Latest California state government News

Supreme Court denies California’s appeal for immunity for COVID-19 deaths at San Quentin prison

May. 13, 2024 20:11 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied an appeal from California corrections officials who sought immunity from lawsuits claiming they acted with deliberate indifference when they caused a deadly COVID-19 outbreak at one of the world’s most famous prisons four years ago. ...

Gov. Gavin Newsom proposes painful cuts to close California's growing budget deficit

May. 10, 2024 19:42 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California's budget deficit is at least $45 billion, a shortfall so large it prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday to propose painful spending cuts impacting immigrants, kindergarteners and low-income parents seeking child care in a state often lauded for having the...

California is testing new generative AI tools. Here's what to know

May. 10, 2024 00:26 AM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Generative artificial intelligence tools will soon be used by California's government. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration announced Thursday the state will partner with five companies to develop and test generative AI tools that could improve...

California to tap generative AI tools to increase services access, reduce traffic jams

May. 09, 2024 19:22 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California could soon deploy generative artificial intelligence tools to help reduce traffic jams, make roads safer and provide tax guidance, among other things, under new agreements announced Thursday as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s efforts to harness the power of new...

140,000 people did their taxes with the free IRS direct file pilot. But program's future is unclear

Apr. 26, 2024 17:06 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS said Friday that more than 140,000 taxpayers filed their taxes through its new direct file pilot program and participants saved roughly $5.6 million in fees they would have otherwise spent with commercial tax preparation companies. The government pilot...

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to let Arizona doctors provide abortions in California

Apr. 24, 2024 20:11 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Arizona doctors could give their patients abortions in California under a proposal announced Wednesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom to circumvent a ban on nearly all abortions in the neighboring state. It would apply only to doctors licensed in good standing in...

New California rule aims to limit health care cost increases to 3% annually

Apr. 24, 2024 19:49 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Doctors, hospitals and health insurance companies in California will be limited to annual price increases of 3% starting in 2029 under a new rule state regulators approved Wednesday in the latest attempt to corral the ever-increasing costs of medical care in the United...

California reject bill to crackdown on how utilities spend customers' money

Apr. 22, 2024 23:46 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California lawmakers on Monday rejected a proposal aimed at cracking down on how some of the nation's largest utilities spend customers' money. California's investor-owned utilities can't use money from customers to pay for things like advertising their...

Judge tentatively sides with California AG in fight over ballot measure on students' gender ID

Apr. 19, 2024 20:27 PM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California judge has tentatively sided with state Attorney General Rob Bonta in a dispute over the title of a proposed ballot measure that would require school staff to notify parents if their child asks to change gender identification at schools. A...

Virginia law allows the state’s colleges and universities to directly pay athletes through NIL deals

Apr. 18, 2024 16:30 PM EDT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed measure into law Thursday that allows state colleges and universities to directly pay their athletes through name, image and likeness compensation deals, a measure believed to be the first of its kind. The law, which takes...