House Correspondents’ Dinner
Secret Service Rushes President to Safety; Federal Agent Wounded, Suspect in Custody By Staff Report WASHINGTON, D.C. — A night meant to celebrate journalism and the First Amendment turned into a scene of fear and chaos Saturday evening when gunfire erupted outside the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, prompting a rapid evacuation of top officials and…
Atty. Gen. Bonta Warns School Districts: Act on Sexual Misconduct or Face Consequences
Bo Tefu | California Black Media California Attorney General Rob Bonta is urging K-12 school districts across the state to take stronger action to prevent and respond to sexual harassment, assault, and abuse, reminding them of their legal obligations under state law. In a legal alert issued April 22, Bonta emphasized that schools must actively…
San Bernardino County sheriff opposes bill to bar ICE from California courthouse ground
SB 873 would put local law enforcement into no-win scenario, Shannon Dicus writes “SB 873 places county sheriffs in an impossible position, creates direct conflict with federal law, exposes counties to significant liability, and undermines public safety,” Dicus wrote in a March 26 letter to Reyes in which he expressed “strong opposition” to the bill….
Rep. Sewell Presses RFK on 2024 Comments He Made Suggesting Black Children Should Be ‘Re-Parented’
By Birmingham Times Washington D.C. — During a Thursday House Ways and Means Committee hearing, U.S. Rep. Terri Sewell (AL-07) questioned Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about his previous comments suggesting that Black children with ADHD should be “re-parented.” Sewell pressed the Secretary to clarify and account for those remarks, which…
Your Vote in 2026: Bill Banning Law Enforcement From Polling Stations Advances – Carrying Fines Up to $1000 and 5-Year Max Prison Time
Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media A California Assembly committee has advanced a bill that would ban law enforcement officers from being near polling places, with violations carrying penalties of up to $1,000 in fines and a maximum five-year prison sentence. The proposal would make it a felony for anyone in…
Bill That Would Force Corporations to Disclose Slavery-Era Profits Moves Forward
Bo Tefu and Antonio Ray Harvey | California Black Media On April 14, 2026, Assembly Bill (AB) 2599, known as the Truth in Disclosure Act, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights), passed out of the Assembly Judiciary Committee on a 9-3 vote. Supported by the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), the bill would…
California Sees Surge in Gas Prices, Igniting Fresh Political Blame Game
Bo Tefu | California Black Media California drivers are once again paying the highest prices at the pump in the nation, setting off a renewed clash between Democrats and Republicans over who is responsible — and what should be done. The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in California hovered around $5.90…
