Commentary

Power lines in Sacramento on Sept. 20, 2022. Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters

Over a century later, California may need another revolt against its utility companies

More than a century after California voters created the Public Utilities Commission to keep powerful companies in check, the commission has lost its way, and Californians are fed up.

By Loretta Lynch

Two people in hats and windbreakers use two brooms and a dustpan to sweep up trash on a messy street next to a sidewalk with a fence around it. Next to the workers is a trash can and a park across the street from where they are sweeping.

‘We’re here every day’: Inside the painstaking effort to heal LA’s troubled MacArthur Park

As many as 10 nonprofit organizations are working to resuscitate MacArthur Park in Los Angeles, cleaning streets, treating drug overdoses and calming gang tensions, among other things.

By Jim Newton

A view of San Francisco on July 12, 2023. Photo by Semantha Norris, CalMatters

California’s homebuyer lotto was hardly a ‘Dream for All’. That doesn’t mean it should end

California needs to expand its down payment loan program to keep young families from moving out of the state. Yet there's no new money budgeted.

By Denise Amos

People, mostly wearing green and gold Oakland Athletics gear wait in line at a concession stand called "Coliseum Classics" inside the Oakland Coliseum.

How California can reduce high concession prices in its taxpayer-funded stadiums

While sports team valuations climb higher and billionaire franchise owners get richer, attending games has become increasingly unaffordable for California families. "Street pricing" policies offer a solution, argues a former college baseball player.

By Alex Jacquez

Several warehouse building in blue and white tones behind a white concrete fence next to an empty field.

Commentary

Rejection of Inland Empire warehouse project signals a retreat from California’s decadeslong boom

Local and state leaders in California are breaking with decades of inertia and reining in warehouse development. A recent decision in Riverside cemented the shift and elated activists who spent years opposing a major project.

By Jim Newton • May 15, 2025

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a podium during a press conference, with a monitor beside him displaying the words “TRUMP SLUMP” in bold white letters on a black background. Behind him are the U.S. and California state flags, and the podium bears the seal of the Governor of the State of California.

Commentary

Newsom blames California’s worsening state budget outlook on Trump’s tariffs

Gavin Newsom pinned California's gloomy financial picture on a "Trump slump," blaming the president's tariffs during the rollout of a revised state budget proposal.

By Dan Walters • May 14, 2025

Gov. Gavin Newsom during a press conference where he signed new gun legislation into law at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on Sept. 26, 2023.

Commentary

Newsom reveals his weaknesses when he needs political hardball to get his way

Gov. Gavin Newsom says Donald Trump is a "bully," but he's no stranger to using bullying tactics himself, especially to force local governments to obey his commands.

By Dan Walters • May 14, 2025

Commentary

California school districts treat pregnancy like an illness. Why maternity leave for teachers is overdue

California's teachers and school employees receive zero paid pregnancy or maternity leave. The current system essentially penalizes them for having children.

By Erika Jones • May 13, 2025

A panel of nine speakers seated onstage at a “Unionize California” event hold up green cards in unison during a discussion. A red, white, and blue projection of the words "UNIONIZE CALIFORNIA" appears on the curtain behind them as audience members watch from round tables in the foreground.

Commentary

Democrats seeking California governor strut their stuff for powerful union leaders

Seven Democrats running for California governor largely toed the line at a "beauty contest" with powerful labor leaders. But two people not in the room loomed large.

By Dan Walters • May 13, 2025

A sign posted on a line divider at an airport reminding travelers about getting their Real IDs before the deadline. A person walking through and pushing their luggage can be seen in the background.

Commentary

How Real ID can exclude ‘real’ Americans from flying, voting and more

A declined Real ID application effectively rendered a California man "undocumented" because the names on his passport didn't match his driver's license, a paradoxical byproduct of American assimilation.

By Catherine S. Ramírez • May 12, 2025

An interior view of the California state assembly chamber with ornate architecture, chandeliers and gold accents. The rooms is filled with wooden desks for lawmakers. The backs of two people wearing suits can be seen in the foreground.

Commentary

Other states are showing California how to protect its budget without cutting needed services

California leaders can boost revenue streams and make the tax system fairer to safeguard against federal cuts, as other states have, and ensure California families have their needs met.

By Chris Hoene • May 9, 2025

A close up of a digital gasoline sign, with various prices. The words, "CASH," "Gasoline," "Credit/Debit" are visible at the top. "Regular," "Plus," and "V-Power" are visible in the middle. Prices range from $5.79 to $6.09.

Commentary

If lawmakers or lawsuits get oil companies to pay for climate change, consumers will pay, too.

Other efforts to reduce Californians' carbon footprint have cost consumers. A new auditor report notes a greenhouse gas reduction program has raised gasoline prices.

By Dan Walters • May 9, 2025

A stack of multicolored shipping containers, including brands like COSCO, Wan Hai, and tex, sits at the Port of Los Angeles. Above, a semi-truck carrying a blue container drives across a bridge, silhouetted against a light sky. The composition emphasizes the scale and flow of international freight transport.

Commentary

Having the fourth-largest economy doesn’t matter if Californians can’t afford essentials

Californians face high housing, health care and food costs. The trophy their leaders hoisting — surpassing Japan in gross domestic product — doesn't mean much to them.

By Aref Aziz • May 8, 2025

An individual stands outside a building, closely examining notices taped to a glass door. The signs include information in Spanish about unemployment benefits and COVID-19-related service changes. The person carries a white plastic bag and wears a shoulder bag while leaning forward, resting their hands near their chin.

Commentary

California’s fourth-ranked economy is also tops in unemployment, poverty and deficits

Since Gavin Newsom became governor, state spending has increased an average 9% a year while revenues grew 6%. That's called a “structural deficit.”

By Dan Walters • May 8, 2025

California Voices

Viewpoints from across California