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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saying he had concerns it could disenfranchise voters during the midterm election, a federal judge on Tuesday seemed skeptical of the Trump administration’s demands that California election officials set aside 20,000 ballots that it claimed could have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106418/santa-clara-county-rejects-trump-administration-voter-probe\">mailed to noncitizens\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Some of these may be very valid voters, and that’s my concern about disenfranchisement,” said U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, an appointee of President Bill Clinton.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carter said he would issue a formal ruling by Wednesday, but he told the courtroom he was likely going to appoint a special master to weigh the evidence both sides present at a hearing in two weeks. That means his final ruling might not come until after the election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said he didn’t want to “just wing it with a ruling” based on last-minute evidence the federal government submitted to the court the night before Tuesday’s hearing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carter also suggested that his ruling would order federal authorities to stop telling election officials that they could face criminal charges if they didn’t comply with the Trump administration’s demands. The Trump administration on Friday \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106247/doj-orders-contra-costa-other-california-counties-to-verify-ballots\">sent letters to California election officials\u003c/a> telling them to set aside ballots from suspected noncitizens, and threatened them with criminal charges if they allowed those people to vote.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“This court believes it would be wise that any threats to state or county (election) employees cease immediately,” Carter told the courtroom.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carter’s remarks point to yet another likely legal blow to the Trump administration as it seeks to validate President Donald Trump’s longstanding claims of widespread election fraud favoring Democrats. Experts and election officials say those claims are meritless. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, acknowledged that the government’s list of 20,000 people may contain citizens, but he said the possibility that noncitizens were voting illegally was too great a threat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085438\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Election workers sort ballots at Contra Costa County’s election operations facility on May 27, 2026, in Martinez, California. (Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I would ask the state how many illegal votes is OK for them?” Essayli said. “It cannot be that the state has a right to facilitate the counting and tabulation of noncitizen votes. There’s no right to that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Trump administration \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">sued California earlier this month\u003c/a> saying election officials refused to comply with a 48-hour federal deadline to set aside the ballots of up to 20,000 people the administration had flagged as possible noncitizens until the voters’ citizenship could be verified.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The administration sought a temporary restraining order forcing the state to comply.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California officials argued there was no way they could since they were busy overseeing the election. They also called the demand an illegal effort to meddle in state-run elections that could disenfranchise legal voters.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“I just want to make sure the stakes are clear: that what we’re talking about is stripping voting rights from thousands of people until proven otherwise,” said Anne Bellows, a deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Judge points to immigrant arrests\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">State and county officials also have questioned the methodology the federal government used to flag possible noncitizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a court filing, Los Angeles County officials said that a sampling of 200 names from the federal list, which included people from all over California, found that many of them were likely citizens and that most had not voted before and were not sent ballots. Federal investigators re-reviewed those 200 names and found that only four were citizens, Essayli told the judge.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“We stand by the reliability of the information,” he said. “We take our obligations and ethics very seriously.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carter noted that, last week, federal prosecutors charged \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-federal-arrests-voter-fraud/\">28 California green card holders\u003c/a> for allegedly voting or registering to vote in violation of laws prohibiting noncitizens from participating in elections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said that if noncitizens really are voting in as large of numbers as the Trump administration claims, there’s nothing stopping federal prosecutors from finding them and charging them without the risk of blocking legal voters from having their ballots counted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If it’s this big, you’ve got a remedy for goodness sakes,” Carter told Essayli. “Go out and indict.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the hearing, Essayli said from the courthouse steps that the state could “resolve this today.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They just seem disinterested in getting to the bottom of this,” Essayli said, noting that the number of ballots in question could tip smaller elections. “A lot of elections are decided by tens of votes or hundreds of votes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9th Circuit ruled against Trump\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The hearing came a day after two judges on a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106418/santa-clara-county-rejects-trump-administration-voter-probe\">rejected an emergency effort\u003c/a> from the Trump administration to bypass Carter’s courtroom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Trump administration sought an emergency order from the appellate court, claiming that Carter didn’t schedule a hearing fast enough. The two judges said prosecutors’ arguments about urgency didn’t hold up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their ruling noted that the prosecutors have been making claims about illegal voters on California’s voter rolls since July and could have taken action any time since, so their “claimed emergency, at least in part, is a self-constructed one.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Judge Mark Bennett, a Trump appointee, noted in a concurring opinion that he had “serious doubts” about the federal government’s claims that prosecutors could “superintend or intervene in a state’s election administration.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He wrote that Congress granted states — not the executive branch — authority over elections.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>In a dissenting opinion, Judge Patrick Bumatay, another Trump appointee, argued that “federal law precludes California from commingling ballots likely cast by aliens with legitimate ballots, because it encourages and induces illegal voting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Stopping that practice for those identified as likely noncitizens is the bare minimum,” Bumatay wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-noncitizen-voting-court/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Saying he had concerns it could disenfranchise voters during the midterm election, a federal judge on Tuesday seemed skeptical of the Trump administration’s demands that California election officials set aside 20,000 ballots that it claimed could have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106418/santa-clara-county-rejects-trump-administration-voter-probe\">mailed to noncitizens\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Saying he had concerns it could disenfranchise voters during the midterm election, a federal judge on Tuesday seemed skeptical of the Trump administration’s demands that California election officials set aside 20,000 ballots that it claimed could have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106418/santa-clara-county-rejects-trump-administration-voter-probe\">mailed to noncitizens\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Some of these may be very valid voters, and that’s my concern about disenfranchisement,” said U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, an appointee of President Bill Clinton.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Some of these may be very valid voters, and that’s my concern about disenfranchisement,” said U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, an appointee of President Bill Clinton.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Carter said he would issue a formal ruling by Wednesday, but he told the courtroom he was likely going to appoint a special master to weigh the evidence both sides present at a hearing in two weeks. That means his final ruling might not come until after the election.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said he didn’t want to “just wing it with a ruling” based on last-minute evidence the federal government submitted to the court the night before Tuesday’s hearing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Carter also suggested that his ruling would order federal authorities to stop telling election officials that they could face criminal charges if they didn’t comply with the Trump administration’s demands. The Trump administration on Friday \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106247/doj-orders-contra-costa-other-california-counties-to-verify-ballots\">sent letters to California election officials\u003c/a> telling them to set aside ballots from suspected noncitizens, and threatened them with criminal charges if they allowed those people to vote.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“This court believes it would be wise that any threats to state or county (election) employees cease immediately,” Carter told the courtroom.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Carter also suggested that his ruling would order federal authorities to stop telling election officials that they could face criminal charges if they didn’t comply with the Trump administration’s demands. The Trump administration on Friday \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106247/doj-orders-contra-costa-other-california-counties-to-verify-ballots\">sent letters to California election officials\u003c/a> telling them to set aside ballots from suspected noncitizens, and threatened them with criminal charges if they allowed those people to vote.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“This court believes it would be wise that any threats to state or county (election) employees cease immediately,” Carter told the courtroom.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Carter’s remarks point to yet another likely legal blow to the Trump administration as it seeks to validate President Donald Trump’s longstanding claims of widespread election fraud favoring Democrats. Experts and election officials say those claims are meritless. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Carter’s remarks point to yet another likely legal blow to the Trump administration as it seeks to validate President Donald Trump’s longstanding claims of widespread election fraud favoring Democrats. Experts and election officials say those claims are meritless. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, acknowledged that the government’s list of 20,000 people may contain citizens, but he said the possibility that noncitizens were voting illegally was too great a threat.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, acknowledged that the government’s list of 20,000 people may contain citizens, but he said the possibility that noncitizens were voting illegally was too great a threat.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085438\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Election workers sort ballots at Contra Costa County’s election operations facility on May 27, 2026, in Martinez, California. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I would ask the state how many illegal votes is OK for them?” Essayli said. “It cannot be that the state has a right to facilitate the counting and tabulation of noncitizen votes. There’s no right to that.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I would ask the state how many illegal votes is OK for them?” Essayli said. “It cannot be that the state has a right to facilitate the counting and tabulation of noncitizen votes. There’s no right to that.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">sued California earlier this month\u003c/a> saying election officials refused to comply with a 48-hour federal deadline to set aside the ballots of up to 20,000 people the administration had flagged as possible noncitizens until the voters’ citizenship could be verified.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Trump administration \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">sued California earlier this month\u003c/a> saying election officials refused to comply with a 48-hour federal deadline to set aside the ballots of up to 20,000 people the administration had flagged as possible noncitizens until the voters’ citizenship could be verified.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The administration sought a temporary restraining order forcing the state to comply.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California officials argued there was no way they could since they were busy overseeing the election. They also called the demand an illegal effort to meddle in state-run elections that could disenfranchise legal voters.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“I just want to make sure the stakes are clear: that what we’re talking about is stripping voting rights from thousands of people until proven otherwise,” said Anne Bellows, a deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California officials argued there was no way they could since they were busy overseeing the election. They also called the demand an illegal effort to meddle in state-run elections that could disenfranchise legal voters.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“I just want to make sure the stakes are clear: that what we’re talking about is stripping voting rights from thousands of people until proven otherwise,” said Anne Bellows, a deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State and county officials also have questioned the methodology the federal government used to flag possible noncitizens.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In a court filing, Los Angeles County officials said that a sampling of 200 names from the federal list, which included people from all over California, found that many of them were likely citizens and that most had not voted before and were not sent ballots. Federal investigators re-reviewed those 200 names and found that only four were citizens, Essayli told the judge.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“We stand by the reliability of the information,” he said. “We take our obligations and ethics very seriously.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In a court filing, Los Angeles County officials said that a sampling of 200 names from the federal list, which included people from all over California, found that many of them were likely citizens and that most had not voted before and were not sent ballots. Federal investigators re-reviewed those 200 names and found that only four were citizens, Essayli told the judge.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“We stand by the reliability of the information,” he said. “We take our obligations and ethics very seriously.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Carter noted that, last week, federal prosecutors charged \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-federal-arrests-voter-fraud/\">28 California green card holders\u003c/a> for allegedly voting or registering to vote in violation of laws prohibiting noncitizens from participating in elections. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Carter noted that, last week, federal prosecutors charged \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-federal-arrests-voter-fraud/\">28 California green card holders\u003c/a> for allegedly voting or registering to vote in violation of laws prohibiting noncitizens from participating in elections. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He said that if noncitizens really are voting in as large of numbers as the Trump administration claims, there’s nothing stopping federal prosecutors from finding them and charging them without the risk of blocking legal voters from having their ballots counted.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>He said that if noncitizens really are voting in as large of numbers as the Trump administration claims, there’s nothing stopping federal prosecutors from finding them and charging them without the risk of blocking legal voters from having their ballots counted.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If it’s this big, you’ve got a remedy for goodness sakes,” Carter told Essayli. “Go out and indict.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“If it’s this big, you’ve got a remedy for goodness sakes,” Carter told Essayli. “Go out and indict.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After the hearing, Essayli said from the courthouse steps that the state could “resolve this today.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They just seem disinterested in getting to the bottom of this,” Essayli said, noting that the number of ballots in question could tip smaller elections. “A lot of elections are decided by tens of votes or hundreds of votes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They just seem disinterested in getting to the bottom of this,” Essayli said, noting that the number of ballots in question could tip smaller elections. “A lot of elections are decided by tens of votes or hundreds of votes.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Trump administration sought an emergency order from the appellate court, claiming that Carter didn’t schedule a hearing fast enough. The two judges said prosecutors’ arguments about urgency didn’t hold up.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Their ruling noted that the prosecutors have been making claims about illegal voters on California’s voter rolls since July and could have taken action any time since, so their “claimed emergency, at least in part, is a self-constructed one.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Judge Mark Bennett, a Trump appointee, noted in a concurring opinion that he had “serious doubts” about the federal government’s claims that prosecutors could “superintend or intervene in a state’s election administration.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He wrote that Congress granted states — not the executive branch — authority over elections.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>In a dissenting opinion, Judge Patrick Bumatay, another Trump appointee, argued that “federal law precludes California from commingling ballots likely cast by aliens with legitimate ballots, because it encourages and induces illegal voting.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He wrote that Congress granted states — not the executive branch — authority over elections.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>In a dissenting opinion, Judge Patrick Bumatay, another Trump appointee, argued that “federal law precludes California from commingling ballots likely cast by aliens with legitimate ballots, because it encourages and induces illegal voting.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Stopping that practice for those identified as likely noncitizens is the bare minimum,” Bumatay wrote.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-noncitizen-voting-court/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A federal judge is unlikely to issue a final ruling on the Trump administration’s claim that 20,000 possible noncitizens are registered to vote in California until after Election Day.",
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"title": "Judge Says Trump Could Disenfranchise Voters in Purge of Noncitizens From Election Rolls | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Saying he had concerns it could disenfranchise voters during the midterm election, a federal judge on Tuesday seemed skeptical of the Trump administration’s demands that California election officials set aside 20,000 ballots that it claimed could have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106418/santa-clara-county-rejects-trump-administration-voter-probe\">mailed to noncitizens\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Some of these may be very valid voters, and that’s my concern about disenfranchisement,” said U.S. District Judge David O. Carter, an appointee of President Bill Clinton.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carter said he would issue a formal ruling by Wednesday, but he told the courtroom he was likely going to appoint a special master to weigh the evidence both sides present at a hearing in two weeks. That means his final ruling might not come until after the election.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said he didn’t want to “just wing it with a ruling” based on last-minute evidence the federal government submitted to the court the night before Tuesday’s hearing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carter also suggested that his ruling would order federal authorities to stop telling election officials that they could face criminal charges if they didn’t comply with the Trump administration’s demands. The Trump administration on Friday \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106247/doj-orders-contra-costa-other-california-counties-to-verify-ballots\">sent letters to California election officials\u003c/a> telling them to set aside ballots from suspected noncitizens, and threatened them with criminal charges if they allowed those people to vote.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“This court believes it would be wise that any threats to state or county (election) employees cease immediately,” Carter told the courtroom.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carter’s remarks point to yet another likely legal blow to the Trump administration as it seeks to validate President Donald Trump’s longstanding claims of widespread election fraud favoring Democrats. Experts and election officials say those claims are meritless. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Bill Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, acknowledged that the government’s list of 20,000 people may contain citizens, but he said the possibility that noncitizens were voting illegally was too great a threat.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12085438\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/GettyImages-2277856381-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Election workers sort ballots at Contra Costa County’s election operations facility on May 27, 2026, in Martinez, California. (Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I would ask the state how many illegal votes is OK for them?” Essayli said. “It cannot be that the state has a right to facilitate the counting and tabulation of noncitizen votes. There’s no right to that.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Trump administration \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">sued California earlier this month\u003c/a> saying election officials refused to comply with a 48-hour federal deadline to set aside the ballots of up to 20,000 people the administration had flagged as possible noncitizens until the voters’ citizenship could be verified.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The administration sought a temporary restraining order forcing the state to comply.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California officials argued there was no way they could since they were busy overseeing the election. They also called the demand an illegal effort to meddle in state-run elections that could disenfranchise legal voters.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“I just want to make sure the stakes are clear: that what we’re talking about is stripping voting rights from thousands of people until proven otherwise,” said Anne Bellows, a deputy attorney general with the California Department of Justice. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Judge points to immigrant arrests\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">State and county officials also have questioned the methodology the federal government used to flag possible noncitizens.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a court filing, Los Angeles County officials said that a sampling of 200 names from the federal list, which included people from all over California, found that many of them were likely citizens and that most had not voted before and were not sent ballots. Federal investigators re-reviewed those 200 names and found that only four were citizens, Essayli told the judge.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“We stand by the reliability of the information,” he said. “We take our obligations and ethics very seriously.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Carter noted that, last week, federal prosecutors charged \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-federal-arrests-voter-fraud/\">28 California green card holders\u003c/a> for allegedly voting or registering to vote in violation of laws prohibiting noncitizens from participating in elections. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said that if noncitizens really are voting in as large of numbers as the Trump administration claims, there’s nothing stopping federal prosecutors from finding them and charging them without the risk of blocking legal voters from having their ballots counted.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“If it’s this big, you’ve got a remedy for goodness sakes,” Carter told Essayli. “Go out and indict.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After the hearing, Essayli said from the courthouse steps that the state could “resolve this today.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They just seem disinterested in getting to the bottom of this,” Essayli said, noting that the number of ballots in question could tip smaller elections. “A lot of elections are decided by tens of votes or hundreds of votes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">9th Circuit ruled against Trump\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The hearing came a day after two judges on a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12106418/santa-clara-county-rejects-trump-administration-voter-probe\">rejected an emergency effort\u003c/a> from the Trump administration to bypass Carter’s courtroom. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Trump administration sought an emergency order from the appellate court, claiming that Carter didn’t schedule a hearing fast enough. The two judges said prosecutors’ arguments about urgency didn’t hold up.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their ruling noted that the prosecutors have been making claims about illegal voters on California’s voter rolls since July and could have taken action any time since, so their “claimed emergency, at least in part, is a self-constructed one.”\u003cbr>\u003cbr>Judge Mark Bennett, a Trump appointee, noted in a concurring opinion that he had “serious doubts” about the federal government’s claims that prosecutors could “superintend or intervene in a state’s election administration.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He wrote that Congress granted states — not the executive branch — authority over elections.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>In a dissenting opinion, Judge Patrick Bumatay, another Trump appointee, argued that “federal law precludes California from commingling ballots likely cast by aliens with legitimate ballots, because it encourages and induces illegal voting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Stopping that practice for those identified as likely noncitizens is the bare minimum,” Bumatay wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/trump-noncitizen-voting-court/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "medi-cal-cuts-could-push-seniors-and-people-with-disabilities-off-of-coverage",
"title": "Medi-Cal Cuts Could Push Seniors and People With Disabilities Off of Coverage",
"publishDate": 1792936800,
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"headTitle": "Medi-Cal Cuts Could Push Seniors and People With Disabilities Off of Coverage | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Julia Feinberg feels like she’s living in a sinister version of Groundhog Day. For the second year in a row \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> lawmakers have made it tougher for seniors and people with disabilities to qualify for state-funded health benefits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feinberg, 37, who has a degenerative neuromuscular disorder, said without Medi-Cal she would be confined to a nursing home rather than living and working as a therapist in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We keep having to have the same fight over and over and over again,” Feinberg said. She requires a power wheelchair and about 19 hours of caregiving each day, which Medi-Cal covers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California is cutting Medi-Cal after a decade of expansion, part of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/08/medi-cal-the-cut-healthcare-threatened/\">sweeping federal and state cuts\u003c/a> that experts estimate will kick more than 2.2 million Californians off coverage in the next four years, doubling the state’s uninsured rate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/CaregiverGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063947\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/CaregiverGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/CaregiverGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/CaregiverGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A senior woman at home receiving health care. (LPETTET via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The latest cut came in June, when state leaders approved a budget that will lower the asset limit for low-income seniors and people with disabilities to $21,000 to qualify for Medi-Cal, starting in July 2027. Feinberg, who has built up emergency savings, will have to spend about $10,000 to get under the cap.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2024, the state eliminated longstanding Medi-Cal asset limits, but since then lawmakers have chipped away at that policy. At the beginning of this year, state leaders reinstated an asset limit of $130,000, and the June budget lowered it further. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A primary residence and one vehicle are exempt from the new limit, but people 65 and older as well as those with disabilities cannot own a second home or car, and they can’t have more than $21,000 in \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MC007-ENG.pdf\">savings accounts, certain retirement accounts, life insurance policies or even burial plots\u003c/a>. They must still meet \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/medi-cal/qualify/qualify-for-medi-cal-eligibility-chart/\">Medi-Cal income eligibility limits\u003c/a> of about $1,800 a month for a single person.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advocates say the rules unfairly target older people and those with disabilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106309\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caretaker Lexi Marsh assists Elizabette Guéçamburu with various day-to-day tasks. (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s really expensive to be disabled,” said Elizabette Guéçamburu, 44, who like Feinberg has spinal muscular atrophy and requires a power wheelchair as well as daily caregiving.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guéçamburu said she’s saving up for a used wheelchair-accessible van, which costs about $75,000. Home modifications such as adding ramps and making bathrooms accessible also cost tens of thousands of dollars, none of which are covered by Medi-Cal. Guéçamburu said those expenses would be impossible to afford if she couldn’t save.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guéçamburu lives on her family’s farm in Patterson where they grow walnuts, almonds and alfalfa. She works part time as the farm’s bookkeeper. In 2024, doctors diagnosed Guéçamburu’s father with prostate cancer, and he could no longer act as her caregiver. The same year, California eliminated asset limits for people with disabilities and seniors — Guéçamburu cried, able to qualify for Medi-Cal for the first time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The timing was a godsend,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12106310\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926-ASSET-LIMIT-LV_CM_24-4689659e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106310\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926-ASSET-LIMIT-LV_CM_24-4689659e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926-ASSET-LIMIT-LV_CM_24-4689659e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926-ASSET-LIMIT-LV_CM_24-4689659e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caretaker Lexi Marsh helps Elizabette Guecamburu get inside her van in the garage of her home outside Patterson on Oct. 16, 2026. Guecamburu is afraid that recently passed state Medi-Cal cuts will disqualify her from benefits. (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12106311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_20-967a950c.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106311\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_20-967a950c.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_20-967a950c-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_20-967a950c-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caretaker Lexi Marsh feeds Elizabette Guéçamburu her food. (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, her aging father is unable to take care of her should she lose Medi-Cal, and Guéçamburu is struggling to figure out what to do with money left to her by her grandmother. She’ll likely have to put it into a special needs trust controlled by a family member and give up financial independence. She also had her family strike her from inheriting any portion of their 100-year-old farm. \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/financial-legal/long-term-care-affordability-report/\">Private home care costs thousands of dollars a month\u003c/a>, making it hard for lower- and middle-income people to pay for it out-of-pocket.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I have to surrender our legacy just to have medical security and have the ability to live my life,” Guéçamburu said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Asset limit flip-flop\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gov. Gavin Newsom eliminated Medi-Cal asset requirements in 2024 after a yearslong campaign by senior and disability rights advocates. In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/05/01/governor-newsom-proclaims-older-californians-month-2023/\">statement before the elimination\u003c/a>, Newsom said he was proud of the “bold investments” his administration was making to “protect life savings and homes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But two years later, faced with a $12 billion budget shortfall, Newsom proposed reinstating the former $2,000 limit, arguing that more than twice as many people enrolled as previously estimated. The Legislature opposed that proposal and compromised at the current higher limit of $130,000, lowering it again to $21,000 starting next July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-PROP50VICTORYLAP-33-BL-KQED-7273678d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106175\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-PROP50VICTORYLAP-33-BL-KQED-7273678d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-PROP50VICTORYLAP-33-BL-KQED-7273678d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-PROP50VICTORYLAP-33-BL-KQED-7273678d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a rally alongside California Democratic Party members, labor leaders and advocates in San Francisco on Oct. 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lindsay Imai Hong, California director for Hand In Hand, an advocacy group supporting families that need caregiving, said organizers are looking to the next governor for change.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We would love to see the asset test permanently taken off of the chopping block,” Imai Hong said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton said in a statement to CalMatters that he opposes asset limits. He criticized the state for extending other Medi-Cal benefits beyond what it could afford, including coverage for immigrants without legal status.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Seniors and people with disabilities shouldn’t lose their coverage because they’ve managed to save some money. They’ve done the responsible thing. Why punish them for it?” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democratic gubernatorial candidate and front-runner Xavier Becerra did not answer specific questions about the asset limit policy, but a campaign spokesperson blamed the Trump administration’s federal cuts for “squeezing” California’s Medi-Cal program.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106312\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elizabette Guecamburu does her circulation exercises in the living room of her home outside of Patterson on Oct. 16, 2026. Guecamburu is afraid that recently passed state Medi-Cal cuts will disqualify her from benefits. (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Becerra will be “focused on protecting access to care and demand savings that are real, measurable and sustainable,” spokesperson Johnathan Underland said. On the campaign trail, Becerra has called himself California’s next “healthcare governor” and has \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/27/xavier-becerra-wants-to-be-the-health-care-governor-00532691\">previously floated raising taxes\u003c/a> to reverse Medi-Cal cuts, but \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/09/california-governor-healthcare-plans-2026/\">has not released detailed health policy plans\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Camille Nguyen, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, said most people who struggle to stay under the limit have little financial security.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They have all of their life savings in cash savings instead of a house. That’s their retirement. That is the amount they are expecting to live off of for the rest of their life,” Nguyen said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">State data shows about 600 people lost Medi-Cal when California reinstated the $130,000 limit. Advocates expect many more to lose Medi-Cal at the lower limit, but the state never released budget estimates before lawmakers approved the $21,000 limit. If the state reinstated the much lower $2,000 limit, the Department of Finance estimated 62,000 seniors and people with disabilities would lose Medi-Cal over two years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Limit fuels anxiety, anger among people with disabilities\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feinberg said the prospect of losing Medi-Cal is especially scary because she would also lose access to a special disability program that pays for extra caregiving hours and has a multiyear waitlist. Caregivers help Feinberg get in and out of bed, dress and prepare her meals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before the limit was erased in 2024, Feinberg said she checked her bank account every day to make sure the balance was low. At the time, Feinberg was a graduate student and did not earn very much money. Now, as a licensed therapist Feinberg has been able to squirrel away some money.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I don’t want to spend down that money. I want to save that for retirement, maybe buying a house in the future,” Feinberg said. “The prospect of not being able to have a nest egg is very unsettling.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guéçamburu said she’s angry and frustrated that the state views services for people with disabilities as expendable.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s exhausting to have to justify your existence every legislative cycle,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/10/california-medi-cal-asset-limit-cut/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Julia Feinberg feels like she’s living in a sinister version of Groundhog Day. For the second year in a row \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> lawmakers have made it tougher for seniors and people with disabilities to qualify for state-funded health benefits. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Julia Feinberg feels like she’s living in a sinister version of Groundhog Day. For the second year in a row \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> lawmakers have made it tougher for seniors and people with disabilities to qualify for state-funded health benefits. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Feinberg, 37, who has a degenerative neuromuscular disorder, said without Medi-Cal she would be confined to a nursing home rather than living and working as a therapist in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Feinberg, 37, who has a degenerative neuromuscular disorder, said without Medi-Cal she would be confined to a nursing home rather than living and working as a therapist in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We keep having to have the same fight over and over and over again,” Feinberg said. She requires a power wheelchair and about 19 hours of caregiving each day, which Medi-Cal covers.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“We keep having to have the same fight over and over and over again,” Feinberg said. She requires a power wheelchair and about 19 hours of caregiving each day, which Medi-Cal covers.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California is cutting Medi-Cal after a decade of expansion, part of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/08/medi-cal-the-cut-healthcare-threatened/\">sweeping federal and state cuts\u003c/a> that experts estimate will kick more than 2.2 million Californians off coverage in the next four years, doubling the state’s uninsured rate. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>California is cutting Medi-Cal after a decade of expansion, part of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/08/medi-cal-the-cut-healthcare-threatened/\">sweeping federal and state cuts\u003c/a> that experts estimate will kick more than 2.2 million Californians off coverage in the next four years, doubling the state’s uninsured rate. \u003c/p>\n"
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/CaregiverGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063947\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A senior woman at home receiving health care.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (LPETTET via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The latest cut came in June, when state leaders approved a budget that will lower the asset limit for low-income seniors and people with disabilities to $21,000 to qualify for Medi-Cal, starting in July 2027. Feinberg, who has built up emergency savings, will have to spend about $10,000 to get under the cap.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The latest cut came in June, when state leaders approved a budget that will lower the asset limit for low-income seniors and people with disabilities to $21,000 to qualify for Medi-Cal, starting in July 2027. Feinberg, who has built up emergency savings, will have to spend about $10,000 to get under the cap.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2024, the state eliminated longstanding Medi-Cal asset limits, but since then lawmakers have chipped away at that policy. At the beginning of this year, state leaders reinstated an asset limit of $130,000, and the June budget lowered it further. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In 2024, the state eliminated longstanding Medi-Cal asset limits, but since then lawmakers have chipped away at that policy. At the beginning of this year, state leaders reinstated an asset limit of $130,000, and the June budget lowered it further. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A primary residence and one vehicle are exempt from the new limit, but people 65 and older as well as those with disabilities cannot own a second home or car, and they can’t have more than $21,000 in \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MC007-ENG.pdf\">savings accounts, certain retirement accounts, life insurance policies or even burial plots\u003c/a>. They must still meet \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/medi-cal/qualify/qualify-for-medi-cal-eligibility-chart/\">Medi-Cal income eligibility limits\u003c/a> of about $1,800 a month for a single person.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A primary residence and one vehicle are exempt from the new limit, but people 65 and older as well as those with disabilities cannot own a second home or car, and they can’t have more than $21,000 in \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MC007-ENG.pdf\">savings accounts, certain retirement accounts, life insurance policies or even burial plots\u003c/a>. They must still meet \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/medi-cal/qualify/qualify-for-medi-cal-eligibility-chart/\">Medi-Cal income eligibility limits\u003c/a> of about $1,800 a month for a single person.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Advocates say the rules unfairly target older people and those with disabilities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Advocates say the rules unfairly target older people and those with disabilities. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106309\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Caretaker Lexi Marsh assists Elizabette Guéçamburu with various day-to-day tasks.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106309\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Caretaker Lexi Marsh assists Elizabette Guéçamburu with various day-to-day tasks.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s really expensive to be disabled,” said Elizabette Guéçamburu, 44, who like Feinberg has spinal muscular atrophy and requires a power wheelchair as well as daily caregiving.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“It’s really expensive to be disabled,” said Elizabette Guéçamburu, 44, who like Feinberg has spinal muscular atrophy and requires a power wheelchair as well as daily caregiving.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Guéçamburu said she’s saving up for a used wheelchair-accessible van, which costs about $75,000. Home modifications such as adding ramps and making bathrooms accessible also cost tens of thousands of dollars, none of which are covered by Medi-Cal. Guéçamburu said those expenses would be impossible to afford if she couldn’t save.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Guéçamburu said she’s saving up for a used wheelchair-accessible van, which costs about $75,000. Home modifications such as adding ramps and making bathrooms accessible also cost tens of thousands of dollars, none of which are covered by Medi-Cal. Guéçamburu said those expenses would be impossible to afford if she couldn’t save.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Guéçamburu lives on her family’s farm in Patterson where they grow walnuts, almonds and alfalfa. She works part time as the farm’s bookkeeper. In 2024, doctors diagnosed Guéçamburu’s father with prostate cancer, and he could no longer act as her caregiver. The same year, California eliminated asset limits for people with disabilities and seniors — Guéçamburu cried, able to qualify for Medi-Cal for the first time. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Now, her aging father is unable to take care of her should she lose Medi-Cal, and Guéçamburu is struggling to figure out what to do with money left to her by her grandmother. She’ll likely have to put it into a special needs trust controlled by a family member and give up financial independence. She also had her family strike her from inheriting any portion of their 100-year-old farm. \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/financial-legal/long-term-care-affordability-report/\">Private home care costs thousands of dollars a month\u003c/a>, making it hard for lower- and middle-income people to pay for it out-of-pocket.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I have to surrender our legacy just to have medical security and have the ability to live my life,” Guéçamburu said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Asset limit flip-flop\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom eliminated Medi-Cal asset requirements in 2024 after a yearslong campaign by senior and disability rights advocates. In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/05/01/governor-newsom-proclaims-older-californians-month-2023/\">statement before the elimination\u003c/a>, Newsom said he was proud of the “bold investments” his administration was making to “protect life savings and homes.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom eliminated Medi-Cal asset requirements in 2024 after a yearslong campaign by senior and disability rights advocates. In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/05/01/governor-newsom-proclaims-older-californians-month-2023/\">statement before the elimination\u003c/a>, Newsom said he was proud of the “bold investments” his administration was making to “protect life savings and homes.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But two years later, faced with a $12 billion budget shortfall, Newsom proposed reinstating the former $2,000 limit, arguing that more than twice as many people enrolled as previously estimated. The Legislature opposed that proposal and compromised at the current higher limit of $130,000, lowering it again to $21,000 starting next July. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But two years later, faced with a $12 billion budget shortfall, Newsom proposed reinstating the former $2,000 limit, arguing that more than twice as many people enrolled as previously estimated. The Legislature opposed that proposal and compromised at the current higher limit of $130,000, lowering it again to $21,000 starting next July. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-PROP50VICTORYLAP-33-BL-KQED-7273678d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106175\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-PROP50VICTORYLAP-33-BL-KQED-7273678d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-PROP50VICTORYLAP-33-BL-KQED-7273678d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-PROP50VICTORYLAP-33-BL-KQED-7273678d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a rally alongside California Democratic Party members, labor leaders and advocates in San Francisco on Oct. 23, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lindsay Imai Hong, California director for Hand In Hand, an advocacy group supporting families that need caregiving, said organizers are looking to the next governor for change.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We would love to see the asset test permanently taken off of the chopping block,” Imai Hong said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton said in a statement to CalMatters that he opposes asset limits. He criticized the state for extending other Medi-Cal benefits beyond what it could afford, including coverage for immigrants without legal status.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Seniors and people with disabilities shouldn’t lose their coverage because they’ve managed to save some money. They’ve done the responsible thing. Why punish them for it?” he said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Democratic gubernatorial candidate and front-runner Xavier Becerra did not answer specific questions about the asset limit policy, but a campaign spokesperson blamed the Trump administration’s federal cuts for “squeezing” California’s Medi-Cal program.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106312\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elizabette Guecamburu does her circulation exercises in the living room of her home outside of Patterson on Oct. 16, 2026. Guecamburu is afraid that recently passed state Medi-Cal cuts will disqualify her from benefits.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106312\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elizabette Guecamburu does her circulation exercises in the living room of her home outside of Patterson on Oct. 16, 2026. Guecamburu is afraid that recently passed state Medi-Cal cuts will disqualify her from benefits.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Becerra will be “focused on protecting access to care and demand savings that are real, measurable and sustainable,” spokesperson Johnathan Underland said. On the campaign trail, Becerra has called himself California’s next “healthcare governor” and has \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/27/xavier-becerra-wants-to-be-the-health-care-governor-00532691\">previously floated raising taxes\u003c/a> to reverse Medi-Cal cuts, but \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/09/california-governor-healthcare-plans-2026/\">has not released detailed health policy plans\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Becerra will be “focused on protecting access to care and demand savings that are real, measurable and sustainable,” spokesperson Johnathan Underland said. On the campaign trail, Becerra has called himself California’s next “healthcare governor” and has \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/27/xavier-becerra-wants-to-be-the-health-care-governor-00532691\">previously floated raising taxes\u003c/a> to reverse Medi-Cal cuts, but \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/09/california-governor-healthcare-plans-2026/\">has not released detailed health policy plans\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Camille Nguyen, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, said most people who struggle to stay under the limit have little financial security.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Camille Nguyen, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, said most people who struggle to stay under the limit have little financial security.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“They have all of their life savings in cash savings instead of a house. That’s their retirement. That is the amount they are expecting to live off of for the rest of their life,” Nguyen said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“They have all of their life savings in cash savings instead of a house. That’s their retirement. That is the amount they are expecting to live off of for the rest of their life,” Nguyen said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State data shows about 600 people lost Medi-Cal when California reinstated the $130,000 limit. Advocates expect many more to lose Medi-Cal at the lower limit, but the state never released budget estimates before lawmakers approved the $21,000 limit. If the state reinstated the much lower $2,000 limit, the Department of Finance estimated 62,000 seniors and people with disabilities would lose Medi-Cal over two years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State data shows about 600 people lost Medi-Cal when California reinstated the $130,000 limit. Advocates expect many more to lose Medi-Cal at the lower limit, but the state never released budget estimates before lawmakers approved the $21,000 limit. If the state reinstated the much lower $2,000 limit, the Department of Finance estimated 62,000 seniors and people with disabilities would lose Medi-Cal over two years. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Feinberg said the prospect of losing Medi-Cal is especially scary because she would also lose access to a special disability program that pays for extra caregiving hours and has a multiyear waitlist. Caregivers help Feinberg get in and out of bed, dress and prepare her meals.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Feinberg said the prospect of losing Medi-Cal is especially scary because she would also lose access to a special disability program that pays for extra caregiving hours and has a multiyear waitlist. Caregivers help Feinberg get in and out of bed, dress and prepare her meals.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Before the limit was erased in 2024, Feinberg said she checked her bank account every day to make sure the balance was low. At the time, Feinberg was a graduate student and did not earn very much money. Now, as a licensed therapist Feinberg has been able to squirrel away some money.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Before the limit was erased in 2024, Feinberg said she checked her bank account every day to make sure the balance was low. At the time, Feinberg was a graduate student and did not earn very much money. Now, as a licensed therapist Feinberg has been able to squirrel away some money.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to spend down that money. I want to save that for retirement, maybe buying a house in the future,” Feinberg said. “The prospect of not being able to have a nest egg is very unsettling.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I don’t want to spend down that money. I want to save that for retirement, maybe buying a house in the future,” Feinberg said. “The prospect of not being able to have a nest egg is very unsettling.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Guéçamburu said she’s angry and frustrated that the state views services for people with disabilities as expendable.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Guéçamburu said she’s angry and frustrated that the state views services for people with disabilities as expendable.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s exhausting to have to justify your existence every legislative cycle,” she said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s exhausting to have to justify your existence every legislative cycle,” she said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/10/california-medi-cal-asset-limit-cut/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/10/california-medi-cal-asset-limit-cut/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Next July, new Medi-Cal rules prohibit seniors and people with disabilities from saving more than $21,000. Senior and disability rights advocates say the cuts unfairly target vulnerable groups.",
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"title": "Medi-Cal Cuts Could Push Seniors and People With Disabilities Off of Coverage | KQED",
"description": "Next July, new Medi-Cal rules prohibit seniors and people with disabilities from saving more than $21,000. Senior and disability rights advocates say the cuts unfairly target vulnerable groups.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Julia Feinberg feels like she’s living in a sinister version of Groundhog Day. For the second year in a row \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> lawmakers have made it tougher for seniors and people with disabilities to qualify for state-funded health benefits. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feinberg, 37, who has a degenerative neuromuscular disorder, said without Medi-Cal she would be confined to a nursing home rather than living and working as a therapist in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We keep having to have the same fight over and over and over again,” Feinberg said. She requires a power wheelchair and about 19 hours of caregiving each day, which Medi-Cal covers.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">California is cutting Medi-Cal after a decade of expansion, part of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/08/medi-cal-the-cut-healthcare-threatened/\">sweeping federal and state cuts\u003c/a> that experts estimate will kick more than 2.2 million Californians off coverage in the next four years, doubling the state’s uninsured rate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/CaregiverGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12063947\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/CaregiverGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/CaregiverGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/CaregiverGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A senior woman at home receiving health care. (LPETTET via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The latest cut came in June, when state leaders approved a budget that will lower the asset limit for low-income seniors and people with disabilities to $21,000 to qualify for Medi-Cal, starting in July 2027. Feinberg, who has built up emergency savings, will have to spend about $10,000 to get under the cap.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2024, the state eliminated longstanding Medi-Cal asset limits, but since then lawmakers have chipped away at that policy. At the beginning of this year, state leaders reinstated an asset limit of $130,000, and the June budget lowered it further. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A primary residence and one vehicle are exempt from the new limit, but people 65 and older as well as those with disabilities cannot own a second home or car, and they can’t have more than $21,000 in \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/MC007-ENG.pdf\">savings accounts, certain retirement accounts, life insurance policies or even burial plots\u003c/a>. They must still meet \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/medi-cal/qualify/qualify-for-medi-cal-eligibility-chart/\">Medi-Cal income eligibility limits\u003c/a> of about $1,800 a month for a single person.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Advocates say the rules unfairly target older people and those with disabilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106309\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_04-a244a4ca-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caretaker Lexi Marsh assists Elizabette Guéçamburu with various day-to-day tasks. (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s really expensive to be disabled,” said Elizabette Guéçamburu, 44, who like Feinberg has spinal muscular atrophy and requires a power wheelchair as well as daily caregiving.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guéçamburu said she’s saving up for a used wheelchair-accessible van, which costs about $75,000. Home modifications such as adding ramps and making bathrooms accessible also cost tens of thousands of dollars, none of which are covered by Medi-Cal. Guéçamburu said those expenses would be impossible to afford if she couldn’t save.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guéçamburu lives on her family’s farm in Patterson where they grow walnuts, almonds and alfalfa. She works part time as the farm’s bookkeeper. In 2024, doctors diagnosed Guéçamburu’s father with prostate cancer, and he could no longer act as her caregiver. The same year, California eliminated asset limits for people with disabilities and seniors — Guéçamburu cried, able to qualify for Medi-Cal for the first time. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“The timing was a godsend,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12106310\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926-ASSET-LIMIT-LV_CM_24-4689659e.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106310\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926-ASSET-LIMIT-LV_CM_24-4689659e.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926-ASSET-LIMIT-LV_CM_24-4689659e-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926-ASSET-LIMIT-LV_CM_24-4689659e-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caretaker Lexi Marsh helps Elizabette Guecamburu get inside her van in the garage of her home outside Patterson on Oct. 16, 2026. Guecamburu is afraid that recently passed state Medi-Cal cuts will disqualify her from benefits. (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12106311\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_20-967a950c.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106311\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_20-967a950c.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_20-967a950c-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_20-967a950c-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caretaker Lexi Marsh feeds Elizabette Guéçamburu her food. (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, her aging father is unable to take care of her should she lose Medi-Cal, and Guéçamburu is struggling to figure out what to do with money left to her by her grandmother. She’ll likely have to put it into a special needs trust controlled by a family member and give up financial independence. She also had her family strike her from inheriting any portion of their 100-year-old farm. \u003ca href=\"https://www.aarp.org/caregiving/financial-legal/long-term-care-affordability-report/\">Private home care costs thousands of dollars a month\u003c/a>, making it hard for lower- and middle-income people to pay for it out-of-pocket.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I have to surrender our legacy just to have medical security and have the ability to live my life,” Guéçamburu said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Asset limit flip-flop\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gov. Gavin Newsom eliminated Medi-Cal asset requirements in 2024 after a yearslong campaign by senior and disability rights advocates. In a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2023/05/01/governor-newsom-proclaims-older-californians-month-2023/\">statement before the elimination\u003c/a>, Newsom said he was proud of the “bold investments” his administration was making to “protect life savings and homes.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But two years later, faced with a $12 billion budget shortfall, Newsom proposed reinstating the former $2,000 limit, arguing that more than twice as many people enrolled as previously estimated. The Legislature opposed that proposal and compromised at the current higher limit of $130,000, lowering it again to $21,000 starting next July. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-PROP50VICTORYLAP-33-BL-KQED-7273678d.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106175\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-PROP50VICTORYLAP-33-BL-KQED-7273678d.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-PROP50VICTORYLAP-33-BL-KQED-7273678d-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/261023-PROP50VICTORYLAP-33-BL-KQED-7273678d-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a rally alongside California Democratic Party members, labor leaders and advocates in San Francisco on Oct. 23, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lindsay Imai Hong, California director for Hand In Hand, an advocacy group supporting families that need caregiving, said organizers are looking to the next governor for change.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“We would love to see the asset test permanently taken off of the chopping block,” Imai Hong said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton said in a statement to CalMatters that he opposes asset limits. He criticized the state for extending other Medi-Cal benefits beyond what it could afford, including coverage for immigrants without legal status.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“Seniors and people with disabilities shouldn’t lose their coverage because they’ve managed to save some money. They’ve done the responsible thing. Why punish them for it?” he said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Democratic gubernatorial candidate and front-runner Xavier Becerra did not answer specific questions about the asset limit policy, but a campaign spokesperson blamed the Trump administration’s federal cuts for “squeezing” California’s Medi-Cal program.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12106312\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101926_ASSET-LIMIT_LV_CM_07-2a2066eb-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Elizabette Guecamburu does her circulation exercises in the living room of her home outside of Patterson on Oct. 16, 2026. Guecamburu is afraid that recently passed state Medi-Cal cuts will disqualify her from benefits. (Larry Valenzuela/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Becerra will be “focused on protecting access to care and demand savings that are real, measurable and sustainable,” spokesperson Johnathan Underland said. On the campaign trail, Becerra has called himself California’s next “healthcare governor” and has \u003ca href=\"https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/27/xavier-becerra-wants-to-be-the-health-care-governor-00532691\">previously floated raising taxes\u003c/a> to reverse Medi-Cal cuts, but \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/09/california-governor-healthcare-plans-2026/\">has not released detailed health policy plans\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Camille Nguyen, an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, said most people who struggle to stay under the limit have little financial security.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“They have all of their life savings in cash savings instead of a house. That’s their retirement. That is the amount they are expecting to live off of for the rest of their life,” Nguyen said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">State data shows about 600 people lost Medi-Cal when California reinstated the $130,000 limit. Advocates expect many more to lose Medi-Cal at the lower limit, but the state never released budget estimates before lawmakers approved the $21,000 limit. If the state reinstated the much lower $2,000 limit, the Department of Finance estimated 62,000 seniors and people with disabilities would lose Medi-Cal over two years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Limit fuels anxiety, anger among people with disabilities\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Feinberg said the prospect of losing Medi-Cal is especially scary because she would also lose access to a special disability program that pays for extra caregiving hours and has a multiyear waitlist. Caregivers help Feinberg get in and out of bed, dress and prepare her meals.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before the limit was erased in 2024, Feinberg said she checked her bank account every day to make sure the balance was low. At the time, Feinberg was a graduate student and did not earn very much money. Now, as a licensed therapist Feinberg has been able to squirrel away some money.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“I don’t want to spend down that money. I want to save that for retirement, maybe buying a house in the future,” Feinberg said. “The prospect of not being able to have a nest egg is very unsettling.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Guéçamburu said she’s angry and frustrated that the state views services for people with disabilities as expendable.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">“It’s exhausting to have to justify your existence every legislative cycle,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/10/california-medi-cal-asset-limit-cut/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "they-killed-people-with-their-big-rigs-california-let-them-keep-driving",
"title": "They Killed People With Their Big Rigs. California Let Them Keep Driving",
"publishDate": 1792530000,
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"headTitle": "They Killed People With Their Big Rigs. California Let Them Keep Driving | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>Loren Chow looked in the rearview mirror and had a terrifying realization.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>We’re going to get hit.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>There’s nothing I can do to get out of this.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Traffic outside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fresno\">Fresno\u003c/a> had slowed. A semitruck loaded with fertilizer from Missouri, cruising at 65 miles per hour, hadn’t. By the time the driver, Baljit Singh, hit the brakes, it was too late. A fully loaded big rig traveling at that speed takes the length of nearly two football fields to stop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chow, his wife and their 17-year-old son were headed home from a college visit in June 2022. Singh’s red Freightliner smashed into the back of their SUV and flipped it. Jenny Chow died. Law enforcement said Singh caused the crash by driving too fast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Loren Chow can’t talk about the details of the collision because of an active lawsuit against Singh, the trucking companies and vehicle manufacturers. But court filings, police reports and driving records lead to a simple conclusion:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_AHK_CM_17-0d5a4f9b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_AHK_CM_17-0d5a4f9b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_AHK_CM_17-0d5a4f9b-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_AHK_CM_17-0d5a4f9b-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Loren Chow holds a photo of his wife, Jenny, at the home they shared in Los Altos on Aug. 19, 2026. Skeeter, the family’s dog who they adopted shortly after Jenny’s death, snuggles next to him. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the California Department of Motor Vehicles had done its job, Jenny Chow would still be alive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s because in July 2021 — 11 months before he killed Chow — Singh let his semitruck drift over the median on Merle Haggard Drive in Kern County on his way to an Amazon distribution center, killing a 26-year-old man on a motorcycle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The collision report from that crash shows police found pages from a log book, meant to keep track of Singh’s hours behind the wheel, “ripped into small pieces” in an overhead compartment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Investigators with the California Highway Patrol alleged that Singh was fatigued at the time of the crash after driving more than the 12-hour limit and recommended he be charged with vehicular manslaughter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But while the DMV knew about the earlier fatal crash and had the authority to suspend Singh’s driving privileges, it let him continue to drive a big rig until he killed again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The death was completely avoidable. That accident never should have happened,” Chow said, barely choking back grief during an interview in his Bay Area living room, which is blanketed in smiling photos of Jenny and their two boys.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12105319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_CM_02-01d2827a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105319\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_CM_02-01d2827a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_CM_02-01d2827a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_CM_02-01d2827a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An altar dedicated to Jenny Chow, a wife and mother who died after the family’s car was hit by a truck, sits on a mantel in the Chow family’s Los Altos home on Aug. 19, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12105320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-Chow-Family-Car-CM-03-774ed6c5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-Chow-Family-Car-CM-03-774ed6c5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-Chow-Family-Car-CM-03-774ed6c5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-Chow-Family-Car-CM-03-774ed6c5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jenny Chow’s car after the collision with Baljit Singh’s semi-truck. Screenshot via KGET\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would have had my partner still. We’d be a family of four. Jenny would have seen Dylan and Tyler graduate from high school,” Chow said. “She would have seen so much if only the DMV had done what any person in his right mind would have done, which is to suspend the license.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A CalMatters investigation found that the DMV often lets professional drivers with a history of dangerous behavior behind the wheel stay on the road and command massive vehicles — buses filled with passengers, semis packed with goods, and tankers loaded with hazardous chemicals — even after a fatal crash.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under California law, a truck driver convicted of manslaughter is disqualified from driving big rigs for 12 months. And any driver convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter is generally supposed to receive a three-year license revocation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But criminal cases can drag out, sometimes for years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Singh wasn’t convicted of manslaughter in Kern and Fresno counties until 2024. It was only then that the DMV took his license. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Singh and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps://youtu.be/Ri1cA7fg4uE?si=NXWb3jWHjMK15Yuo\n\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State law empowers the agency to investigate drivers involved in fatal and serious-injury collisions and suspend their licenses — with or without a conviction. But the DMV routinely does nothing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even when the agency does act, records show it can take years to do so. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We examined court filings and DMV records for more than 130 commercial licensees charged with vehicular manslaughter from 2019 to early 2024 following a fatal crash on the job or off-duty in a personal vehicle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly half had a valid Class A or Class B license as of late May, authorizing them to drive the biggest vehicles on the road. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That includes a dozen drivers who got a ticket for unsafe driving in a commercial vehicle after having already killed someone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What’s more, vehicular manslaughter is supposed to be a three-point violation for a truck driver, but in almost every DMV record we reviewed, it was listed as two, the penalty for a regular driver. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"856\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737-160x69.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737-1536x664.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The DMV notice Loren Chow received warning of delinquent registration fees on the vehicle involved in the fatal crash. \u003cbr> (Graphic composite by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The agency in a written statement said it relies on the courts to notify it when a conviction involves a commercial vehicle so it can assess the appropriate number of points.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite such examples of bureaucratic indifference, we did find one area of enforcement in which the DMV is aggressive: making sure people pay fines.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2023, months before the agency finally suspended Singh’s license, it started sending Loren Chow letters threatening to garnish his wages, seize his property and put a lien on his home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The DMV said he was late paying his vehicle registration fee on the SUV that was totaled, by the truck driver it allowed to stay on the road.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>‘You’re gonna kill somebody’\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The DMV’s inaction against commercial drivers is all the more consequential because of the clear risks they pose. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Truck driving is a grueling job involving long hours over vast distances. A fully loaded semi can total 80,000 pounds — 20 times the weight of a car. A speeding semitruck doesn’t do fender-benders; it obliterates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One thing goes wrong, you’re gonna kill somebody,” said Joe Rajkovacz, a longtime owner-operator and advocate with the Western States Trucking Association. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 4,000 people died in large-truck crashes in California from 2015 through 2024, the most recent decade for which \u003ca href=\"https://explore.dot.gov/views/DV_FARS_LRT/Home?%3Aembed=y&%3Aiid=1&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y\">federal data\u003c/a> is available. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1988\" height=\"1116\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105340\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157.jpg 1988w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1988px) 100vw, 1988px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trucks drive along Interstate 5 near Firebaugh on Aug. 26, 2026. (Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s licensing decisions have an impact beyond the state’s borders. Supersized trucks, long the backbone of our economy, haul billions of dollars of food from the state’s farms and online orders from teeming ports to destinations across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tami Friedrich, president of the Truck Safety Coalition, a national advocacy group, said that’s why regulators need to do more to flag truck drivers who shouldn’t be on the road. She got involved in road safety issues after her sister and brother-in-law and their two children — Kris, Alan, Anthony and Brandie — died in a crash with a big rig just after Christmas in 1989. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a certain level of responsibility above and beyond a regular car driver that they should adhere to,” Friedrich said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cases we examined suggest California is not holding them to that level.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A truck driver killed a 55-year-old man in Bakersfield in 2023, four years after court records show he allegedly injured a woman with his semi in a Sacramento crash. There’s nothing on his driving record to indicate that the DMV did anything in response. He got in yet another truck collision in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One driver was convicted of reckless driving and a hit-and-run, got in a collision in San Joaquin County in 2023, failed to show up to court in Sacramento on a traffic ticket and killed someone while driving in Amador County. Just this year he got a speeding ticket in Sacramento and in another collision in Amador. The DMV didn’t suspend his commercial driver’s license until September, after we asked about the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another driver with five prior collisions — including one in 2021 in which he veered onto the shoulder in a semitruck and killed someone in Riverside County — was able to renew his license last year and almost immediately racked up two tickets for speeding in a commercial vehicle. He had a valid trucker’s license as of September.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While regular drivers can easily drive on a suspended license, a trucking company isn’t likely to turn over a loaded semi to a driver without a valid commercial license, experts said. That means DMV action would be all the more meaningful. But the agency often acts only when it’s legally required to and doesn’t use its immense discretionary power to ensure that unsafe drivers get off the road.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Department of Motor Vehicles parking lot in central Fresno on Dec. 13, 2022. (Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The DMV’s hands-off approach comes at a time of turmoil for the trucking industry. Experts say a proliferation of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-dangerous-trucking-schemes-putting-americans-at-risk-60-minutes-transcript/\">fly-by-night operators\u003c/a> and training schools has undercut safety standards and fueled a race to the bottom for driving conditions. At the same time, the Trump administration \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/04/truck-drivers-california-2/\">has \u003c/a>alleged California is improperly giving commercial licenses to people who don’t meet immigration or language standards. The court files and DMV records we reviewed do not include drivers’ immigration status.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We sent the DMV a list of commercial drivers along with questions for this story. The agency declined an interview request and wouldn’t comment on specific cases but, shortly after, took action against a dozen of the drivers, such as suspending licenses or stripping commercial driving privileges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email, DMV spokesperson Jonathan Groveman wrote that the agency recently updated how it handles fatal crashes and manslaughter convictions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“During this modernization process, the DMV identified some cases that had not been previously reviewed and have now been processed or are currently being processed,” according to Groveman’s email.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also wrote that law enforcement and the courts \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/06/california-courts-dmv/\">need to report information to the agency\u003c/a> in a timely manner in order for the DMV to act.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘What the hell?’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jon Israel knew what kind of damage a fully loaded big rig could do. He used to drive one. And as a tow truck operator in California’s vast Inland Empire, he’d spent years towing away mangled wreckage from crashes on one of the state’s busiest trucking corridors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So Israel would have been cautious one summer morning in 2018, when he pulled his overheating tow truck to the side of Interstate 10 and got out to check the radiator fluid, traffic whipping by. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But there’s not much you can do when a semi veers your way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A police report shows that Marco Rodriguez let his tractor-trailer drift onto the shoulder. The massive side mirror struck Israel. He died on the roadway he’d long patrolled. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105324\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jon Israel with one of the tow trucks he used to patrol California’s vast Inland Empire. (Courtesy of Maxine Israel)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s DMV record shows he kept driving commercial vehicles even after the fatal crash, for which he was ultimately convicted of manslaughter. Police caught him speeding in commercial vehicles three separate times from 2022 through last year, and ticketed him one more time for a lane violation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite that record — a vehicular manslaughter conviction, plus four tickets for unsafe driving in commercial vehicles — the agency renewed Rodriguez’s trucker license in March, declining to use its discretion to keep him off the road.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What the hell?” said Maxine Israel, Jon’s widow. “Are they waiting for him to kill somebody else?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s criminal defense attorney, Mukund Arun, called the fatal crash “a very unfortunate, tragic incident” and emphasized that his client was only charged with a misdemeanor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors can charge vehicular manslaughter as a felony or a misdemeanor, with the more serious charge typically involving extreme behavior like drunk driving or excessive speeding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Maxine Israel comes from a trucking family. She missed her high school graduation to go on a run in her dad’s semi. For years, she and Jon lived near a notoriously strict Riverside County checkpoint where the CHP weighed trucks and drivers could buy T-shirts that said, “I survived the Banning Scales.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1982\" height=\"1113\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105341\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def.jpg 1982w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1982px) 100vw, 1982px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trucks and cars drive along Interstate 580 through Altamont Pass on Aug. 18, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But over time, she and her husband noticed that truck drivers seemed to get younger and younger. They drove fast, and their eyes often drifted from the road ahead. The big thing she and Jon talked about was how, unlike in some other states, truck drivers here often failed to slow down and switch lanes to pass people on the shoulder.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California used to be really, really strict on the big trucks,” Israel said. But now, it’s “like they don’t care.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s been more than six years since Rodriguez was convicted of killing Jon Israel. In July, after CalMatters asked the DMV about the case, the agency finally disqualified Rodriguez from driving commercially. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>DMV records show it’s a one-year ban; he should be eligible to go back to driving trucks next summer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Court research by Robert Lewis, Lauren Hepler, Anat Rubin, Sergio Olmos, Cayla Mihalovich, Ese Olumhense, Ko Bragg, Andrew Donohue and Jenna Peterson. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Thank you to our partner KGET for contributing to this piece after producing its \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/license-to-kill-a-17-news-special-report/\">\u003cem>own video\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Traffic outside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fresno\">Fresno\u003c/a> had slowed. A semitruck loaded with fertilizer from Missouri, cruising at 65 miles per hour, hadn’t. By the time the driver, Baljit Singh, hit the brakes, it was too late. A fully loaded big rig traveling at that speed takes the length of nearly two football fields to stop.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Traffic outside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fresno\">Fresno\u003c/a> had slowed. A semitruck loaded with fertilizer from Missouri, cruising at 65 miles per hour, hadn’t. By the time the driver, Baljit Singh, hit the brakes, it was too late. A fully loaded big rig traveling at that speed takes the length of nearly two football fields to stop.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chow, his wife and their 17-year-old son were headed home from a college visit in June 2022. Singh’s red Freightliner smashed into the back of their SUV and flipped it. Jenny Chow died. Law enforcement said Singh caused the crash by driving too fast.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Chow, his wife and their 17-year-old son were headed home from a college visit in June 2022. Singh’s red Freightliner smashed into the back of their SUV and flipped it. Jenny Chow died. Law enforcement said Singh caused the crash by driving too fast.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Loren Chow can’t talk about the details of the collision because of an active lawsuit against Singh, the trucking companies and vehicle manufacturers. But court filings, police reports and driving records lead to a simple conclusion:\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Loren Chow can’t talk about the details of the collision because of an active lawsuit against Singh, the trucking companies and vehicle manufacturers. But court filings, police reports and driving records lead to a simple conclusion:\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_AHK_CM_17-0d5a4f9b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_AHK_CM_17-0d5a4f9b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_AHK_CM_17-0d5a4f9b-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_AHK_CM_17-0d5a4f9b-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Loren Chow holds a photo of his wife, Jenny, at the home they shared in Los Altos on Aug. 19, 2026. Skeeter, the family’s dog who they adopted shortly after Jenny’s death, snuggles next to him.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s because in July 2021 — 11 months before he killed Chow — Singh let his semitruck drift over the median on Merle Haggard Drive in Kern County on his way to an Amazon distribution center, killing a 26-year-old man on a motorcycle. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The collision report from that crash shows police found pages from a log book, meant to keep track of Singh’s hours behind the wheel, “ripped into small pieces” in an overhead compartment. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Investigators with the California Highway Patrol alleged that Singh was fatigued at the time of the crash after driving more than the 12-hour limit and recommended he be charged with vehicular manslaughter.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But while the DMV knew about the earlier fatal crash and had the authority to suspend Singh’s driving privileges, it let him continue to drive a big rig until he killed again.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The death was completely avoidable. That accident never should have happened,” Chow said, barely choking back grief during an interview in his Bay Area living room, which is blanketed in smiling photos of Jenny and their two boys.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The death was completely avoidable. That accident never should have happened,” Chow said, barely choking back grief during an interview in his Bay Area living room, which is blanketed in smiling photos of Jenny and their two boys.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_CM_02-01d2827a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105319\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An altar dedicated to Jenny Chow, a wife and mother who died after the family’s car was hit by a truck, sits on a mantel in the Chow family’s Los Altos home on Aug. 19, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_CM_02-01d2827a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105319\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An altar dedicated to Jenny Chow, a wife and mother who died after the family’s car was hit by a truck, sits on a mantel in the Chow family’s Los Altos home on Aug. 19, 2026. \u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-Chow-Family-Car-CM-03-774ed6c5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105320\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jenny Chow’s car after the collision with Baljit Singh’s semi-truck. Screenshot via KGET\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-Chow-Family-Car-CM-03-774ed6c5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105320\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jenny Chow’s car after the collision with Baljit Singh’s semi-truck. Screenshot via KGET\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I would have had my partner still. We’d be a family of four. Jenny would have seen Dylan and Tyler graduate from high school,” Chow said. “She would have seen so much if only the DMV had done what any person in his right mind would have done, which is to suspend the license.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“I would have had my partner still. We’d be a family of four. Jenny would have seen Dylan and Tyler graduate from high school,” Chow said. “She would have seen so much if only the DMV had done what any person in his right mind would have done, which is to suspend the license.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A CalMatters investigation found that the DMV often lets professional drivers with a history of dangerous behavior behind the wheel stay on the road and command massive vehicles — buses filled with passengers, semis packed with goods, and tankers loaded with hazardous chemicals — even after a fatal crash.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A CalMatters investigation found that the DMV often lets professional drivers with a history of dangerous behavior behind the wheel stay on the road and command massive vehicles — buses filled with passengers, semis packed with goods, and tankers loaded with hazardous chemicals — even after a fatal crash.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under California law, a truck driver convicted of manslaughter is disqualified from driving big rigs for 12 months. And any driver convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter is generally supposed to receive a three-year license revocation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under California law, a truck driver convicted of manslaughter is disqualified from driving big rigs for 12 months. And any driver convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter is generally supposed to receive a three-year license revocation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But criminal cases can drag out, sometimes for years. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Singh wasn’t convicted of manslaughter in Kern and Fresno counties until 2024. It was only then that the DMV took his license. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Singh wasn’t convicted of manslaughter in Kern and Fresno counties until 2024. It was only then that the DMV took his license. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Singh and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>State law empowers the agency to investigate drivers involved in fatal and serious-injury collisions and suspend their licenses — with or without a conviction. But the DMV routinely does nothing.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>State law empowers the agency to investigate drivers involved in fatal and serious-injury collisions and suspend their licenses — with or without a conviction. But the DMV routinely does nothing.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Even when the agency does act, records show it can take years to do so. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We examined court filings and DMV records for more than 130 commercial licensees charged with vehicular manslaughter from 2019 to early 2024 following a fatal crash on the job or off-duty in a personal vehicle. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>We examined court filings and DMV records for more than 130 commercial licensees charged with vehicular manslaughter from 2019 to early 2024 following a fatal crash on the job or off-duty in a personal vehicle. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Nearly half had a valid Class A or Class B license as of late May, authorizing them to drive the biggest vehicles on the road. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That includes a dozen drivers who got a ticket for unsafe driving in a commercial vehicle after having already killed someone.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>What’s more, vehicular manslaughter is supposed to be a three-point violation for a truck driver, but in almost every DMV record we reviewed, it was listed as two, the penalty for a regular driver. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>What’s more, vehicular manslaughter is supposed to be a three-point violation for a truck driver, but in almost every DMV record we reviewed, it was listed as two, the penalty for a regular driver. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737-160x69.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737-1536x664.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The DMV notice Loren Chow received warning of delinquent registration fees on the vehicle involved in the fatal crash. \u003cbr>\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Graphic composite by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105322\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The DMV notice Loren Chow received warning of delinquent registration fees on the vehicle involved in the fatal crash. \u003cbr>\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Graphic composite by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The agency in a written statement said it relies on the courts to notify it when a conviction involves a commercial vehicle so it can assess the appropriate number of points.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite such examples of bureaucratic indifference, we did find one area of enforcement in which the DMV is aggressive: making sure people pay fines.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In 2023, months before the agency finally suspended Singh’s license, it started sending Loren Chow letters threatening to garnish his wages, seize his property and put a lien on his home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The DMV said he was late paying his vehicle registration fee on the SUV that was totaled, by the truck driver it allowed to stay on the road.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>‘You’re gonna kill somebody’\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The DMV’s inaction against commercial drivers is all the more consequential because of the clear risks they pose. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Truck driving is a grueling job involving long hours over vast distances. A fully loaded semi can total 80,000 pounds — 20 times the weight of a car. A speeding semitruck doesn’t do fender-benders; it obliterates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Truck driving is a grueling job involving long hours over vast distances. A fully loaded semi can total 80,000 pounds — 20 times the weight of a car. A speeding semitruck doesn’t do fender-benders; it obliterates.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“One thing goes wrong, you’re gonna kill somebody,” said Joe Rajkovacz, a longtime owner-operator and advocate with the Western States Trucking Association. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“One thing goes wrong, you’re gonna kill somebody,” said Joe Rajkovacz, a longtime owner-operator and advocate with the Western States Trucking Association. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About 4,000 people died in large-truck crashes in California from 2015 through 2024, the most recent decade for which \u003ca href=\"https://explore.dot.gov/views/DV_FARS_LRT/Home?%3Aembed=y&%3Aiid=1&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y\">federal data\u003c/a> is available. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105340\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157.jpg 1988w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trucks drive along Interstate 5 near Firebaugh on Aug. 26, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105340\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trucks drive along Interstate 5 near Firebaugh on Aug. 26, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California’s licensing decisions have an impact beyond the state’s borders. Supersized trucks, long the backbone of our economy, haul billions of dollars of food from the state’s farms and online orders from teeming ports to destinations across the country. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California’s licensing decisions have an impact beyond the state’s borders. Supersized trucks, long the backbone of our economy, haul billions of dollars of food from the state’s farms and online orders from teeming ports to destinations across the country. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tami Friedrich, president of the Truck Safety Coalition, a national advocacy group, said that’s why regulators need to do more to flag truck drivers who shouldn’t be on the road. She got involved in road safety issues after her sister and brother-in-law and their two children — Kris, Alan, Anthony and Brandie — died in a crash with a big rig just after Christmas in 1989. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tami Friedrich, president of the Truck Safety Coalition, a national advocacy group, said that’s why regulators need to do more to flag truck drivers who shouldn’t be on the road. She got involved in road safety issues after her sister and brother-in-law and their two children — Kris, Alan, Anthony and Brandie — died in a crash with a big rig just after Christmas in 1989. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s a certain level of responsibility above and beyond a regular car driver that they should adhere to,” Friedrich said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The cases we examined suggest California is not holding them to that level.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The cases we examined suggest California is not holding them to that level.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A truck driver killed a 55-year-old man in Bakersfield in 2023, four years after court records show he allegedly injured a woman with his semi in a Sacramento crash. There’s nothing on his driving record to indicate that the DMV did anything in response. He got in yet another truck collision in 2025.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A truck driver killed a 55-year-old man in Bakersfield in 2023, four years after court records show he allegedly injured a woman with his semi in a Sacramento crash. There’s nothing on his driving record to indicate that the DMV did anything in response. He got in yet another truck collision in 2025.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One driver was convicted of reckless driving and a hit-and-run, got in a collision in San Joaquin County in 2023, failed to show up to court in Sacramento on a traffic ticket and killed someone while driving in Amador County. Just this year he got a speeding ticket in Sacramento and in another collision in Amador. The DMV didn’t suspend his commercial driver’s license until September, after we asked about the case. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One driver was convicted of reckless driving and a hit-and-run, got in a collision in San Joaquin County in 2023, failed to show up to court in Sacramento on a traffic ticket and killed someone while driving in Amador County. Just this year he got a speeding ticket in Sacramento and in another collision in Amador. The DMV didn’t suspend his commercial driver’s license until September, after we asked about the case. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Another driver with five prior collisions — including one in 2021 in which he veered onto the shoulder in a semitruck and killed someone in Riverside County — was able to renew his license last year and almost immediately racked up two tickets for speeding in a commercial vehicle. He had a valid trucker’s license as of September.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Another driver with five prior collisions — including one in 2021 in which he veered onto the shoulder in a semitruck and killed someone in Riverside County — was able to renew his license last year and almost immediately racked up two tickets for speeding in a commercial vehicle. He had a valid trucker’s license as of September.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>While regular drivers can easily drive on a suspended license, a trucking company isn’t likely to turn over a loaded semi to a driver without a valid commercial license, experts said. That means DMV action would be all the more meaningful. But the agency often acts only when it’s legally required to and doesn’t use its immense discretionary power to ensure that unsafe drivers get off the road.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>While regular drivers can easily drive on a suspended license, a trucking company isn’t likely to turn over a loaded semi to a driver without a valid commercial license, experts said. That means DMV action would be all the more meaningful. But the agency often acts only when it’s legally required to and doesn’t use its immense discretionary power to ensure that unsafe drivers get off the road.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Department of Motor Vehicles parking lot in central Fresno on Dec. 13, 2022. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081739\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Department of Motor Vehicles parking lot in central Fresno on Dec. 13, 2022. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The DMV’s hands-off approach comes at a time of turmoil for the trucking industry. Experts say a proliferation of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-dangerous-trucking-schemes-putting-americans-at-risk-60-minutes-transcript/\">fly-by-night operators\u003c/a> and training schools has undercut safety standards and fueled a race to the bottom for driving conditions. At the same time, the Trump administration \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/04/truck-drivers-california-2/\">has \u003c/a>alleged California is improperly giving commercial licenses to people who don’t meet immigration or language standards. The court files and DMV records we reviewed do not include drivers’ immigration status.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The DMV’s hands-off approach comes at a time of turmoil for the trucking industry. Experts say a proliferation of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-dangerous-trucking-schemes-putting-americans-at-risk-60-minutes-transcript/\">fly-by-night operators\u003c/a> and training schools has undercut safety standards and fueled a race to the bottom for driving conditions. At the same time, the Trump administration \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/04/truck-drivers-california-2/\">has \u003c/a>alleged California is improperly giving commercial licenses to people who don’t meet immigration or language standards. The court files and DMV records we reviewed do not include drivers’ immigration status.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>We sent the DMV a list of commercial drivers along with questions for this story. The agency declined an interview request and wouldn’t comment on specific cases but, shortly after, took action against a dozen of the drivers, such as suspending licenses or stripping commercial driving privileges.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>We sent the DMV a list of commercial drivers along with questions for this story. The agency declined an interview request and wouldn’t comment on specific cases but, shortly after, took action against a dozen of the drivers, such as suspending licenses or stripping commercial driving privileges.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In an email, DMV spokesperson Jonathan Groveman wrote that the agency recently updated how it handles fatal crashes and manslaughter convictions.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In an email, DMV spokesperson Jonathan Groveman wrote that the agency recently updated how it handles fatal crashes and manslaughter convictions.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“During this modernization process, the DMV identified some cases that had not been previously reviewed and have now been processed or are currently being processed,” according to Groveman’s email.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“During this modernization process, the DMV identified some cases that had not been previously reviewed and have now been processed or are currently being processed,” according to Groveman’s email.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>He also wrote that law enforcement and the courts \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/06/california-courts-dmv/\">need to report information to the agency\u003c/a> in a timely manner in order for the DMV to act.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>He also wrote that law enforcement and the courts \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/06/california-courts-dmv/\">need to report information to the agency\u003c/a> in a timely manner in order for the DMV to act.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "‘What the hell?’",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘What the hell?’\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Jon Israel knew what kind of damage a fully loaded big rig could do. He used to drive one. And as a tow truck operator in California’s vast Inland Empire, he’d spent years towing away mangled wreckage from crashes on one of the state’s busiest trucking corridors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Jon Israel knew what kind of damage a fully loaded big rig could do. He used to drive one. And as a tow truck operator in California’s vast Inland Empire, he’d spent years towing away mangled wreckage from crashes on one of the state’s busiest trucking corridors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>So Israel would have been cautious one summer morning in 2018, when he pulled his overheating tow truck to the side of Interstate 10 and got out to check the radiator fluid, traffic whipping by. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>So Israel would have been cautious one summer morning in 2018, when he pulled his overheating tow truck to the side of Interstate 10 and got out to check the radiator fluid, traffic whipping by. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But there’s not much you can do when a semi veers your way.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But there’s not much you can do when a semi veers your way.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A police report shows that Marco Rodriguez let his tractor-trailer drift onto the shoulder. The massive side mirror struck Israel. He died on the roadway he’d long patrolled. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>A police report shows that Marco Rodriguez let his tractor-trailer drift onto the shoulder. The massive side mirror struck Israel. He died on the roadway he’d long patrolled. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105324\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jon Israel with one of the tow trucks he used to patrol California’s vast Inland Empire. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Maxine Israel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105324\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jon Israel with one of the tow trucks he used to patrol California’s vast Inland Empire. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Maxine Israel)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s DMV record shows he kept driving commercial vehicles even after the fatal crash, for which he was ultimately convicted of manslaughter. Police caught him speeding in commercial vehicles three separate times from 2022 through last year, and ticketed him one more time for a lane violation.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s DMV record shows he kept driving commercial vehicles even after the fatal crash, for which he was ultimately convicted of manslaughter. Police caught him speeding in commercial vehicles three separate times from 2022 through last year, and ticketed him one more time for a lane violation.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite that record — a vehicular manslaughter conviction, plus four tickets for unsafe driving in commercial vehicles — the agency renewed Rodriguez’s trucker license in March, declining to use its discretion to keep him off the road.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Despite that record — a vehicular manslaughter conviction, plus four tickets for unsafe driving in commercial vehicles — the agency renewed Rodriguez’s trucker license in March, declining to use its discretion to keep him off the road.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“What the hell?” said Maxine Israel, Jon’s widow. “Are they waiting for him to kill somebody else?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“What the hell?” said Maxine Israel, Jon’s widow. “Are they waiting for him to kill somebody else?”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s criminal defense attorney, Mukund Arun, called the fatal crash “a very unfortunate, tragic incident” and emphasized that his client was only charged with a misdemeanor. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s criminal defense attorney, Mukund Arun, called the fatal crash “a very unfortunate, tragic incident” and emphasized that his client was only charged with a misdemeanor. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Prosecutors can charge vehicular manslaughter as a felony or a misdemeanor, with the more serious charge typically involving extreme behavior like drunk driving or excessive speeding. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Prosecutors can charge vehicular manslaughter as a felony or a misdemeanor, with the more serious charge typically involving extreme behavior like drunk driving or excessive speeding. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Maxine Israel comes from a trucking family. She missed her high school graduation to go on a run in her dad’s semi. For years, she and Jon lived near a notoriously strict Riverside County checkpoint where the CHP weighed trucks and drivers could buy T-shirts that said, “I survived the Banning Scales.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Maxine Israel comes from a trucking family. She missed her high school graduation to go on a run in her dad’s semi. For years, she and Jon lived near a notoriously strict Riverside County checkpoint where the CHP weighed trucks and drivers could buy T-shirts that said, “I survived the Banning Scales.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105341\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def.jpg 1982w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Trucks and cars drive along Interstate 580 through Altamont Pass on Aug. 18, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105341\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"> Trucks and cars drive along Interstate 580 through Altamont Pass on Aug. 18, 2026. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But over time, she and her husband noticed that truck drivers seemed to get younger and younger. They drove fast, and their eyes often drifted from the road ahead. The big thing she and Jon talked about was how, unlike in some other states, truck drivers here often failed to slow down and switch lanes to pass people on the shoulder.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But over time, she and her husband noticed that truck drivers seemed to get younger and younger. They drove fast, and their eyes often drifted from the road ahead. The big thing she and Jon talked about was how, unlike in some other states, truck drivers here often failed to slow down and switch lanes to pass people on the shoulder.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California used to be really, really strict on the big trucks,” Israel said. But now, it’s “like they don’t care.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“California used to be really, really strict on the big trucks,” Israel said. But now, it’s “like they don’t care.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>It’s been more than six years since Rodriguez was convicted of killing Jon Israel. In July, after CalMatters asked the DMV about the case, the agency finally disqualified Rodriguez from driving commercially. \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>It’s been more than six years since Rodriguez was convicted of killing Jon Israel. In July, after CalMatters asked the DMV about the case, the agency finally disqualified Rodriguez from driving commercially. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>DMV records show it’s a one-year ban; he should be eligible to go back to driving trucks next summer.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>DMV records show it’s a one-year ban; he should be eligible to go back to driving trucks next summer.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Court research by Robert Lewis, Lauren Hepler, Anat Rubin, Sergio Olmos, Cayla Mihalovich, Ese Olumhense, Ko Bragg, Andrew Donohue and Jenna Peterson. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Court research by Robert Lewis, Lauren Hepler, Anat Rubin, Sergio Olmos, Cayla Mihalovich, Ese Olumhense, Ko Bragg, Andrew Donohue and Jenna Peterson. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Thank you to our partner KGET for contributing to this piece after producing its \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/license-to-kill-a-17-news-special-report/\">\u003cem>own video\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Thank you to our partner KGET for contributing to this piece after producing its \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/license-to-kill-a-17-news-special-report/\">\u003cem>own video\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "A CalMatters investigation finds that nearly half of commercial drivers had a valid license after being charged with vehicular manslaughter.",
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"title": "They Killed People With Their Big Rigs. California Let Them Keep Driving | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>Loren Chow looked in the rearview mirror and had a terrifying realization.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>We’re going to get hit.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>There’s nothing I can do to get out of this.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Traffic outside \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/fresno\">Fresno\u003c/a> had slowed. A semitruck loaded with fertilizer from Missouri, cruising at 65 miles per hour, hadn’t. By the time the driver, Baljit Singh, hit the brakes, it was too late. A fully loaded big rig traveling at that speed takes the length of nearly two football fields to stop.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chow, his wife and their 17-year-old son were headed home from a college visit in June 2022. Singh’s red Freightliner smashed into the back of their SUV and flipped it. Jenny Chow died. Law enforcement said Singh caused the crash by driving too fast.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Loren Chow can’t talk about the details of the collision because of an active lawsuit against Singh, the trucking companies and vehicle manufacturers. But court filings, police reports and driving records lead to a simple conclusion:\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_AHK_CM_17-0d5a4f9b.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105318\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_AHK_CM_17-0d5a4f9b.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_AHK_CM_17-0d5a4f9b-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_AHK_CM_17-0d5a4f9b-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Loren Chow holds a photo of his wife, Jenny, at the home they shared in Los Altos on Aug. 19, 2026. Skeeter, the family’s dog who they adopted shortly after Jenny’s death, snuggles next to him. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>If the California Department of Motor Vehicles had done its job, Jenny Chow would still be alive.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s because in July 2021 — 11 months before he killed Chow — Singh let his semitruck drift over the median on Merle Haggard Drive in Kern County on his way to an Amazon distribution center, killing a 26-year-old man on a motorcycle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The collision report from that crash shows police found pages from a log book, meant to keep track of Singh’s hours behind the wheel, “ripped into small pieces” in an overhead compartment. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Investigators with the California Highway Patrol alleged that Singh was fatigued at the time of the crash after driving more than the 12-hour limit and recommended he be charged with vehicular manslaughter.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But while the DMV knew about the earlier fatal crash and had the authority to suspend Singh’s driving privileges, it let him continue to drive a big rig until he killed again.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The death was completely avoidable. That accident never should have happened,” Chow said, barely choking back grief during an interview in his Bay Area living room, which is blanketed in smiling photos of Jenny and their two boys.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12105319\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_CM_02-01d2827a.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105319\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_CM_02-01d2827a.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_CM_02-01d2827a-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/081926_L2K_Loren_Chow_CM_02-01d2827a-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">An altar dedicated to Jenny Chow, a wife and mother who died after the family’s car was hit by a truck, sits on a mantel in the Chow family’s Los Altos home on Aug. 19, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" data-id=\"12105320\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-Chow-Family-Car-CM-03-774ed6c5.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105320\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-Chow-Family-Car-CM-03-774ed6c5.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-Chow-Family-Car-CM-03-774ed6c5-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/101426-Chow-Family-Car-CM-03-774ed6c5-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jenny Chow’s car after the collision with Baljit Singh’s semi-truck. Screenshot via KGET\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I would have had my partner still. We’d be a family of four. Jenny would have seen Dylan and Tyler graduate from high school,” Chow said. “She would have seen so much if only the DMV had done what any person in his right mind would have done, which is to suspend the license.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A CalMatters investigation found that the DMV often lets professional drivers with a history of dangerous behavior behind the wheel stay on the road and command massive vehicles — buses filled with passengers, semis packed with goods, and tankers loaded with hazardous chemicals — even after a fatal crash.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under California law, a truck driver convicted of manslaughter is disqualified from driving big rigs for 12 months. And any driver convicted of felony vehicular manslaughter is generally supposed to receive a three-year license revocation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But criminal cases can drag out, sometimes for years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Singh wasn’t convicted of manslaughter in Kern and Fresno counties until 2024. It was only then that the DMV took his license. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Singh and his attorney did not respond to requests for comment.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/Ri1cA7fg4uE'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/Ri1cA7fg4uE'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/div>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>State law empowers the agency to investigate drivers involved in fatal and serious-injury collisions and suspend their licenses — with or without a conviction. But the DMV routinely does nothing.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Even when the agency does act, records show it can take years to do so. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We examined court filings and DMV records for more than 130 commercial licensees charged with vehicular manslaughter from 2019 to early 2024 following a fatal crash on the job or off-duty in a personal vehicle. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Nearly half had a valid Class A or Class B license as of late May, authorizing them to drive the biggest vehicles on the road. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That includes a dozen drivers who got a ticket for unsafe driving in a commercial vehicle after having already killed someone.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>What’s more, vehicular manslaughter is supposed to be a three-point violation for a truck driver, but in almost every DMV record we reviewed, it was listed as two, the penalty for a regular driver. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1980\" height=\"856\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105322\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737-160x69.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/092926-Deliquent-Registration-CM-01-03b6d737-1536x664.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The DMV notice Loren Chow received warning of delinquent registration fees on the vehicle involved in the fatal crash. \u003cbr> (Graphic composite by Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The agency in a written statement said it relies on the courts to notify it when a conviction involves a commercial vehicle so it can assess the appropriate number of points.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite such examples of bureaucratic indifference, we did find one area of enforcement in which the DMV is aggressive: making sure people pay fines.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In 2023, months before the agency finally suspended Singh’s license, it started sending Loren Chow letters threatening to garnish his wages, seize his property and put a lien on his home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The DMV said he was late paying his vehicle registration fee on the SUV that was totaled, by the truck driver it allowed to stay on the road.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u003cstrong>‘You’re gonna kill somebody’\u003c/strong> \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The DMV’s inaction against commercial drivers is all the more consequential because of the clear risks they pose. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Truck driving is a grueling job involving long hours over vast distances. A fully loaded semi can total 80,000 pounds — 20 times the weight of a car. A speeding semitruck doesn’t do fender-benders; it obliterates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“One thing goes wrong, you’re gonna kill somebody,” said Joe Rajkovacz, a longtime owner-operator and advocate with the Western States Trucking Association. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About 4,000 people died in large-truck crashes in California from 2015 through 2024, the most recent decade for which \u003ca href=\"https://explore.dot.gov/views/DV_FARS_LRT/Home?%3Aembed=y&%3Aiid=1&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y\">federal data\u003c/a> is available. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1988\" height=\"1116\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105340\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157.jpg 1988w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157-1536x862.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/01-Sub-First-Video-0cd2e157-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1988px) 100vw, 1988px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trucks drive along Interstate 5 near Firebaugh on Aug. 26, 2026. (Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California’s licensing decisions have an impact beyond the state’s borders. Supersized trucks, long the backbone of our economy, haul billions of dollars of food from the state’s farms and online orders from teeming ports to destinations across the country. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tami Friedrich, president of the Truck Safety Coalition, a national advocacy group, said that’s why regulators need to do more to flag truck drivers who shouldn’t be on the road. She got involved in road safety issues after her sister and brother-in-law and their two children — Kris, Alan, Anthony and Brandie — died in a crash with a big rig just after Christmas in 1989. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s a certain level of responsibility above and beyond a regular car driver that they should adhere to,” Friedrich said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The cases we examined suggest California is not holding them to that level.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A truck driver killed a 55-year-old man in Bakersfield in 2023, four years after court records show he allegedly injured a woman with his semi in a Sacramento crash. There’s nothing on his driving record to indicate that the DMV did anything in response. He got in yet another truck collision in 2025.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One driver was convicted of reckless driving and a hit-and-run, got in a collision in San Joaquin County in 2023, failed to show up to court in Sacramento on a traffic ticket and killed someone while driving in Amador County. Just this year he got a speeding ticket in Sacramento and in another collision in Amador. The DMV didn’t suspend his commercial driver’s license until September, after we asked about the case. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Another driver with five prior collisions — including one in 2021 in which he veered onto the shoulder in a semitruck and killed someone in Riverside County — was able to renew his license last year and almost immediately racked up two tickets for speeding in a commercial vehicle. He had a valid trucker’s license as of September.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>While regular drivers can easily drive on a suspended license, a trucking company isn’t likely to turn over a loaded semi to a driver without a valid commercial license, experts said. That means DMV action would be all the more meaningful. But the agency often acts only when it’s legally required to and doesn’t use its immense discretionary power to ensure that unsafe drivers get off the road.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12081739\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Department of Motor Vehicles parking lot in central Fresno on Dec. 13, 2022. (Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The DMV’s hands-off approach comes at a time of turmoil for the trucking industry. Experts say a proliferation of \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-dangerous-trucking-schemes-putting-americans-at-risk-60-minutes-transcript/\">fly-by-night operators\u003c/a> and training schools has undercut safety standards and fueled a race to the bottom for driving conditions. At the same time, the Trump administration \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/economy/2026/04/truck-drivers-california-2/\">has \u003c/a>alleged California is improperly giving commercial licenses to people who don’t meet immigration or language standards. The court files and DMV records we reviewed do not include drivers’ immigration status.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>We sent the DMV a list of commercial drivers along with questions for this story. The agency declined an interview request and wouldn’t comment on specific cases but, shortly after, took action against a dozen of the drivers, such as suspending licenses or stripping commercial driving privileges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In an email, DMV spokesperson Jonathan Groveman wrote that the agency recently updated how it handles fatal crashes and manslaughter convictions.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“During this modernization process, the DMV identified some cases that had not been previously reviewed and have now been processed or are currently being processed,” according to Groveman’s email.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>He also wrote that law enforcement and the courts \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/06/california-courts-dmv/\">need to report information to the agency\u003c/a> in a timely manner in order for the DMV to act.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">‘What the hell?’\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Jon Israel knew what kind of damage a fully loaded big rig could do. He used to drive one. And as a tow truck operator in California’s vast Inland Empire, he’d spent years towing away mangled wreckage from crashes on one of the state’s busiest trucking corridors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>So Israel would have been cautious one summer morning in 2018, when he pulled his overheating tow truck to the side of Interstate 10 and got out to check the radiator fluid, traffic whipping by. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But there’s not much you can do when a semi veers your way.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A police report shows that Marco Rodriguez let his tractor-trailer drift onto the shoulder. The massive side mirror struck Israel. He died on the roadway he’d long patrolled. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105324\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/093026-Jon-Israel-CM-5dcbe5e9-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Jon Israel with one of the tow trucks he used to patrol California’s vast Inland Empire. (Courtesy of Maxine Israel)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s DMV record shows he kept driving commercial vehicles even after the fatal crash, for which he was ultimately convicted of manslaughter. Police caught him speeding in commercial vehicles three separate times from 2022 through last year, and ticketed him one more time for a lane violation.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite that record — a vehicular manslaughter conviction, plus four tickets for unsafe driving in commercial vehicles — the agency renewed Rodriguez’s trucker license in March, declining to use its discretion to keep him off the road.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“What the hell?” said Maxine Israel, Jon’s widow. “Are they waiting for him to kill somebody else?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Rodriguez’s criminal defense attorney, Mukund Arun, called the fatal crash “a very unfortunate, tragic incident” and emphasized that his client was only charged with a misdemeanor. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Prosecutors can charge vehicular manslaughter as a felony or a misdemeanor, with the more serious charge typically involving extreme behavior like drunk driving or excessive speeding. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Maxine Israel comes from a trucking family. She missed her high school graduation to go on a run in her dad’s semi. For years, she and Jon lived near a notoriously strict Riverside County checkpoint where the CHP weighed trucks and drivers could buy T-shirts that said, “I survived the Banning Scales.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1982\" height=\"1113\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12105341\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def.jpg 1982w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def-1536x863.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/02-Sub-Second-Video-2ade2def-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1982px) 100vw, 1982px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Trucks and cars drive along Interstate 580 through Altamont Pass on Aug. 18, 2026. (Anna Hoch-Kenney/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But over time, she and her husband noticed that truck drivers seemed to get younger and younger. They drove fast, and their eyes often drifted from the road ahead. The big thing she and Jon talked about was how, unlike in some other states, truck drivers here often failed to slow down and switch lanes to pass people on the shoulder.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California used to be really, really strict on the big trucks,” Israel said. But now, it’s “like they don’t care.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>It’s been more than six years since Rodriguez was convicted of killing Jon Israel. In July, after CalMatters asked the DMV about the case, the agency finally disqualified Rodriguez from driving commercially. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>DMV records show it’s a one-year ban; he should be eligible to go back to driving trucks next summer.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Court research by Robert Lewis, Lauren Hepler, Anat Rubin, Sergio Olmos, Cayla Mihalovich, Ese Olumhense, Ko Bragg, Andrew Donohue and Jenna Peterson. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Thank you to our partner KGET for contributing to this piece after producing its \u003c/em>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kget.com/news/local-news/license-to-kill-a-17-news-special-report/\">\u003cem>own video\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Federal Prosecutors Charge 28 California Green Card Holders With Voting Violations",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twenty-eight \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">immigrants\u003c/a> from across California are \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/11-foreign-nationals-arrested-california-federal-charges-alleging-they-illegally\">facing federal charges\u003c/a> alleging they illegally registered to vote or vote in California elections, federal prosecutors announced Monday in the Trump administration’s latest effort to imply California election rolls are riddled with fraudulent voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The charges come days after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">federal authorities filed\u003c/a> a lawsuit against state and Los Angeles County election officials that seeks to force elections officials not to count up to 20,000 registered voters’ ballots because federal prosecutors suspect those voters could be non-citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Today’s charges demonstrate why that lawsuit is so important,” Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter told reporters. “It’s about preventing voter fraud that cancels out the votes of U.S. citizens. Enforcing federal law increases the integrity of elections.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCotter said federal prosecutors filed a motion urging the judge overseeing the lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles to order state officials to segregate the ballots that prosecutors suspect may have already been mailed to noncitizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12105147\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AP26292634447502-20ffab03-scaled-e1792439822914.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12105147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AP26292634447502-20ffab03-scaled-e1792439822914.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" />\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, right, arrives for a news conference in Los Angeles on Oct. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California Attorney General Rob Bonta told reporters at an event Monday that voter fraud is wrong. If the suspects are guilty, they should be held accountable, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Bonta noted that the charges are hardly proof that California’s elections are filled with fraudulent voters as President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Twenty-eight out of 23 million registered voters in California is just … a drop in the bucket numerically,” Bonta said. “It’s 0.0001% of all the registered voters, and it makes the point that there is no widespread voter fraud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The announcement comes just 15 days before the Nov. 3 election in which Californians are already deciding on a new governor, 14 statewide ballot measures and several competitive races that will be key to which party controls Congress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12104940 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/20250903_FarmLaborCrisis_GC-15_qed.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s part of a national push by the Trump administration to find examples of noncitizens voting illegally in elections. Independent experts and state election officials say that voter fraud is exceedingly rare, despite claims from Trump and his allies that it happens on such a massive scale as to sway elections in Democrats’ favor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal prosecutors said all of the 28 foreign nationals who face charges are lawful permanent residents, otherwise known as green card holders. That means they are legally allowed to stay in the country but they are not citizens and are not allowed to vote in elections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The defendants live in cities around the state from Los Angeles County to Sacramento. Of them, 22 are accused of voting in at least one election including as recently as the June primary; five only registered to vote and one submitted a provisional ballot in 2020, prosecutors say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Essayli said that in the last two months, federal prosecutors have charged around 113 noncitizens in 20 states with illegal voting and registration offenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The arrests represent just a miniscule fraction of registered voters. For example, more than 9.4 million Californians cast ballots in the June primary election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who oversees prosecutors in Los Angeles, said the federal government may charge state election officials with crimes if they allowed noncitizens to vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They are being complicit in noncitizens voting in our elections,” Essayli said. “And as they were warned last week, not only is it a civil violation, but they could also face criminal consequences for that conduct if they knowingly process ballots from noncitizens once we’ve informed them who the noncitizens are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087182\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087182\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ballots sit in crates before being counted at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The charges come weeks after federal investigators issued grand jury \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2026-09-29/subpoena-records-trump-administration-probe-la-county-voters\">subpoenas\u003c/a> to Los Angeles elections officials seeking information on registered voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal prosecutors also sought information on registered voters in San Diego County, \u003ca href=\"https://inewsource.org/2026/10/01/san-diego-county-doj-voter-information-subpoenas/\">the news outlet inewsource\u003c/a> reported, as well as Orange County, according to records obtained last week by CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Homeland Security recently claimed that Nevada had nearly 16,000 noncitizens on its voter rolls; they sent the state the names of only 185 voters. Nevada officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/us/politics/nevada-voters-homeland-security-trump.html\">confirmed they were all U.S. citizens\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom last week called the Trump administration’s voter fraud hunt “a sad, desperate attempt by Trump to use his politicized Justice Department to try to suppress California voters just three weeks before Election Day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the prosecutors’ request to throw out ballots “should scare the hell out of every American.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will continue to carry out free and fair elections in the Golden State — and call out this authoritarian as he tries every play in the dictator’s playbook,” Newsom said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/calam\">Christopher Alam \u003c/a>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-federal-arrests-voter-fraud/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Twenty-eight \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/immigration\">immigrants\u003c/a> from across California are \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/11-foreign-nationals-arrested-california-federal-charges-alleging-they-illegally\">facing federal charges\u003c/a> alleging they illegally registered to vote or vote in California elections, federal prosecutors announced Monday in the Trump administration’s latest effort to imply California election rolls are riddled with fraudulent voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The charges come days after \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12104425/california-officials-denounce-trump-dojs-demands-to-prove-voters-citizenship\">federal authorities filed\u003c/a> a lawsuit against state and Los Angeles County election officials that seeks to force elections officials not to count up to 20,000 registered voters’ ballots because federal prosecutors suspect those voters could be non-citizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Today’s charges demonstrate why that lawsuit is so important,” Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter told reporters. “It’s about preventing voter fraud that cancels out the votes of U.S. citizens. Enforcing federal law increases the integrity of elections.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>McCotter said federal prosecutors filed a motion urging the judge overseeing the lawsuit in federal court in Los Angeles to order state officials to segregate the ballots that prosecutors suspect may have already been mailed to noncitizens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12105147\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AP26292634447502-20ffab03-scaled-e1792439822914.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12105147\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/10/AP26292634447502-20ffab03-scaled-e1792439822914.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" />\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Acting U.S. Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, right, arrives for a news conference in Los Angeles on Oct. 19, 2026. \u003ccite>(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>California Attorney General Rob Bonta told reporters at an event Monday that voter fraud is wrong. If the suspects are guilty, they should be held accountable, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Bonta noted that the charges are hardly proof that California’s elections are filled with fraudulent voters as President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Twenty-eight out of 23 million registered voters in California is just … a drop in the bucket numerically,” Bonta said. “It’s 0.0001% of all the registered voters, and it makes the point that there is no widespread voter fraud.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The announcement comes just 15 days before the Nov. 3 election in which Californians are already deciding on a new governor, 14 statewide ballot measures and several competitive races that will be key to which party controls Congress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s part of a national push by the Trump administration to find examples of noncitizens voting illegally in elections. Independent experts and state election officials say that voter fraud is exceedingly rare, despite claims from Trump and his allies that it happens on such a massive scale as to sway elections in Democrats’ favor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal prosecutors said all of the 28 foreign nationals who face charges are lawful permanent residents, otherwise known as green card holders. That means they are legally allowed to stay in the country but they are not citizens and are not allowed to vote in elections.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The defendants live in cities around the state from Los Angeles County to Sacramento. Of them, 22 are accused of voting in at least one election including as recently as the June primary; five only registered to vote and one submitted a provisional ballot in 2020, prosecutors say.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Essayli said that in the last two months, federal prosecutors have charged around 113 noncitizens in 20 states with illegal voting and registration offenses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The arrests represent just a miniscule fraction of registered voters. For example, more than 9.4 million Californians cast ballots in the June primary election.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who oversees prosecutors in Los Angeles, said the federal government may charge state election officials with crimes if they allowed noncitizens to vote.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They are being complicit in noncitizens voting in our elections,” Essayli said. “And as they were warned last week, not only is it a civil violation, but they could also face criminal consequences for that conduct if they knowingly process ballots from noncitizens once we’ve informed them who the noncitizens are.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12087182\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003ca href=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12087182\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/251030-BayAreaVoters-25-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ballots sit in crates before being counted at the City Hall Voting Center in San Francisco on Oct. 30, 2025, ahead of the statewide special election. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The charges come weeks after federal investigators issued grand jury \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2026-09-29/subpoena-records-trump-administration-probe-la-county-voters\">subpoenas\u003c/a> to Los Angeles elections officials seeking information on registered voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal prosecutors also sought information on registered voters in San Diego County, \u003ca href=\"https://inewsource.org/2026/10/01/san-diego-county-doj-voter-information-subpoenas/\">the news outlet inewsource\u003c/a> reported, as well as Orange County, according to records obtained last week by CalMatters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Homeland Security recently claimed that Nevada had nearly 16,000 noncitizens on its voter rolls; they sent the state the names of only 185 voters. Nevada officials \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/24/us/politics/nevada-voters-homeland-security-trump.html\">confirmed they were all U.S. citizens\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom last week called the Trump administration’s voter fraud hunt “a sad, desperate attempt by Trump to use his politicized Justice Department to try to suppress California voters just three weeks before Election Day.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He said the prosecutors’ request to throw out ballots “should scare the hell out of every American.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We will continue to carry out free and fair elections in the Golden State — and call out this authoritarian as he tries every play in the dictator’s playbook,” Newsom said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>KQED’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/author/calam\">Christopher Alam \u003c/a>contributed to this report.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/10/california-federal-arrests-voter-fraud/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "california-school-test-scores-up-but-just-a-little-as-progress-slows-in-k-12-classes",
"title": "California School Test Scores Up, but Just a Little, as Progress Slows in K-12 Classes",
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"headTitle": "California School Test Scores Up, but Just a Little, as Progress Slows in K-12 Classes | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s K-12 student test scores improved slightly in almost all categories last year, but progress slowed following a post-pandemic surge, according to state data released this week.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s slow but steady improvement,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the State Board of Education. “It suggests we’re continuing to come out of the pandemic, and there’s still a lot of work to do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The percentage of students proficient in math jumped just over 1 percentage point – to 38.5% – and the number of students proficient in English language arts rose half a percentage point, 49.3%. Science scores increased 3.3% percentage points, to 36%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086383\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students read during class at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the first time, the state released its \u003ca href=\"https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/\">enrollment\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caaspp-elpac.ets.org/caaspp/\">test score\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.caschooldashboard.org/login\">California School Dashboard\u003c/a> data together, making it easier for school districts to communicate with parents and the public and for policymakers to analyze gains and declines across broad categories. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the gains, though, scores were lower for some student groups, including white and Asian students, compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced most schools to close for in-person learning. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enrollment decline continues\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Statewide enrollment, which has been falling for a decade, plunged to 5.7 million – a loss of 74,000 students from last year. Because the state funds schools based on the number of students who show up every day, the declining numbers will mean less revenue for many districts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amid the enrollment numbers, a few changes stood out. The number of students with disabilities jumped 25% over the past decade, to 850,822. And the number of English learners dropped 30% over that same time period due to a decline in immigration among other factors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chronic absenteeism, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/09/soaring-chronic-absenteeism-in-california-schools-is-at-pivotal-moment/\">which hit 30%\u003c/a> just after the pandemic, dropped to 18% last year, a decline of more than 1 percentage point from the previous year. Prior to the pandemic, only about 12% of students were chronically absent, or gone from school at least 10% of the school year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Test scores and just about every other academic indicator among California’s K-12 students collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rebounded significantly the first few years back to in-person learning. That progress appears to have settled, at least for now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Darling-Hammond predicted English language arts scores will rise in the next few years, as a handful of sweeping state reforms go into effect: \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2025/08/california-tk/\">transitional kindergarten\u003c/a>, dyslexia screening, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">literacy coaches\u003c/a> for elementary teachers and a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">phonics-based reading curriculum\u003c/a>, among others.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More grads, better prepared\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/09/highlands-charter-school-california/\">Highlands charter school\u003c/a>, the embattled Sacramento school for adults seeking high school diplomas, loomed large over the data. Last year, Highlands and its sister school, California Innovative Career Academy, had such high enrollments – 17,513 combined – and such low graduation rates – less than 2% – that they skewed graduation data for the entire state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Department of Education staff presented numbers with and without Highlands. Including Highlands, the state graduation rate was 87.9%, a slight increase from the previous year. Excluding Highlands, the rate was almost 2 percentage points higher – 89.7%, the highest rate in decades in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Highlands, under new leadership, winnowed its enrollment this year and is seeking to improve its outcomes after the State Auditor blasted it last year for alleged mismanagement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s high school graduates also showed improvements in college and career preparation. According to the dashboard, the percentage of students who completed a career pathway or the A-G classes required for admission to the state’s public universities climbed 2.2 percentage points, to 55.2%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/10/student-test-scores-california/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s K-12 student test scores improved slightly in almost all categories last year, but progress slowed following a post-pandemic surge, according to state data released this week.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s K-12 student test scores improved slightly in almost all categories last year, but progress slowed following a post-pandemic surge, according to state data released this week.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s slow but steady improvement,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the State Board of Education. “It suggests we’re continuing to come out of the pandemic, and there’s still a lot of work to do.”\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>“It’s slow but steady improvement,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the State Board of Education. “It suggests we’re continuing to come out of the pandemic, and there’s still a lot of work to do.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The percentage of students proficient in math jumped just over 1 percentage point – to 38.5% – and the number of students proficient in English language arts rose half a percentage point, 49.3%. Science scores increased 3.3% percentage points, to 36%.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086383\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students read during class at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For the first time, the state released its \u003ca href=\"https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/\">enrollment\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caaspp-elpac.ets.org/caaspp/\">test score\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.caschooldashboard.org/login\">California School Dashboard\u003c/a> data together, making it easier for school districts to communicate with parents and the public and for policymakers to analyze gains and declines across broad categories. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Despite the gains, though, scores were lower for some student groups, including white and Asian students, compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced most schools to close for in-person learning. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Despite the gains, though, scores were lower for some student groups, including white and Asian students, compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced most schools to close for in-person learning. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Statewide enrollment, which has been falling for a decade, plunged to 5.7 million – a loss of 74,000 students from last year. Because the state funds schools based on the number of students who show up every day, the declining numbers will mean less revenue for many districts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Chronic absenteeism, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/09/soaring-chronic-absenteeism-in-california-schools-is-at-pivotal-moment/\">which hit 30%\u003c/a> just after the pandemic, dropped to 18% last year, a decline of more than 1 percentage point from the previous year. Prior to the pandemic, only about 12% of students were chronically absent, or gone from school at least 10% of the school year.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Chronic absenteeism, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/09/soaring-chronic-absenteeism-in-california-schools-is-at-pivotal-moment/\">which hit 30%\u003c/a> just after the pandemic, dropped to 18% last year, a decline of more than 1 percentage point from the previous year. Prior to the pandemic, only about 12% of students were chronically absent, or gone from school at least 10% of the school year.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Test scores and just about every other academic indicator among California’s K-12 students collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rebounded significantly the first few years back to in-person learning. That progress appears to have settled, at least for now.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Test scores and just about every other academic indicator among California’s K-12 students collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rebounded significantly the first few years back to in-person learning. That progress appears to have settled, at least for now.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Darling-Hammond predicted English language arts scores will rise in the next few years, as a handful of sweeping state reforms go into effect: \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2025/08/california-tk/\">transitional kindergarten\u003c/a>, dyslexia screening, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">literacy coaches\u003c/a> for elementary teachers and a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">phonics-based reading curriculum\u003c/a>, among others.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Darling-Hammond predicted English language arts scores will rise in the next few years, as a handful of sweeping state reforms go into effect: \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2025/08/california-tk/\">transitional kindergarten\u003c/a>, dyslexia screening, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">literacy coaches\u003c/a> for elementary teachers and a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">phonics-based reading curriculum\u003c/a>, among others.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/09/highlands-charter-school-california/\">Highlands charter school\u003c/a>, the embattled Sacramento school for adults seeking high school diplomas, loomed large over the data. Last year, Highlands and its sister school, California Innovative Career Academy, had such high enrollments – 17,513 combined – and such low graduation rates – less than 2% – that they skewed graduation data for the entire state.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/09/highlands-charter-school-california/\">Highlands charter school\u003c/a>, the embattled Sacramento school for adults seeking high school diplomas, loomed large over the data. Last year, Highlands and its sister school, California Innovative Career Academy, had such high enrollments – 17,513 combined – and such low graduation rates – less than 2% – that they skewed graduation data for the entire state.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California Department of Education staff presented numbers with and without Highlands. Including Highlands, the state graduation rate was 87.9%, a slight increase from the previous year. Excluding Highlands, the rate was almost 2 percentage points higher – 89.7%, the highest rate in decades in California.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California Department of Education staff presented numbers with and without Highlands. Including Highlands, the state graduation rate was 87.9%, a slight increase from the previous year. Excluding Highlands, the rate was almost 2 percentage points higher – 89.7%, the highest rate in decades in California.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Highlands, under new leadership, winnowed its enrollment this year and is seeking to improve its outcomes after the State Auditor blasted it last year for alleged mismanagement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The state’s high school graduates also showed improvements in college and career preparation. According to the dashboard, the percentage of students who completed a career pathway or the A-G classes required for admission to the state’s public universities climbed 2.2 percentage points, to 55.2%.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The state’s high school graduates also showed improvements in college and career preparation. According to the dashboard, the percentage of students who completed a career pathway or the A-G classes required for admission to the state’s public universities climbed 2.2 percentage points, to 55.2%.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/10/student-test-scores-california/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "K-12 student test scores rose slightly last year in California, while enrollment numbers dropped.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s K-12 student test scores improved slightly in almost all categories last year, but progress slowed following a post-pandemic surge, according to state data released this week.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s slow but steady improvement,” said Linda Darling-Hammond, president of the State Board of Education. “It suggests we’re continuing to come out of the pandemic, and there’s still a lot of work to do.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The percentage of students proficient in math jumped just over 1 percentage point – to 38.5% – and the number of students proficient in English language arts rose half a percentage point, 49.3%. Science scores increased 3.3% percentage points, to 36%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12086383\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260603-BerkeleySchoolsLiteracy-04-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students read during class at Sylvia Mendez Elementary School in Berkeley on June 3, 2026. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For the first time, the state released its \u003ca href=\"https://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/\">enrollment\u003c/a>, \u003ca href=\"https://caaspp-elpac.ets.org/caaspp/\">test score\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.caschooldashboard.org/login\">California School Dashboard\u003c/a> data together, making it easier for school districts to communicate with parents and the public and for policymakers to analyze gains and declines across broad categories. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Despite the gains, though, scores were lower for some student groups, including white and Asian students, compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic forced most schools to close for in-person learning. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Enrollment decline continues\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Statewide enrollment, which has been falling for a decade, plunged to 5.7 million – a loss of 74,000 students from last year. Because the state funds schools based on the number of students who show up every day, the declining numbers will mean less revenue for many districts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Amid the enrollment numbers, a few changes stood out. The number of students with disabilities jumped 25% over the past decade, to 850,822. And the number of English learners dropped 30% over that same time period due to a decline in immigration among other factors. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Chronic absenteeism, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2023/09/soaring-chronic-absenteeism-in-california-schools-is-at-pivotal-moment/\">which hit 30%\u003c/a> just after the pandemic, dropped to 18% last year, a decline of more than 1 percentage point from the previous year. Prior to the pandemic, only about 12% of students were chronically absent, or gone from school at least 10% of the school year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Test scores and just about every other academic indicator among California’s K-12 students collapsed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rebounded significantly the first few years back to in-person learning. That progress appears to have settled, at least for now.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Darling-Hammond predicted English language arts scores will rise in the next few years, as a handful of sweeping state reforms go into effect: \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2025/08/california-tk/\">transitional kindergarten\u003c/a>, dyslexia screening, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">literacy coaches\u003c/a> for elementary teachers and a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/07/literacy-california/\">phonics-based reading curriculum\u003c/a>, among others.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">More grads, better prepared\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/09/highlands-charter-school-california/\">Highlands charter school\u003c/a>, the embattled Sacramento school for adults seeking high school diplomas, loomed large over the data. Last year, Highlands and its sister school, California Innovative Career Academy, had such high enrollments – 17,513 combined – and such low graduation rates – less than 2% – that they skewed graduation data for the entire state.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California Department of Education staff presented numbers with and without Highlands. Including Highlands, the state graduation rate was 87.9%, a slight increase from the previous year. Excluding Highlands, the rate was almost 2 percentage points higher – 89.7%, the highest rate in decades in California.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Highlands, under new leadership, winnowed its enrollment this year and is seeking to improve its outcomes after the State Auditor blasted it last year for alleged mismanagement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The state’s high school graduates also showed improvements in college and career preparation. According to the dashboard, the percentage of students who completed a career pathway or the A-G classes required for admission to the state’s public universities climbed 2.2 percentage points, to 55.2%.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/10/student-test-scores-california/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "newsom-apologized-to-tribes-for-historic-harms-but-vetoed-2-bills-that-would-have-empowered-them",
"title": "Newsom Apologized to Tribes for Historic Harms, but Vetoed 2 Bills That Would Have Empowered Them",
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"headTitle": "Newsom Apologized to Tribes for Historic Harms, but Vetoed 2 Bills That Would Have Empowered Them | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Five days after signing a law formalizing a state apology for “harms and atrocities” against California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/indigenous\">Native peoples\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two additional bills that California tribes had championed, one on water and the other on sacred sites.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tribal leaders say the vetoes leave them shut out of decisions about their ancestral waters and sacred places.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of Newsom’s vetoes struck down a measure that would have compelled state agencies to address water shortages faced by tribes. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2218\">Assembly Bill 2218\u003c/a> by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a>, a Santa Clara County Democrat, would have established a state policy to address water-related inequities and would have required a dispute between a tribe and any state water agency over water projects in the tribe’s ancestral territory to go through a mediation process, run by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12036066\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 2024. Newsom vetoed a number of bills that would have given tribal leaders more power. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom also rejected a bill that would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state showed a compelling reason and chose the approach that interfered least. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/james-ramos-149649\">James Ramos\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Bernardino and the Legislature’s only Native American member, authored \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1881\">AB 1881\u003c/a>, which was called the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Only tribes could sue to enforce Ramos’ bill. Agencies would also have had to seek and document a tribe’s written consent before significantly changing a site they know is sacred, though an agency could ask for consultation if a tribe objected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and is a former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Neither bill drew a “no” vote in the Assembly, though 23 members did not vote on the water bill and 15 on the sacred-sites bill, many Republican. Not voting counts the same as a no vote, and lawmakers are known to skip votes that might offend their supporters and donors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In his veto message for the water bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-2218.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that the bill was “not sufficiently clear about how its new policy will be implemented” and that “adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About Ramos’ bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-1881.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that he was “sympathetic to the goals of this measure” but that it could have “far-reaching impacts” on state government operations and management of state property, and that “this uncertainty calls for further discussion and review.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The governor’s office referred to Newsom’s veto messages in response to a request for comment on this article.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tribes-criticize-water-bill-veto\">Tribes criticize water bill veto\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tribes need to be at the table when decisions are being made, not brought in after the important decisions have already been made,” said Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the veto of the water bill a “backhanded betrayal of California tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her government, like other tribes, can sue or lodge formal objections to state water projects, she said, but those steps don’t guarantee an outcome. The final language of the bill would have added a mediation process that paused an agency’s action while the state and affected tribe discussed a resolution. Tayaba said \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tribal_affairs/policy_project.html\">the status quo\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/\">excludes\u003c/a> her tribe from meaningful consultation on water projects in its ancestral lands and contributes to “a decimation” in salmon runs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046548\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trinity River flows through the Hoopa Valley in Northern California. (Mark McKenna for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the vetoed bill, the State Water Board would have had to consult with any tribe whose ancestral territory included a water body at issue in a water-rights investigation. It also would have required agencies to offer financial assistance to tribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The bill represented a step toward building a more meaningful relationship between California and tribal nations,” Tayaba said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the bill, saying it created a “new and poorly defined standard under the Water Code” and that the mediation process would be inadequate because it would not be binding. Under the rejected bill, a tribe could have withdrawn at any point, according to a legislative analysis — including if the tribe believed the state was not acting in good faith. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We cannot say with certainty how this bill will be implemented and what its impacts will be on water supply,” Andrea Abergel, an advocate for the California Municipal Utilities Association, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality in July. The organization, which represents more than 80 public utility agencies across the state, opposed the bill. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"current-law-doesn-t-prevent-sacred-site-destruction\">Current law doesn’t prevent sacred site destruction\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramos said the sacred sites bill, sponsored by Indigenous Justice, an advocacy group, would have afforded Native Americans greater protections to practice their faith.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tribal members are routinely questioned or harassed for wearing regalia or carrying ceremonial items in public places,” Ramos told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. “We have the right to assemble and practice our customs and traditions in a state whose ancestral lands are traditional lands of Indian people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill would also have treated restrictions on regalia and other ceremonial items at state buildings as a burden on religious practice, requiring that the items be allowed in and inspected by hand when possible.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1245\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg\" alt=\"Helen Gaddie (L) stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum's 45th annual powwow on August 6, 2016.\" class=\"wp-image-11049382\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-400x259.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-800x519.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-1180x765.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-960x623.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Helen Gaddie, left, wears regalia and stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum’s 45th annual powwow on Aug. 6, 2016. (Vanessa Rancano/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, a Democrat from Cupertino and a co-author of the bill, criticized the veto. “The least we can do as a government is allow Native Americans unburdened access to state lands to honor their heritage,” he said in a statement to CalMatters and ICT.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say the bill was needed because harm to sacred sites is a direct result of state and federal policies. Landmark Supreme Court cases such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-291_5i26.pdf\">Apache Stronghold v. United States\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/485/439/\">Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association\u003c/a> have allowed federal projects to go forward on sacred lands despite tribes’ religious-freedom claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An Assembly analysis of the bill also notes state law restricts severe damage to sacred sites on public property unless there is a clear and convincing showing that the public interest requires it — but tribes have criticized state agencies for \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-22/caltrans-indigenous-burial-site\">failing\u003c/a> to prevent damage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the bill’s findings, authors emphasize that Native American religions are land-based, meaning their practices are often inextricably linked to specific geographic locations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce applauded both vetoes. The bills “would have created serious legal barriers” to building water storage and infrastructure, wrote John Myers, spokesman for the chamber. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kristopher Anderson, a policy adviser for the California Chamber of Commerce, testified in July against the sacred sites bill. “This bill is about much more than access,” he said. “It is about the way land and water are managed — and the consequences of this bill would have severe ramifications for the water supply reliability of communities and local economies throughout the state.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"apology-and-the-vetoes\">Apology and the vetoes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom declared \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-proclaims-a-day-of-remembrance-for-indian-boarding-schools/\">Sept. 30\u003c/a> a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, which Tayaba called “ironic” considering he rejected bills that would have expanded tribal power the same day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California was home to 13 federal Indian boarding schools between 1892 and 1974 that forcibly removed thousands of Native children from their families. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June 2019, Newsom signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.18.19-Executive-Order.pdf\">executive order\u003c/a> apologizing on behalf of the state to California Native Americans and creating a Truth and Healing Council, \u003ca href=\"https://colorlines.com/articles/california-governor-apologizes-native-americans-genocide\">saying\u003c/a> they “suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by (the) state government.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Sept. 25, Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2115\">AB 2115\u003c/a> into law, formalizing an apology to California Native peoples for harms experienced as a result of state policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Newsom acknowledges the state’s historical violence against California’s Indigenous People, but when given the chance to rectify those harms and finalize the bills … he disappointed us and failed to follow through,” said Kasil Willie, policy director of the environmental group Save California Salmon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is not eligible for re-election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americansgovernor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americans/\">signed\u003c/a> a package of tribal bills, including making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. His office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, tribal leaders including Tayaba from Shingle Springs said they plan to continue their efforts to boost tribal consultation and co-stewardship.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“His apology, what does it really mean?” Tayaba said. “Man, did he really hurt us on his way out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is co-published by CalMatters and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Five days after signing a law formalizing a state apology for “harms and atrocities” against California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/indigenous\">Native peoples\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two additional bills that California tribes had championed, one on water and the other on sacred sites.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Tribal leaders say the vetoes leave them shut out of decisions about their ancestral waters and sacred places.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Tribal leaders say the vetoes leave them shut out of decisions about their ancestral waters and sacred places.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>One of Newsom’s vetoes struck down a measure that would have compelled state agencies to address water shortages faced by tribes. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2218\">Assembly Bill 2218\u003c/a> by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a>, a Santa Clara County Democrat, would have established a state policy to address water-related inequities and would have required a dispute between a tribe and any state water agency over water projects in the tribe’s ancestral territory to go through a mediation process, run by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>One of Newsom’s vetoes struck down a measure that would have compelled state agencies to address water shortages faced by tribes. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2218\">Assembly Bill 2218\u003c/a> by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a>, a Santa Clara County Democrat, would have established a state policy to address water-related inequities and would have required a dispute between a tribe and any state water agency over water projects in the tribe’s ancestral territory to go through a mediation process, run by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12036066\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 2024. Newsom vetoed a number of bills that would have given tribal leaders more power. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12036066\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 2024. Newsom vetoed a number of bills that would have given tribal leaders more power. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom also rejected a bill that would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state showed a compelling reason and chose the approach that interfered least. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/james-ramos-149649\">James Ramos\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Bernardino and the Legislature’s only Native American member, authored \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1881\">AB 1881\u003c/a>, which was called the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom also rejected a bill that would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state showed a compelling reason and chose the approach that interfered least. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/james-ramos-149649\">James Ramos\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Bernardino and the Legislature’s only Native American member, authored \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1881\">AB 1881\u003c/a>, which was called the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Only tribes could sue to enforce Ramos’ bill. Agencies would also have had to seek and document a tribe’s written consent before significantly changing a site they know is sacred, though an agency could ask for consultation if a tribe objected. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Only tribes could sue to enforce Ramos’ bill. Agencies would also have had to seek and document a tribe’s written consent before significantly changing a site they know is sacred, though an agency could ask for consultation if a tribe objected. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and is a former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and is a former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Neither bill drew a “no” vote in the Assembly, though 23 members did not vote on the water bill and 15 on the sacred-sites bill, many Republican. Not voting counts the same as a no vote, and lawmakers are known to skip votes that might offend their supporters and donors.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Neither bill drew a “no” vote in the Assembly, though 23 members did not vote on the water bill and 15 on the sacred-sites bill, many Republican. Not voting counts the same as a no vote, and lawmakers are known to skip votes that might offend their supporters and donors.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In his veto message for the water bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-2218.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that the bill was “not sufficiently clear about how its new policy will be implemented” and that “adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In his veto message for the water bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-2218.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that the bill was “not sufficiently clear about how its new policy will be implemented” and that “adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>About Ramos’ bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-1881.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that he was “sympathetic to the goals of this measure” but that it could have “far-reaching impacts” on state government operations and management of state property, and that “this uncertainty calls for further discussion and review.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>About Ramos’ bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-1881.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that he was “sympathetic to the goals of this measure” but that it could have “far-reaching impacts” on state government operations and management of state property, and that “this uncertainty calls for further discussion and review.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The governor’s office referred to Newsom’s veto messages in response to a request for comment on this article.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The governor’s office referred to Newsom’s veto messages in response to a request for comment on this article.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Tribes criticize water bill veto",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tribes-criticize-water-bill-veto\">Tribes criticize water bill veto\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Tribes need to be at the table when decisions are being made, not brought in after the important decisions have already been made,” said Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“Tribes need to be at the table when decisions are being made, not brought in after the important decisions have already been made,” said Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the veto of the water bill a “backhanded betrayal of California tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation.” \u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the veto of the water bill a “backhanded betrayal of California tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation.” \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Her government, like other tribes, can sue or lodge formal objections to state water projects, she said, but those steps don’t guarantee an outcome. The final language of the bill would have added a mediation process that paused an agency’s action while the state and affected tribe discussed a resolution. Tayaba said \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tribal_affairs/policy_project.html\">the status quo\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/\">excludes\u003c/a> her tribe from meaningful consultation on water projects in its ancestral lands and contributes to “a decimation” in salmon runs. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Her government, like other tribes, can sue or lodge formal objections to state water projects, she said, but those steps don’t guarantee an outcome. The final language of the bill would have added a mediation process that paused an agency’s action while the state and affected tribe discussed a resolution. Tayaba said \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tribal_affairs/policy_project.html\">the status quo\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/\">excludes\u003c/a> her tribe from meaningful consultation on water projects in its ancestral lands and contributes to “a decimation” in salmon runs. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046548\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trinity River flows through the Hoopa Valley in Northern California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Mark McKenna for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046548\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trinity River flows through the Hoopa Valley in Northern California.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Mark McKenna for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Under the vetoed bill, the State Water Board would have had to consult with any tribe whose ancestral territory included a water body at issue in a water-rights investigation. It also would have required agencies to offer financial assistance to tribes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Under the vetoed bill, the State Water Board would have had to consult with any tribe whose ancestral territory included a water body at issue in a water-rights investigation. It also would have required agencies to offer financial assistance to tribes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“The bill represented a step toward building a more meaningful relationship between California and tribal nations,” Tayaba said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“The bill represented a step toward building a more meaningful relationship between California and tribal nations,” Tayaba said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the bill, saying it created a “new and poorly defined standard under the Water Code” and that the mediation process would be inadequate because it would not be binding. Under the rejected bill, a tribe could have withdrawn at any point, according to a legislative analysis — including if the tribe believed the state was not acting in good faith. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the bill, saying it created a “new and poorly defined standard under the Water Code” and that the mediation process would be inadequate because it would not be binding. Under the rejected bill, a tribe could have withdrawn at any point, according to a legislative analysis — including if the tribe believed the state was not acting in good faith. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We cannot say with certainty how this bill will be implemented and what its impacts will be on water supply,” Andrea Abergel, an advocate for the California Municipal Utilities Association, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality in July. The organization, which represents more than 80 public utility agencies across the state, opposed the bill. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We cannot say with certainty how this bill will be implemented and what its impacts will be on water supply,” Andrea Abergel, an advocate for the California Municipal Utilities Association, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality in July. The organization, which represents more than 80 public utility agencies across the state, opposed the bill. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Ramos said the sacred sites bill, sponsored by Indigenous Justice, an advocacy group, would have afforded Native Americans greater protections to practice their faith.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Tribal members are routinely questioned or harassed for wearing regalia or carrying ceremonial items in public places,” Ramos told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. “We have the right to assemble and practice our customs and traditions in a state whose ancestral lands are traditional lands of Indian people.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The bill would also have treated restrictions on regalia and other ceremonial items at state buildings as a burden on religious practice, requiring that the items be allowed in and inspected by hand when possible.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, a Democrat from Cupertino and a co-author of the bill, criticized the veto. “The least we can do as a government is allow Native Americans unburdened access to state lands to honor their heritage,” he said in a statement to CalMatters and ICT.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Supporters say the bill was needed because harm to sacred sites is a direct result of state and federal policies. Landmark Supreme Court cases such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-291_5i26.pdf\">Apache Stronghold v. United States\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/485/439/\">Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association\u003c/a> have allowed federal projects to go forward on sacred lands despite tribes’ religious-freedom claims. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>An Assembly analysis of the bill also notes state law restricts severe damage to sacred sites on public property unless there is a clear and convincing showing that the public interest requires it — but tribes have criticized state agencies for \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-22/caltrans-indigenous-burial-site\">failing\u003c/a> to prevent damage.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the bill’s findings, authors emphasize that Native American religions are land-based, meaning their practices are often inextricably linked to specific geographic locations.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce applauded both vetoes. The bills “would have created serious legal barriers” to building water storage and infrastructure, wrote John Myers, spokesman for the chamber. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Kristopher Anderson, a policy adviser for the California Chamber of Commerce, testified in July against the sacred sites bill. “This bill is about much more than access,” he said. “It is about the way land and water are managed — and the consequences of this bill would have severe ramifications for the water supply reliability of communities and local economies throughout the state.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom declared \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-proclaims-a-day-of-remembrance-for-indian-boarding-schools/\">Sept. 30\u003c/a> a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, which Tayaba called “ironic” considering he rejected bills that would have expanded tribal power the same day. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom declared \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-proclaims-a-day-of-remembrance-for-indian-boarding-schools/\">Sept. 30\u003c/a> a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, which Tayaba called “ironic” considering he rejected bills that would have expanded tribal power the same day. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>California was home to 13 federal Indian boarding schools between 1892 and 1974 that forcibly removed thousands of Native children from their families. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>California was home to 13 federal Indian boarding schools between 1892 and 1974 that forcibly removed thousands of Native children from their families. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In June 2019, Newsom signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.18.19-Executive-Order.pdf\">executive order\u003c/a> apologizing on behalf of the state to California Native Americans and creating a Truth and Healing Council, \u003ca href=\"https://colorlines.com/articles/california-governor-apologizes-native-americans-genocide\">saying\u003c/a> they “suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by (the) state government.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>On Sept. 25, Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2115\">AB 2115\u003c/a> into law, formalizing an apology to California Native peoples for harms experienced as a result of state policy.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Newsom acknowledges the state’s historical violence against California’s Indigenous People, but when given the chance to rectify those harms and finalize the bills … he disappointed us and failed to follow through,” said Kasil Willie, policy director of the environmental group Save California Salmon. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is not eligible for re-election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americansgovernor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americans/\">signed\u003c/a> a package of tribal bills, including making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. His office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is not eligible for re-election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americansgovernor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americans/\">signed\u003c/a> a package of tribal bills, including making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. His office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Still, tribal leaders including Tayaba from Shingle Springs said they plan to continue their efforts to boost tribal consultation and co-stewardship.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Still, tribal leaders including Tayaba from Shingle Springs said they plan to continue their efforts to boost tribal consultation and co-stewardship.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“His apology, what does it really mean?” Tayaba said. “Man, did he really hurt us on his way out.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“His apology, what does it really mean?” Tayaba said. “Man, did he really hurt us on his way out.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is co-published by CalMatters and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two bills that would’ve given tribal governments a greater voice in water projects and in preventing the destruction of sacred Indigenous religious sites on state land.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Five days after signing a law formalizing a state apology for “harms and atrocities” against California’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/indigenous\">Native peoples\u003c/a>, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two additional bills that California tribes had championed, one on water and the other on sacred sites.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tribal leaders say the vetoes leave them shut out of decisions about their ancestral waters and sacred places.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>One of Newsom’s vetoes struck down a measure that would have compelled state agencies to address water shortages faced by tribes. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2218\">Assembly Bill 2218\u003c/a> by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/ash-kalra-100938\">Ash Kalra\u003c/a>, a Santa Clara County Democrat, would have established a state policy to address water-related inequities and would have required a dispute between a tribe and any state water agency over water projects in the tribe’s ancestral territory to go through a mediation process, run by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12036066\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/GavinNewsom1AP-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom discusses his revised 2024-25 state budget during a news conference in Sacramento, California, on May 10, 2024. Newsom vetoed a number of bills that would have given tribal leaders more power. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom also rejected a bill that would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state showed a compelling reason and chose the approach that interfered least. Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/james-ramos-149649\">James Ramos\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Bernardino and the Legislature’s only Native American member, authored \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1881\">AB 1881\u003c/a>, which was called the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Only tribes could sue to enforce Ramos’ bill. Agencies would also have had to seek and document a tribe’s written consent before significantly changing a site they know is sacred, though an agency could ask for consultation if a tribe objected. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramos is a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe and is a former chairman of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Neither bill drew a “no” vote in the Assembly, though 23 members did not vote on the water bill and 15 on the sacred-sites bill, many Republican. Not voting counts the same as a no vote, and lawmakers are known to skip votes that might offend their supporters and donors.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In his veto message for the water bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-2218.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that the bill was “not sufficiently clear about how its new policy will be implemented” and that “adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians’ water supplies.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>About Ramos’ bill, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/VETO-msg-AB-1881.pdf\">wrote\u003c/a> that he was “sympathetic to the goals of this measure” but that it could have “far-reaching impacts” on state government operations and management of state property, and that “this uncertainty calls for further discussion and review.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The governor’s office referred to Newsom’s veto messages in response to a request for comment on this article.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"tribes-criticize-water-bill-veto\">Tribes criticize water bill veto\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tribes need to be at the table when decisions are being made, not brought in after the important decisions have already been made,” said Russell “Buster” Attebery, chairman of the Karuk Tribe.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the veto of the water bill a “backhanded betrayal of California tribes and a direct contradiction of his apology and promises of reconciliation.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Her government, like other tribes, can sue or lodge formal objections to state water projects, she said, but those steps don’t guarantee an outcome. The final language of the bill would have added a mediation process that paused an agency’s action while the state and affected tribe discussed a resolution. Tayaba said \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/tribal_affairs/policy_project.html\">the status quo\u003c/a> \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2023/08/california-water-agency-investigation-discrimination/\">excludes\u003c/a> her tribe from meaningful consultation on water projects in its ancestral lands and contributes to “a decimation” in salmon runs. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12046548\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/06/25_06_25_TRIBE_FOOD_CUTS_MM_26.DSC_7866-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Trinity River flows through the Hoopa Valley in Northern California. (Mark McKenna for KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Under the vetoed bill, the State Water Board would have had to consult with any tribe whose ancestral territory included a water body at issue in a water-rights investigation. It also would have required agencies to offer financial assistance to tribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The bill represented a step toward building a more meaningful relationship between California and tribal nations,” Tayaba said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the bill, saying it created a “new and poorly defined standard under the Water Code” and that the mediation process would be inadequate because it would not be binding. Under the rejected bill, a tribe could have withdrawn at any point, according to a legislative analysis — including if the tribe believed the state was not acting in good faith. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We cannot say with certainty how this bill will be implemented and what its impacts will be on water supply,” Andrea Abergel, an advocate for the California Municipal Utilities Association, testified before the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality in July. The organization, which represents more than 80 public utility agencies across the state, opposed the bill. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"current-law-doesn-t-prevent-sacred-site-destruction\">Current law doesn’t prevent sacred site destruction\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Ramos said the sacred sites bill, sponsored by Indigenous Justice, an advocacy group, would have afforded Native Americans greater protections to practice their faith.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Tribal members are routinely questioned or harassed for wearing regalia or carrying ceremonial items in public places,” Ramos told the Senate Judiciary Committee in July. “We have the right to assemble and practice our customs and traditions in a state whose ancestral lands are traditional lands of Indian people.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The bill would also have treated restrictions on regalia and other ceremonial items at state buildings as a burden on religious practice, requiring that the items be allowed in and inspected by hand when possible.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1245\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg\" alt=\"Helen Gaddie (L) stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum's 45th annual powwow on August 6, 2016.\" class=\"wp-image-11049382\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-400x259.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-800x519.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-1180x765.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/08/Powwow1-960x623.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Helen Gaddie, left, wears regalia and stands inside the dance circle during the Sierra Mono Museum’s 45th annual powwow on Aug. 6, 2016. (Vanessa Rancano/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Assemblymember Patrick Ahrens, a Democrat from Cupertino and a co-author of the bill, criticized the veto. “The least we can do as a government is allow Native Americans unburdened access to state lands to honor their heritage,” he said in a statement to CalMatters and ICT.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Supporters say the bill was needed because harm to sacred sites is a direct result of state and federal policies. Landmark Supreme Court cases such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-291_5i26.pdf\">Apache Stronghold v. United States\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/485/439/\">Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery Protective Association\u003c/a> have allowed federal projects to go forward on sacred lands despite tribes’ religious-freedom claims. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>An Assembly analysis of the bill also notes state law restricts severe damage to sacred sites on public property unless there is a clear and convincing showing that the public interest requires it — but tribes have criticized state agencies for \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-05-22/caltrans-indigenous-burial-site\">failing\u003c/a> to prevent damage.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the bill’s findings, authors emphasize that Native American religions are land-based, meaning their practices are often inextricably linked to specific geographic locations.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The California Chamber of Commerce applauded both vetoes. The bills “would have created serious legal barriers” to building water storage and infrastructure, wrote John Myers, spokesman for the chamber. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Kristopher Anderson, a policy adviser for the California Chamber of Commerce, testified in July against the sacred sites bill. “This bill is about much more than access,” he said. “It is about the way land and water are managed — and the consequences of this bill would have severe ramifications for the water supply reliability of communities and local economies throughout the state.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"apology-and-the-vetoes\">Apology and the vetoes\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom declared \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/30/governor-newsom-proclaims-a-day-of-remembrance-for-indian-boarding-schools/\">Sept. 30\u003c/a> a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, which Tayaba called “ironic” considering he rejected bills that would have expanded tribal power the same day. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>California was home to 13 federal Indian boarding schools between 1892 and 1974 that forcibly removed thousands of Native children from their families. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In June 2019, Newsom signed an \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/6.18.19-Executive-Order.pdf\">executive order\u003c/a> apologizing on behalf of the state to California Native Americans and creating a Truth and Healing Council, \u003ca href=\"https://colorlines.com/articles/california-governor-apologizes-native-americans-genocide\">saying\u003c/a> they “suffered violence, discrimination and exploitation sanctioned by (the) state government.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>On Sept. 25, Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2115\">AB 2115\u003c/a> into law, formalizing an apology to California Native peoples for harms experienced as a result of state policy.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Newsom acknowledges the state’s historical violence against California’s Indigenous People, but when given the chance to rectify those harms and finalize the bills … he disappointed us and failed to follow through,” said Kasil Willie, policy director of the environmental group Save California Salmon. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Newsom, who is not eligible for re-election, \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americansgovernor-newsom-signs-legislation-supporting-california-native-americans/\">signed\u003c/a> a package of tribal bills, including making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs permanent. His office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Still, tribal leaders including Tayaba from Shingle Springs said they plan to continue their efforts to boost tribal consultation and co-stewardship.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“His apology, what does it really mean?” Tayaba said. “Man, did he really hurt us on his way out.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is co-published by CalMatters and ICT, a news partnership that covers Indigenous communities in California.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A beleaguered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sacramento\">Sacramento\u003c/a> charter school, which the state last year accused of misspending $180 million, has filed for bankruptcy after the school said negotiations broke down over its repayment of the debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Highlands Community and Technical Schools, which serves about 2,000 adults at six campuses in the Sacramento area, remains open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Highlands is taking this step to protect our students and preserve the future of our schools,” the school’s executive director, Jonathan Raymond, said in a written statement. “The reorganization process gives us the best opportunity to remain open and continue serving students while we address the disputed financial claims through an orderly, court-supervised process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Relocation to Sutter County?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Highlands’s quest to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/09/highlands-charter-school-california/\">relocate to Sutter County\u003c/a> also remains in play. The school is awaiting a decision from the Sutter County Board of Education over its petition for a new charter, under a new name: California Learning Academy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yuba City Unified School District, where Highlands hoped to expand, denied the school’s charter request in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[aside postID=news_12102861 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260821-FamilyFriendlySF-JY-07.jpg']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school filed for bankruptcy in U.S, District Court for the Eastern District of California on Sunday. A hearing is set for Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In its filing, the school said it has between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors, including the California Department of Education and Twin Rivers Unified School District, which currently holds the school’s charter. The Department of Education is demanding $243 million, according to the filing, and Twin Rivers says it’s owed $2.4 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Highlands disputes the charges. The Department of Education had no comment on the matter and Twin Rivers Unified did not respond by deadline for a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Auditor’s findings\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The case stems from a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2024-106/\">California State Auditor report\u003c/a> that accused Highlands leadership of misstating the school’s attendance, essentially collecting state money for students who didn’t exist. The auditor also accused the school of hiring unqualified teachers and engaging in nepotism in hiring and contracting. Among other questionable expenses, the school spent $1.2 million at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego and paid for board trips to Paris and Hawaii, according to the auditor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school has addressed 18 of the auditor’s 19 recommendations, Raymond said, and it appealed the remaining one, which is the alleged misuse of funds. The state’s Education Audit Appeals Panel is expected to release a ruling soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the audit, Highlands has replaced all of its senior staff and moved to replace unqualified teachers with those who have, or are working toward, credentials, Raymond said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Founded in 2014, Highlands serves adults seeking a high school diploma, English classes or job skills. Many of its students are immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/10/highlands-charter-school-california-2/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A beleaguered \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sacramento\">Sacramento\u003c/a> charter school, which the state last year accused of misspending $180 million, has filed for bankruptcy after the school said negotiations broke down over its repayment of the debt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Highlands Community and Technical Schools, which serves about 2,000 adults at six campuses in the Sacramento area, remains open.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Highlands is taking this step to protect our students and preserve the future of our schools,” the school’s executive director, Jonathan Raymond, said in a written statement. “The reorganization process gives us the best opportunity to remain open and continue serving students while we address the disputed financial claims through an orderly, court-supervised process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Relocation to Sutter County?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Highlands’s quest to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/09/highlands-charter-school-california/\">relocate to Sutter County\u003c/a> also remains in play. The school is awaiting a decision from the Sutter County Board of Education over its petition for a new charter, under a new name: California Learning Academy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yuba City Unified School District, where Highlands hoped to expand, denied the school’s charter request in July.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school filed for bankruptcy in U.S, District Court for the Eastern District of California on Sunday. A hearing is set for Thursday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In its filing, the school said it has between 1,000 and 5,000 creditors, including the California Department of Education and Twin Rivers Unified School District, which currently holds the school’s charter. The Department of Education is demanding $243 million, according to the filing, and Twin Rivers says it’s owed $2.4 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Highlands disputes the charges. The Department of Education had no comment on the matter and Twin Rivers Unified did not respond by deadline for a request for comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Auditor’s findings\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The case stems from a 2025 \u003ca href=\"https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2024-106/\">California State Auditor report\u003c/a> that accused Highlands leadership of misstating the school’s attendance, essentially collecting state money for students who didn’t exist. The auditor also accused the school of hiring unqualified teachers and engaging in nepotism in hiring and contracting. Among other questionable expenses, the school spent $1.2 million at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego and paid for board trips to Paris and Hawaii, according to the auditor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The school has addressed 18 of the auditor’s 19 recommendations, Raymond said, and it appealed the remaining one, which is the alleged misuse of funds. The state’s Education Audit Appeals Panel is expected to release a ruling soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Since the audit, Highlands has replaced all of its senior staff and moved to replace unqualified teachers with those who have, or are working toward, credentials, Raymond said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Founded in 2014, Highlands serves adults seeking a high school diploma, English classes or job skills. Many of its students are immigrants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/10/highlands-charter-school-california-2/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "doctors-insurers-sue-newsom-over-health-insurance-premium-increases",
"title": "Doctors, Insurers Sue Newsom Over Health Insurance Premium Increases",
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"headTitle": "Doctors, Insurers Sue Newsom Over Health Insurance Premium Increases | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Doctors and health insurers filed a lawsuit Friday alleging \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> and the Legislature violated the law when they approved a healthcare tax that could substantially increase insurance premiums for Californians.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit claims the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/06/california-health-tax-medi-cal-premiums/\">recently passed tax on health plans\u003c/a>, known as the managed care organization tax or MCO tax, circumvents a 2024 initiative that limits healthcare taxes and directs revenue toward specific purposes. The California Medical Association and California Association of Health Plans \u003ca href=\"https://www.mcotaxlawsuitfacts.com/assets/cahp-v-dhcs-petition-for-writ-of-mandate.pdf\">filed the complaint with the California Supreme Court\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California voters passed Proposition 35 and made it law. The state does not get to ignore that law simply because following the law is inconvenient,” medical association CEO Dustin Corcoran said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/071625_Newsom-ICE-Raids_CM_36-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12056974\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/071625_Newsom-ICE-Raids_CM_36-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/071625_Newsom-ICE-Raids_CM_36-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/071625_Newsom-ICE-Raids_CM_36-copy-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to the media at Downey Memorial Christian Church in Downey on July 16, 2025. Doctors and health insurers say Newsom and state lawmakers violated the law by approving a healthcare tax. (Ted Soqui/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tara Gallegos, a spokesperson for Newsom, said the tax allows the state to make changes to fund healthcare. “The state disagrees with their claims, and we believe the courts will too,” Gallegos said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for the Department of Finance, said in a previous statement to CalMatters that the state wanted to balance the affordability concerns of privately insured patients against large-scale federal Medi-Cal cuts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12008703/proposition-35-aims-to-improve-health-care-for-low-income-californians-critics-warn-it-could-backfire\">Newsom stopped short of opposing the 2024 initiative \u003c/a>when it was on the ballot, but he warned at the time it would “hamstring” the state budget.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For more than 20 years, California has levied taxes on health insurers to help fund Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for low-income people. The state historically taxed private health plans at a lower rate than Medi-Cal insurers, but in June, the Legislature passed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb125\">a bill\u003c/a> substantially raising the tax on private plans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Health insurers said they will pass the cost directly on to consumers, spiking premiums by about $100 per person each year. That means a family of four could pay a $400 annual increase. That would come on top of the rate increases people typically see year to year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California is breaking the law by blowing through a tax limit voters put in place to protect Californians and businesses from higher health care costs,” said Charles Bacchi, CEO of the health plans association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Doctors, hospitals, clinics and Medi-Cal insurers have argued for many years that the revenue from the tax should go toward improving Medi-Cal. They said that the state was inappropriately using the money to replace general fund spending, and that many providers were being paid far less than their services cost. In 2024, they asked voters to approve a limited tax that would be reserved for Medi-Cal improvements.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Congress last year changed the rules on taxes used to generate revenue for healthcare, including the ones imposed on health plans. Rather than lose the money generated by the tax, Newsom proposed and the Legislature agreed to submit two taxes to the federal government for approval: one that complied with the 2024 initiative but would be rejected by the feds, and one that complied with federal regulations and largely disregarded the initiative.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was updated three hours after publication with a response from the governor’s office. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/10/california-mco-tax-lawsuit-premiums/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Doctors and health insurers filed a lawsuit Friday alleging \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> and the Legislature violated the law when they approved a healthcare tax that could substantially increase insurance premiums for Californians.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The lawsuit claims the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/06/california-health-tax-medi-cal-premiums/\">recently passed tax on health plans\u003c/a>, known as the managed care organization tax or MCO tax, circumvents a 2024 initiative that limits healthcare taxes and directs revenue toward specific purposes. The California Medical Association and California Association of Health Plans \u003ca href=\"https://www.mcotaxlawsuitfacts.com/assets/cahp-v-dhcs-petition-for-writ-of-mandate.pdf\">filed the complaint with the California Supreme Court\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The lawsuit claims the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/06/california-health-tax-medi-cal-premiums/\">recently passed tax on health plans\u003c/a>, known as the managed care organization tax or MCO tax, circumvents a 2024 initiative that limits healthcare taxes and directs revenue toward specific purposes. The California Medical Association and California Association of Health Plans \u003ca href=\"https://www.mcotaxlawsuitfacts.com/assets/cahp-v-dhcs-petition-for-writ-of-mandate.pdf\">filed the complaint with the California Supreme Court\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California voters passed Proposition 35 and made it law. The state does not get to ignore that law simply because following the law is inconvenient,” medical association CEO Dustin Corcoran said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/071625_Newsom-ICE-Raids_CM_36-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12056974\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/071625_Newsom-ICE-Raids_CM_36-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/071625_Newsom-ICE-Raids_CM_36-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/071625_Newsom-ICE-Raids_CM_36-copy-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\"/>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to the media at Downey Memorial Christian Church in Downey on July 16, 2025. Doctors and health insurers say Newsom and state lawmakers violated the law by approving a healthcare tax. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Ted Soqui/CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for the Department of Finance, said in a previous statement to CalMatters that the state wanted to balance the affordability concerns of privately insured patients against large-scale federal Medi-Cal cuts.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12008703/proposition-35-aims-to-improve-health-care-for-low-income-californians-critics-warn-it-could-backfire\">Newsom stopped short of opposing the 2024 initiative \u003c/a>when it was on the ballot, but he warned at the time it would “hamstring” the state budget.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>For more than 20 years, California has levied taxes on health insurers to help fund Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for low-income people. The state historically taxed private health plans at a lower rate than Medi-Cal insurers, but in June, the Legislature passed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb125\">a bill\u003c/a> substantially raising the tax on private plans.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Health insurers said they will pass the cost directly on to consumers, spiking premiums by about $100 per person each year. That means a family of four could pay a $400 annual increase. That would come on top of the rate increases people typically see year to year.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“California is breaking the law by blowing through a tax limit voters put in place to protect Californians and businesses from higher health care costs,” said Charles Bacchi, CEO of the health plans association.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Doctors, hospitals, clinics and Medi-Cal insurers have argued for many years that the revenue from the tax should go toward improving Medi-Cal. They said that the state was inappropriately using the money to replace general fund spending, and that many providers were being paid far less than their services cost. In 2024, they asked voters to approve a limited tax that would be reserved for Medi-Cal improvements.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But Congress last year changed the rules on taxes used to generate revenue for healthcare, including the ones imposed on health plans. Rather than lose the money generated by the tax, Newsom proposed and the Legislature agreed to submit two taxes to the federal government for approval: one that complied with the 2024 initiative but would be rejected by the feds, and one that complied with federal regulations and largely disregarded the initiative.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was updated three hours after publication with a response from the governor’s office. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The California Medical Association and California Association of Health Plans say in a new lawsuit that a healthcare tax violates Proposition 35, passed by voters in 2024.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Doctors and health insurers filed a lawsuit Friday alleging \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> and the Legislature violated the law when they approved a healthcare tax that could substantially increase insurance premiums for Californians.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The lawsuit claims the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/06/california-health-tax-medi-cal-premiums/\">recently passed tax on health plans\u003c/a>, known as the managed care organization tax or MCO tax, circumvents a 2024 initiative that limits healthcare taxes and directs revenue toward specific purposes. The California Medical Association and California Association of Health Plans \u003ca href=\"https://www.mcotaxlawsuitfacts.com/assets/cahp-v-dhcs-petition-for-writ-of-mandate.pdf\">filed the complaint with the California Supreme Court\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California voters passed Proposition 35 and made it law. The state does not get to ignore that law simply because following the law is inconvenient,” medical association CEO Dustin Corcoran said in a statement.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/071625_Newsom-ICE-Raids_CM_36-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12056974\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/071625_Newsom-ICE-Raids_CM_36-copy.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/071625_Newsom-ICE-Raids_CM_36-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/071625_Newsom-ICE-Raids_CM_36-copy-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to the media at Downey Memorial Christian Church in Downey on July 16, 2025. Doctors and health insurers say Newsom and state lawmakers violated the law by approving a healthcare tax. (Ted Soqui/CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Tara Gallegos, a spokesperson for Newsom, said the tax allows the state to make changes to fund healthcare. “The state disagrees with their claims, and we believe the courts will too,” Gallegos said in an email.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>H.D. Palmer, a spokesperson for the Department of Finance, said in a previous statement to CalMatters that the state wanted to balance the affordability concerns of privately insured patients against large-scale federal Medi-Cal cuts.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12008703/proposition-35-aims-to-improve-health-care-for-low-income-californians-critics-warn-it-could-backfire\">Newsom stopped short of opposing the 2024 initiative \u003c/a>when it was on the ballot, but he warned at the time it would “hamstring” the state budget.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>For more than 20 years, California has levied taxes on health insurers to help fund Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for low-income people. The state historically taxed private health plans at a lower rate than Medi-Cal insurers, but in June, the Legislature passed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb125\">a bill\u003c/a> substantially raising the tax on private plans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Health insurers said they will pass the cost directly on to consumers, spiking premiums by about $100 per person each year. That means a family of four could pay a $400 annual increase. That would come on top of the rate increases people typically see year to year.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“California is breaking the law by blowing through a tax limit voters put in place to protect Californians and businesses from higher health care costs,” said Charles Bacchi, CEO of the health plans association.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Doctors, hospitals, clinics and Medi-Cal insurers have argued for many years that the revenue from the tax should go toward improving Medi-Cal. They said that the state was inappropriately using the money to replace general fund spending, and that many providers were being paid far less than their services cost. In 2024, they asked voters to approve a limited tax that would be reserved for Medi-Cal improvements.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But Congress last year changed the rules on taxes used to generate revenue for healthcare, including the ones imposed on health plans. Rather than lose the money generated by the tax, Newsom proposed and the Legislature agreed to submit two taxes to the federal government for approval: one that complied with the 2024 initiative but would be rejected by the feds, and one that complied with federal regulations and largely disregarded the initiative.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was updated three hours after publication with a response from the governor’s office. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Supported by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), which works to ensure that people have access to the care they need, when they need it, at a price they can afford. Visit www.chcf.org to learn more.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/10/california-mco-tax-lawsuit-premiums/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "in-becerra-and-hiltons-only-scheduled-debate-trump-was-the-main-character",
"title": "In Becerra and Hilton’s Only Scheduled Debate, Trump Was the Main Character",
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"headTitle": "In Becerra and Hilton’s Only Scheduled Debate, Trump Was the Main Character | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians watching Wednesday night’s gubernatorial debate would be forgiven for thinking the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/governor/\">candidates for governor\u003c/a> are President Donald Trump and the Democratic Party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump was the central topic in the debate between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton, with Becerra repeatedly tying Hilton to Trump’s policies on immigration, taxes, housing, the environment and Big Tech. Hilton also tried to tie Becerra to outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats at large, whom Hilton blames for business and housing regulations that contribute to high costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra mentioned the president, who is widely unpopular in California, more than a dozen times during the hourlong debate on CNN.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re going to end up with Trump results if you follow Steve Hilton’s plans,” Becerra said when asked about Hilton’s proposal to eliminate income taxes for middle-class Californians. He pointed out that Hilton’s plan to drop income taxes on the first $150,000 in earnings also includes a tax cut for the state’s wealthiest earners, comparing it to federal tax cuts enacted by Trump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082062\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082062\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Xavier Becerra, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, speaks during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Similarly, when Hilton said he would wait to assess whether California needs to more aggressively regulate artificial intelligence companies, Becerra linked his response to Trump’s inaction, saying “if you listen closely, you can hear Donald Trump in that response.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra also said he would impose limits on AI data centers in communities that oppose them. Hilton noted that Becerra’s campaign has received donations from the biggest artificial intelligence companies, Anthropic and OpenAI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump endorsed Hilton during the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-governor-primary-hilton-advances/\">contested primary election\u003c/a>, but the former Fox News host has since tried to distance himself from both the president and the Republican Party, running ads telling voters they can dislike Trump and still support him. Last week, in an acknowledgement that opposition to Trump is dragging down Republicans’ approval rating, Hilton’s campaign released a poll claiming he was “unscathed from (the) Republican collapse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Hilton’s proposal to expand oil drilling in California, Becerra brought up Trump’s effort to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094648/californians-vow-to-fight-federal-takeover-of-coastline-for-oil-drilling\">expand drilling\u003c/a> off the state’s coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[aside postID=news_12102105 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260828-SOUTH-BAY-DATA-CENTERS-MD-07-KQED.jpg']\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On homelessness, Hilton noted Becerra once graded Newsom an “A for effort” on the issue despite homelessness increasing during his terms, while Becerra countered that Trump \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/06/lahsa-hud-funding/\">has blocked federal funding\u003c/a> for local homelessness agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a predictable strategy for Becerra, who enjoys a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-their-government-september-2026/\">double-digit lead\u003c/a> over Hilton in the heavily Democratic-leaning state where voters also disapprove of Trump by wide margins. The Democratic candidate and former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary has laid low since getting the most votes in the crowded all-party primary election in June, making few public appearances and agreeing only to one debate. Hilton criticized Becerra for repeatedly mentioning national politics, arguing the Democrat isn’t offering Californians any concrete solutions to the nation-topping cost of living.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All you ever say is ‘Trump, Trump, Trump,’” Hilton said. “And that’s nothing but an insult to every Californian who is desperate for something to change in this state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The candidates traded insults throughout the night. Hilton cited reports that Becerra’s colleagues in President Joe Biden’s cabinet had “described (Becerra) as an idiot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in several testy exchanges over immigration, Becerra, the son of Mexican immigrants, tied Hilton to Trump’s aggressive nationwide immigration raids and mass deportation campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You seem to welcome immigrants who look like you, but deport immigrants who look like me,” Becerra said. Hilton, a British immigrant and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/07/california-governor-hilton-profile/\">former adviser\u003c/a> to British Prime Minister David Cameron, bristled at the comment, calling it “disgraceful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12098221\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12098221\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SteveHiltonPB-07-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SteveHiltonPB-07-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SteveHiltonPB-07-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SteveHiltonPB-07-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Steve Hilton, candidate for California governor, speaks with KQED political reporter Marisa Lagos for Political Breakdown at the KQED studios in San Francisco on Sept. 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hilton \u003ca href=\"https://www.foxnews.com/video/6367836110112\">praised the deportation campaign\u003c/a> last January as “perfect” during an appearance on Fox News. He has previously described himself as “pro-immigration.” On Wednesday night, he dodged questions on whether he would undo the state’s sanctuary law limiting police cooperation with immigration agents and direct California officers to assist in Trump’s campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, he said, he would prefer to “turn down the temperature” on that debate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The candidates argued over the best way to increase housing construction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hilton wants to build 10 new cities and allow more new construction on undeveloped land to avoid battles between the state and residents and local governments that are resistant to new development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have got so much space that we could be building in,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra said to address the housing crisis, he would reduce administrative and bureaucratic hurdles to getting construction permits, boost down payment assistance programs and stop Wall Street investors from competing with would-be homeowners. He pointed to the lawsuit he filed as state attorney general against the city of Huntington Beach to force it to approve new housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No locality should have the right to try to stop all of our people in California from having the housing they need,” Becerra said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They found common ground on how to keep the film industry in California amid competition from other states and countries. Los Angeles County has lost about 50,000 film and TV jobs since 2022. But while both candidates support expanding the state’s film tax credit to lower the cost of producing in California, they still each got in a dig over who to blame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Who’s been in charge when all those jobs have gone?” Hilton said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Donald Trump,” Becerra said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Democrats,” Hilton said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/california-general-election-gubernatorial-debate-cnn/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Californians watching Wednesday night’s gubernatorial debate would be forgiven for thinking the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2026/governor/\">candidates for governor\u003c/a> are President Donald Trump and the Democratic Party.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump was the central topic in the debate between Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton, with Becerra repeatedly tying Hilton to Trump’s policies on immigration, taxes, housing, the environment and Big Tech. Hilton also tried to tie Becerra to outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom and California Democrats at large, whom Hilton blames for business and housing regulations that contribute to high costs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra mentioned the president, who is widely unpopular in California, more than a dozen times during the hourlong debate on CNN.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You’re going to end up with Trump results if you follow Steve Hilton’s plans,” Becerra said when asked about Hilton’s proposal to eliminate income taxes for middle-class Californians. He pointed out that Hilton’s plan to drop income taxes on the first $150,000 in earnings also includes a tax cut for the state’s wealthiest earners, comparing it to federal tax cuts enacted by Trump.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082062\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082062\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/XavierBecerra-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Xavier Becerra, Democratic gubernatorial candidate for California, speaks during a gubernatorial debate at KRON Studios in San Francisco on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. \u003ccite>(Jason Henry/Nexstar/Bloomberg Pool via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Similarly, when Hilton said he would wait to assess whether California needs to more aggressively regulate artificial intelligence companies, Becerra linked his response to Trump’s inaction, saying “if you listen closely, you can hear Donald Trump in that response.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra also said he would impose limits on AI data centers in communities that oppose them. Hilton noted that Becerra’s campaign has received donations from the biggest artificial intelligence companies, Anthropic and OpenAI.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump endorsed Hilton during the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/06/california-governor-primary-hilton-advances/\">contested primary election\u003c/a>, but the former Fox News host has since tried to distance himself from both the president and the Republican Party, running ads telling voters they can dislike Trump and still support him. Last week, in an acknowledgement that opposition to Trump is dragging down Republicans’ approval rating, Hilton’s campaign released a poll claiming he was “unscathed from (the) Republican collapse.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Hilton’s proposal to expand oil drilling in California, Becerra brought up Trump’s effort to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12094648/californians-vow-to-fight-federal-takeover-of-coastline-for-oil-drilling\">expand drilling\u003c/a> off the state’s coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On homelessness, Hilton noted Becerra once graded Newsom an “A for effort” on the issue despite homelessness increasing during his terms, while Becerra countered that Trump \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/06/lahsa-hud-funding/\">has blocked federal funding\u003c/a> for local homelessness agencies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a predictable strategy for Becerra, who enjoys a \u003ca href=\"https://www.ppic.org/publication/ppic-statewide-survey-californians-and-their-government-september-2026/\">double-digit lead\u003c/a> over Hilton in the heavily Democratic-leaning state where voters also disapprove of Trump by wide margins. The Democratic candidate and former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary has laid low since getting the most votes in the crowded all-party primary election in June, making few public appearances and agreeing only to one debate. Hilton criticized Becerra for repeatedly mentioning national politics, arguing the Democrat isn’t offering Californians any concrete solutions to the nation-topping cost of living.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All you ever say is ‘Trump, Trump, Trump,’” Hilton said. “And that’s nothing but an insult to every Californian who is desperate for something to change in this state.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The candidates traded insults throughout the night. Hilton cited reports that Becerra’s colleagues in President Joe Biden’s cabinet had “described (Becerra) as an idiot.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Then, in several testy exchanges over immigration, Becerra, the son of Mexican immigrants, tied Hilton to Trump’s aggressive nationwide immigration raids and mass deportation campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You seem to welcome immigrants who look like you, but deport immigrants who look like me,” Becerra said. Hilton, a British immigrant and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/07/california-governor-hilton-profile/\">former adviser\u003c/a> to British Prime Minister David Cameron, bristled at the comment, calling it “disgraceful.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12098221\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12098221\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SteveHiltonPB-07-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SteveHiltonPB-07-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SteveHiltonPB-07-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/260902-SteveHiltonPB-07-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Steve Hilton, candidate for California governor, speaks with KQED political reporter Marisa Lagos for Political Breakdown at the KQED studios in San Francisco on Sept. 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Hilton \u003ca href=\"https://www.foxnews.com/video/6367836110112\">praised the deportation campaign\u003c/a> last January as “perfect” during an appearance on Fox News. He has previously described himself as “pro-immigration.” On Wednesday night, he dodged questions on whether he would undo the state’s sanctuary law limiting police cooperation with immigration agents and direct California officers to assist in Trump’s campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Instead, he said, he would prefer to “turn down the temperature” on that debate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The candidates argued over the best way to increase housing construction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hilton wants to build 10 new cities and allow more new construction on undeveloped land to avoid battles between the state and residents and local governments that are resistant to new development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We have got so much space that we could be building in,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Becerra said to address the housing crisis, he would reduce administrative and bureaucratic hurdles to getting construction permits, boost down payment assistance programs and stop Wall Street investors from competing with would-be homeowners. He pointed to the lawsuit he filed as state attorney general against the city of Huntington Beach to force it to approve new housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“No locality should have the right to try to stop all of our people in California from having the housing they need,” Becerra said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They found common ground on how to keep the film industry in California amid competition from other states and countries. Los Angeles County has lost about 50,000 film and TV jobs since 2022. But while both candidates support expanding the state’s film tax credit to lower the cost of producing in California, they still each got in a dig over who to blame.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Who’s been in charge when all those jobs have gone?” Hilton said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Donald Trump,” Becerra said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Democrats,” Hilton said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/09/california-general-election-gubernatorial-debate-cnn/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Newsom Signs 4 New California DUI Laws. Advocates Want More Next Session",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> on Friday signed into law four bills aimed at curbing a startling rise in DUI fatalities in recent years, including measures that make it easier to charge repeat drunk drivers with a felony and, if they kill someone, with murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation follows \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/series/license-to-kill/\">a CalMatters series\u003c/a> that revealed the state was unable — or unwilling — to get dangerous drivers off the road before it was too late. Many kept driving recklessly even after killing someone, and some even killed again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bills were the last ones standing from an \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/02/california-lawmakers-unveil-driver-safety-reforms/\">initial package\u003c/a> of 17 aimed at addressing traffic deaths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most failed in the face of fierce opposition from progressive groups that argued increasing enforcement and penalties will disproportionately harm low-income and historically marginalized residents, and are not the best way to address traffic safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some of the bills that passed were pared back during the legislative process, the new laws still notably increase potential penalties for repeat DUI offenders in a state that’s historically had some of the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/10/california-dui-failure/\">weakest DUI laws\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fact that four bills got through to the finish line leaves me very hopeful that California is ready for change and sees the need to make the state safer,” said Jennifer Levi, whose 18-year-old son Braun was killed in May 2025 by a suspected drunk driver with a prior DUI arrest. “I have mixed emotions. My victory is the result of losing a child and I’d do anything in the world to have my son back alive with our family. But I cannot let this happen to other people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12101479\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12101479\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/011226-DUI-Bills-Presser-MG-CM-13-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/011226-DUI-Bills-Presser-MG-CM-13-1.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/011226-DUI-Bills-Presser-MG-CM-13-1-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/011226-DUI-Bills-Presser-MG-CM-13-1-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jennifer Levi addresses the media during a press conference at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on Feb. 12, 2026. Levi recounted how her son, Braun Levi, was killed by a drunk driver in May of 2025. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Levi became a fierce road safety advocate after her son’s death, working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and pushing state leaders to act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She partnered with state Sen. Bob Archuleta, a Democrat from Norwalk \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb907\">on a bill\u003c/a> to significantly increase criminal penalties for repeat drunk drivers. Archuleta’s own granddaughter was killed by a drunk driver. Levi said Newsom and his wife came to her home recently to mark the signing of the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A photo, showing the smiling first couple along with Archuleta and Levi in her dining room, was included with \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-brauns-law-and-package-of-bills-to-crack-down-on-dui-offenders/\">the bill signing announcement\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The resulting law will make it easier to charge drunk drivers with murder if they have a prior DUI arrest – which had been difficult if the previous DUI charge had been pled down to a lesser crime.[aside postID=news_12100741 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/NationalWeatherServiceGetty-1920x1272.jpg']The law will also increase the criminal penalties for drivers who kill someone in a hit and run if they had a prior DUI at the time of the fatal crash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having lost my granddaughter to a repeat drunk driver, this is personal. No family should have to endure what mine has, or what has happened to the Levi family,” said Archuleta, according to the statement announcing the bill signing. “Thank you to Governor Newsom for taking bold action to support families that have been devastated by drunk drivers. These are preventable tragedies. Nothing will ever bring my Samantha back or bring Braun back to the Levi family, but in signing SB 907 California is finally stepping up for victims.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other bills the governor signed included one from Assemblymember Nick Schultz, a Democrat from Burbank. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1546\">That new law\u003c/a> will allow prosecutors to charge a third DUI within 10 years as a felony. Previously, it wasn’t until a fourth DUI that law enforcement could seek the stiffer charges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom also signed into law two bills from Assemblymember Tom Lackey, a Republican from Palmdale who spent years working as a California Highway Patrol officer before joining the Legislature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1685\">increases the points\u003c/a> that most drivers convicted of killing someone while driving drunk get on their license from two to three. The bill initially would have increased the points for all vehicular manslaughter convictions and not just those involving intoxication, but it was watered down during the session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081739\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081739\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The DMV has asked for $55 million to share its driver license data to a national organization. Advocates say the move could endanger unauthorized immigrants. Department of Motor Vehicles parking lot in central Fresno on Dec. 13, 2022. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lackey’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1687\">other successful bill\u003c/a> requires the DMV to revoke a driver’s license for six years if they drive drunk and hurt someone after having four prior DUIs. While the bills do increase penalties for drunk driving, several road safety measures failed this session as the state grapples with a more than \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/10/california-dui-failure/\">50% increase\u003c/a> in alcohol-related roadway deaths over the past decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One measure that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/08/california-lawmakers-gut-major-dui-reform/\">notably failed\u003c/a> would have required first-time DUI offenders to install in-car breathalyzers. Most states have such a requirement, but California only mandates the devices for repeat offenders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a signing statement accompanying one of the bills, Newsom referenced his office’s work on that failed bill saying that “the Legislature should return to that broader effort next year” and work on “comprehensive, long-term framework for DUI sanctions” that are clear and consistent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jennifer Levi says she’ll continue pushing the Legislature to act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m ready to keep fighting, there’s more work to be done,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/09/california-new-dui-laws-2026/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/gavin-newsom\">Gov. Gavin Newsom\u003c/a> on Friday signed into law four bills aimed at curbing a startling rise in DUI fatalities in recent years, including measures that make it easier to charge repeat drunk drivers with a felony and, if they kill someone, with murder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation follows \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/series/license-to-kill/\">a CalMatters series\u003c/a> that revealed the state was unable — or unwilling — to get dangerous drivers off the road before it was too late. Many kept driving recklessly even after killing someone, and some even killed again.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bills were the last ones standing from an \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/02/california-lawmakers-unveil-driver-safety-reforms/\">initial package\u003c/a> of 17 aimed at addressing traffic deaths.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Most failed in the face of fierce opposition from progressive groups that argued increasing enforcement and penalties will disproportionately harm low-income and historically marginalized residents, and are not the best way to address traffic safety.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some of the bills that passed were pared back during the legislative process, the new laws still notably increase potential penalties for repeat DUI offenders in a state that’s historically had some of the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/10/california-dui-failure/\">weakest DUI laws\u003c/a> in the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The fact that four bills got through to the finish line leaves me very hopeful that California is ready for change and sees the need to make the state safer,” said Jennifer Levi, whose 18-year-old son Braun was killed in May 2025 by a suspected drunk driver with a prior DUI arrest. “I have mixed emotions. My victory is the result of losing a child and I’d do anything in the world to have my son back alive with our family. But I cannot let this happen to other people.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12101479\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12101479\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/011226-DUI-Bills-Presser-MG-CM-13-1.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/011226-DUI-Bills-Presser-MG-CM-13-1.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/011226-DUI-Bills-Presser-MG-CM-13-1-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/011226-DUI-Bills-Presser-MG-CM-13-1-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jennifer Levi addresses the media during a press conference at the Capitol Annex Swing Space in Sacramento on Feb. 12, 2026. Levi recounted how her son, Braun Levi, was killed by a drunk driver in May of 2025. \u003ccite>(Miguel Gutierrez Jr./CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Levi became a fierce road safety advocate after her son’s death, working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving and pushing state leaders to act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She partnered with state Sen. Bob Archuleta, a Democrat from Norwalk \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb907\">on a bill\u003c/a> to significantly increase criminal penalties for repeat drunk drivers. Archuleta’s own granddaughter was killed by a drunk driver. Levi said Newsom and his wife came to her home recently to mark the signing of the bill.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A photo, showing the smiling first couple along with Archuleta and Levi in her dining room, was included with \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/2026/09/25/governor-newsom-signs-brauns-law-and-package-of-bills-to-crack-down-on-dui-offenders/\">the bill signing announcement\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The resulting law will make it easier to charge drunk drivers with murder if they have a prior DUI arrest – which had been difficult if the previous DUI charge had been pled down to a lesser crime.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The law will also increase the criminal penalties for drivers who kill someone in a hit and run if they had a prior DUI at the time of the fatal crash.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Having lost my granddaughter to a repeat drunk driver, this is personal. No family should have to endure what mine has, or what has happened to the Levi family,” said Archuleta, according to the statement announcing the bill signing. “Thank you to Governor Newsom for taking bold action to support families that have been devastated by drunk drivers. These are preventable tragedies. Nothing will ever bring my Samantha back or bring Braun back to the Levi family, but in signing SB 907 California is finally stepping up for victims.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Other bills the governor signed included one from Assemblymember Nick Schultz, a Democrat from Burbank. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1546\">That new law\u003c/a> will allow prosecutors to charge a third DUI within 10 years as a felony. Previously, it wasn’t until a fourth DUI that law enforcement could seek the stiffer charges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Newsom also signed into law two bills from Assemblymember Tom Lackey, a Republican from Palmdale who spent years working as a California Highway Patrol officer before joining the Legislature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1685\">increases the points\u003c/a> that most drivers convicted of killing someone while driving drunk get on their license from two to three. The bill initially would have increased the points for all vehicular manslaughter convictions and not just those involving intoxication, but it was watered down during the session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081739\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081739\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/DMVCM1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The DMV has asked for $55 million to share its driver license data to a national organization. Advocates say the move could endanger unauthorized immigrants. Department of Motor Vehicles parking lot in central Fresno on Dec. 13, 2022. \u003ccite>(Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Lackey’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab1687\">other successful bill\u003c/a> requires the DMV to revoke a driver’s license for six years if they drive drunk and hurt someone after having four prior DUIs. While the bills do increase penalties for drunk driving, several road safety measures failed this session as the state grapples with a more than \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2025/10/california-dui-failure/\">50% increase\u003c/a> in alcohol-related roadway deaths over the past decade.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One measure that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/08/california-lawmakers-gut-major-dui-reform/\">notably failed\u003c/a> would have required first-time DUI offenders to install in-car breathalyzers. Most states have such a requirement, but California only mandates the devices for repeat offenders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a signing statement accompanying one of the bills, Newsom referenced his office’s work on that failed bill saying that “the Legislature should return to that broader effort next year” and work on “comprehensive, long-term framework for DUI sanctions” that are clear and consistent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jennifer Levi says she’ll continue pushing the Legislature to act.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m ready to keep fighting, there’s more work to be done,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/investigation/2026/09/california-new-dui-laws-2026/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "cities-often-squabble-over-homelessness-a-new-california-law-forces-one-community-to-try-something-different",
"title": "Cities Often Squabble Over Homelessness. A New California Law Forces One Community to Try Something Different",
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"headTitle": "Cities Often Squabble Over Homelessness. A New California Law Forces One Community to Try Something Different | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Legislature is forcing the city and county of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sacramento\">Sacramento\u003c/a> to try something unusual in their fight against homelessness, and both critics and supporters of the controversial plan say it could have broad implications for the rest of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb802\">Senate Bill 802\u003c/a> on Sunday, which requires Sacramento, as well as all smaller cities within the county, to coordinate and form a joint powers authority that will lead the region’s homelessness response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Homelessness does not stop at jurisdictional boundaries,” Newsom wrote in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Sign-msg-SB-802.pdf\">signing message\u003c/a>, “and no city or county can solve this crisis alone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A joint powers authority is a public partnership where two or more local governments or agencies team up to jointly manage something.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Sacramento, the idea is that this new framework will allow the cities and county to better communicate and work together on homelessness – hopefully leading to more people getting off the streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters say it’s a no-brainer, and they hope it will be an example to fix an age-old problem playing out in regions across the state: Cities and counties must work well together to effectively address homelessness, but they often don’t. On the other hand, opponents say forcing local governments to work together sets a bad precedent: Cooperation works best if it’s voluntary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062672\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062672\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-NewsomProp50Rally-44-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-NewsomProp50Rally-44-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-NewsomProp50Rally-44-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-NewsomProp50Rally-44-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a rally in support of Proposition 50 at IBEW Local 6 in San Francisco on Nov. 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, this new experiment in co-governance is highly atypical for a number of reasons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For one thing, this appears to be the first time the California Legislature has forced anyone to form a joint powers authority. Typically, those agreements are voluntary. In Sacramento, local jurisdictions chafing under this new mandate worry the new law will embolden the Legislature to do this again in other regions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This would be unprecedented, so it could have ramifications in 57 other counties,” said Sacramento County Supervisor Patrick Kennedy, who opposes the legislation. The county is threatening to sue the state to stop its implementation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, while it’s not uncommon for local governments to form joint powers authorities to manage other things that cross city boundaries — such as sewers or public transit — it’s very rare for this type of structure to govern a region’s homelessness response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2020, there were only \u003ca href=\"https://records.cityofsacramento.org/ViewDoc.aspx?ID=s6tFBnt4W+JMwYxfWbaMShVZ45n8cfdC\">three examples\u003c/a> in all of California, according to Joe Colletti, chief executive officer of the nonprofit research organization HUB for Urban Initiatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most well-known is the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/05/la-homeless-agency/\">Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority\u003c/a>, which recently has been \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/lahsa-bows-out-federal-roles-including-homeless-count-annual\">reduced\u003c/a> to a shell of its former self as a result of one headline-making \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/09/la-homeless-services-federal-charges/\">crisis\u003c/a> after \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/06/lahsa-hud-funding/\">another\u003c/a>. In the rest of the state, a region’s homelessness response usually is led by a county or nonprofit.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Squabbling between cities and counties\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This legislation was controversial from the beginning. It took \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/angelique-ashby-165434\">Sen. Angelique Ashby\u003c/a>, a Democrat from Sacramento and former city councilmember, two years of tense negotiations and multiple amendments to get it across the finish line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The final version allows the county and participating cities to keep control of their own funds, rather than pooling everything together — a major sticking point for the local governments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sacramento region needed this legislation, Ashby argued during a recent committee hearing, because its various agencies have eight boards and nearly 90 board members working separately on homelessness without coordinating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The result is duplicated and inconsistent services, leaving people who are homeless in Sacramento County with no idea where they should go for help, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[aside postID=news_12100741 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/04/NationalWeatherServiceGetty-1920x1272.jpg']\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a problem the city and county have tried to fix for more than two decades. In 2010, the county board of supervisors and city council approved resolutions that supported creating a joint powers authority, but it didn’t happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two separate grand jury reports, one in 2019 and another in 2023, said the region’s homelessness response was dysfunctional and recommended better coordination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s hardly an issue unique to Sacramento. Across California, cities typically provide shelter beds, while counties are responsible for the other services homeless residents need, such as mental health and addiction treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s because counties receive state funding for social services, and cities don’t. So, neither can effectively address homelessness unless they work together. But, frequently, they don’t. Instead, they \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/05/la-homeless-agency/\">often squabble\u003c/a> over who should pay for what, and who isn’t doing their fair share.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fighting between neighboring cities is common, too. As unhoused people move across city lines, local governments argue over who should have to provide shelter beds and other resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a major frustration for former Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. His constituents saw people on the street in mental health crisis, suffering. Voters demanded he do something, but his hands were largely tied, he said, as he had no control over the county’s mental health services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was just a major gulf between my accountability to the people and my authority to be able to actually make the difference that the people expected,” Steinberg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12101493\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12101493\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-938822306-scaled-e1790376038997.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1321\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg speaks to members of the media about the investigation of the shooting death of Stephon Clark in Sacramento, California on March 27, 2018. \u003ccite>(Josh Edelson/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During his time in office, which ended in 2024, Steinberg negotiated a partnership between the city and the county. But it lacked a governance structure that would have forced them to make decisions together. That’s the missing piece that this law brings to the table, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the new law, the city and county of Sacramento, as well as Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights and Folsom, have until January 2028 to finalize their joint powers authority. They recently convened a joint task force of elected officials, and have started working together on homelessness issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s some lingering tension. While the city of Sacramento is on board with the legislation, the county and the city of Folsom are opposed. Neither is against the idea of collaboration, but they don’t like that it’s being forced upon them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s an unnecessary cost,” county Supervisor Kennedy said. “It’s an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy, it’s an unnecessary burden that’s just going to slow down processes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Staffing and running the new joint powers authority is expected to have an annual price tag of anywhere between the mid-hundreds of thousands of dollars, to the low millions, according to a Senate analysis.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Examples in Los Angeles and Solano counties\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As the Sacramento region gears up to create this new power structure, it has two main examples it can turn to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One, in Los Angeles, is a cautionary tale. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, a joint powers authority between the city and county, was the target of recent audits criticizing its handling of homelessness funds. A downward spiral followed. LA County pulled its funding from the authority and the Trump administration now is prosecuting homeless services providers that it alleges \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/09/la-homeless-services-federal-charges/\">misused money from the agency\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kennedy said the parallels between LA and Sacramento’s new agency worry him “very much,” and clearly show that a joint powers authority is hardly a panacea for homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Steinberg believes the new Sacramento agency can do better. The LA agency didn’t have enough authority, and as a result, the city and county weren’t governing effectively together, he said. He hopes that will be different in Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12101495\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12101495 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-2286687889-scaled-e1790376676446.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Los Angeles, CA – July 22: Skid Row in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. The area spans approximately 50 blocks and has the highest density of homeless people in the country. \u003ccite>(Hans Gutknecht-The Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The other example Sacramento leaders can turn to is in Solano County, which created the current version of its joint powers authority in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Local leaders pushed for a collaborative agency after hearing reports that other cities were dropping off their homeless residents at parking lots in Fairfield, assuming that services would be available because it’s the county seat, said Doriss Panduro, a Fairfield city councilmember and chair of the joint powers authority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, the authority is made up of two elected officials from each city and the county, and they meet once a month to discuss how to spend money and how many people are receiving services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is a big undertaking,” Panduro said. “We started the work in 2021, 2022, and here we are four years later just getting paid staff on board. It’s been a big lift.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, she said, it’s been worth it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently, the county and all the cities involved in the joint powers authority applied together for state funding to clear one encampment along a flood control basin in Vallejo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though Vallejo would be the only city to get that money, it arguably would benefit everyone since it targets the largest encampment in the county, Panduro said. And Vallejo wouldn’t have had the resources to manage the state grant without the support of everyone else, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Homelessness is such a big issue, and I think finding an out-of-the-box way to approach it, for me, I can only say it’s a positive,” she said. “Everyone felt like we had been doing the same things over and over and nothing was changing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/09/sacramento-county-city-jpa-homelessness/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Legislature is forcing the city and county of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/sacramento\">Sacramento\u003c/a> to try something unusual in their fight against homelessness, and both critics and supporters of the controversial plan say it could have broad implications for the rest of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gov. Gavin Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb802\">Senate Bill 802\u003c/a> on Sunday, which requires Sacramento, as well as all smaller cities within the county, to coordinate and form a joint powers authority that will lead the region’s homelessness response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Homelessness does not stop at jurisdictional boundaries,” Newsom wrote in a \u003ca href=\"https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Sign-msg-SB-802.pdf\">signing message\u003c/a>, “and no city or county can solve this crisis alone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A joint powers authority is a public partnership where two or more local governments or agencies team up to jointly manage something.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Sacramento, the idea is that this new framework will allow the cities and county to better communicate and work together on homelessness – hopefully leading to more people getting off the streets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters say it’s a no-brainer, and they hope it will be an example to fix an age-old problem playing out in regions across the state: Cities and counties must work well together to effectively address homelessness, but they often don’t. On the other hand, opponents say forcing local governments to work together sets a bad precedent: Cooperation works best if it’s voluntary.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12062672\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12062672\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-NewsomProp50Rally-44-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-NewsomProp50Rally-44-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-NewsomProp50Rally-44-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/251103-NewsomProp50Rally-44-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a rally in support of Proposition 50 at IBEW Local 6 in San Francisco on Nov. 3, 2025. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Meanwhile, this new experiment in co-governance is highly atypical for a number of reasons.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For one thing, this appears to be the first time the California Legislature has forced anyone to form a joint powers authority. Typically, those agreements are voluntary. In Sacramento, local jurisdictions chafing under this new mandate worry the new law will embolden the Legislature to do this again in other regions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This would be unprecedented, so it could have ramifications in 57 other counties,” said Sacramento County Supervisor Patrick Kennedy, who opposes the legislation. The county is threatening to sue the state to stop its implementation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, while it’s not uncommon for local governments to form joint powers authorities to manage other things that cross city boundaries — such as sewers or public transit — it’s very rare for this type of structure to govern a region’s homelessness response.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2020, there were only \u003ca href=\"https://records.cityofsacramento.org/ViewDoc.aspx?ID=s6tFBnt4W+JMwYxfWbaMShVZ45n8cfdC\">three examples\u003c/a> in all of California, according to Joe Colletti, chief executive officer of the nonprofit research organization HUB for Urban Initiatives.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The most well-known is the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/05/la-homeless-agency/\">Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority\u003c/a>, which recently has been \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/lahsa-bows-out-federal-roles-including-homeless-count-annual\">reduced\u003c/a> to a shell of its former self as a result of one headline-making \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/09/la-homeless-services-federal-charges/\">crisis\u003c/a> after \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/06/lahsa-hud-funding/\">another\u003c/a>. In the rest of the state, a region’s homelessness response usually is led by a county or nonprofit.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Squabbling between cities and counties\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>This legislation was controversial from the beginning. It took \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/angelique-ashby-165434\">Sen. Angelique Ashby\u003c/a>, a Democrat from Sacramento and former city councilmember, two years of tense negotiations and multiple amendments to get it across the finish line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The final version allows the county and participating cities to keep control of their own funds, rather than pooling everything together — a major sticking point for the local governments.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Sacramento region needed this legislation, Ashby argued during a recent committee hearing, because its various agencies have eight boards and nearly 90 board members working separately on homelessness without coordinating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The result is duplicated and inconsistent services, leaving people who are homeless in Sacramento County with no idea where they should go for help, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s a problem the city and county have tried to fix for more than two decades. In 2010, the county board of supervisors and city council approved resolutions that supported creating a joint powers authority, but it didn’t happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two separate grand jury reports, one in 2019 and another in 2023, said the region’s homelessness response was dysfunctional and recommended better coordination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s hardly an issue unique to Sacramento. Across California, cities typically provide shelter beds, while counties are responsible for the other services homeless residents need, such as mental health and addiction treatment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s because counties receive state funding for social services, and cities don’t. So, neither can effectively address homelessness unless they work together. But, frequently, they don’t. Instead, they \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/05/la-homeless-agency/\">often squabble\u003c/a> over who should pay for what, and who isn’t doing their fair share.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fighting between neighboring cities is common, too. As unhoused people move across city lines, local governments argue over who should have to provide shelter beds and other resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was a major frustration for former Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg. His constituents saw people on the street in mental health crisis, suffering. Voters demanded he do something, but his hands were largely tied, he said, as he had no control over the county’s mental health services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There was just a major gulf between my accountability to the people and my authority to be able to actually make the difference that the people expected,” Steinberg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12101493\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12101493\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-938822306-scaled-e1790376038997.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1321\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Former Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg speaks to members of the media about the investigation of the shooting death of Stephon Clark in Sacramento, California on March 27, 2018. \u003ccite>(Josh Edelson/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>During his time in office, which ended in 2024, Steinberg negotiated a partnership between the city and the county. But it lacked a governance structure that would have forced them to make decisions together. That’s the missing piece that this law brings to the table, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under the new law, the city and county of Sacramento, as well as Elk Grove, Rancho Cordova, Citrus Heights and Folsom, have until January 2028 to finalize their joint powers authority. They recently convened a joint task force of elected officials, and have started working together on homelessness issues.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But there’s some lingering tension. While the city of Sacramento is on board with the legislation, the county and the city of Folsom are opposed. Neither is against the idea of collaboration, but they don’t like that it’s being forced upon them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s an unnecessary cost,” county Supervisor Kennedy said. “It’s an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy, it’s an unnecessary burden that’s just going to slow down processes.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Staffing and running the new joint powers authority is expected to have an annual price tag of anywhere between the mid-hundreds of thousands of dollars, to the low millions, according to a Senate analysis.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Examples in Los Angeles and Solano counties\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>As the Sacramento region gears up to create this new power structure, it has two main examples it can turn to.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One, in Los Angeles, is a cautionary tale. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, a joint powers authority between the city and county, was the target of recent audits criticizing its handling of homelessness funds. A downward spiral followed. LA County pulled its funding from the authority and the Trump administration now is prosecuting homeless services providers that it alleges \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/09/la-homeless-services-federal-charges/\">misused money from the agency\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Kennedy said the parallels between LA and Sacramento’s new agency worry him “very much,” and clearly show that a joint powers authority is hardly a panacea for homelessness.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Steinberg believes the new Sacramento agency can do better. The LA agency didn’t have enough authority, and as a result, the city and county weren’t governing effectively together, he said. He hopes that will be different in Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12101495\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-12101495 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/GettyImages-2286687889-scaled-e1790376676446.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1334\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Los Angeles, CA – July 22: Skid Row in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. The area spans approximately 50 blocks and has the highest density of homeless people in the country. \u003ccite>(Hans Gutknecht-The Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The other example Sacramento leaders can turn to is in Solano County, which created the current version of its joint powers authority in 2022.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Local leaders pushed for a collaborative agency after hearing reports that other cities were dropping off their homeless residents at parking lots in Fairfield, assuming that services would be available because it’s the county seat, said Doriss Panduro, a Fairfield city councilmember and chair of the joint powers authority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, the authority is made up of two elected officials from each city and the county, and they meet once a month to discuss how to spend money and how many people are receiving services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is a big undertaking,” Panduro said. “We started the work in 2021, 2022, and here we are four years later just getting paid staff on board. It’s been a big lift.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But, she said, it’s been worth it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Recently, the county and all the cities involved in the joint powers authority applied together for state funding to clear one encampment along a flood control basin in Vallejo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even though Vallejo would be the only city to get that money, it arguably would benefit everyone since it targets the largest encampment in the county, Panduro said. And Vallejo wouldn’t have had the resources to manage the state grant without the support of everyone else, she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Homelessness is such a big issue, and I think finding an out-of-the-box way to approach it, for me, I can only say it’s a positive,” she said. “Everyone felt like we had been doing the same things over and over and nothing was changing.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/09/sacramento-county-city-jpa-homelessness/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "1-million-in-homeless-funds-for-a-nightclub-new-la-fraud-cases-allege-bribery-and-theft",
"title": "$1 Million in Homeless Funds for a Nightclub: New LA Fraud Cases Allege Bribery and Theft",
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"headTitle": "$1 Million in Homeless Funds for a Nightclub: New LA Fraud Cases Allege Bribery and Theft | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal and county law enforcement announced charges Wednesday against three people in a widening investigation of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/homelessness\">homelessness\u003c/a> services fraud in the L.A. area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors previously \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/bill-essayli-federal-charges-homelessness-homekey\">\u003cu>charged\u003c/u>\u003c/a> three \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/executive-director-south-la-based-charity-arrested-federal-complaint-alleging-23\">\u003cu>other people\u003c/u>\u003c/a> and said they plan to bring “many more” cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Wednesday’s announcement at a news conference, authorities alleged a bribery scheme built on “ghost” clients illustrates a yearslong problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nobody was minding the shop,” the region’s top federal prosecutor, Bill Essayli, told reporters in response to a question from LAist. “There’s no vetting. There’s no auditing. There’s no accounting. It was just a rush to push as much money out the door.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What are the charges?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Authorities arrested Michael Young — founder of the Culver City nonprofit Home At Last — and accused him of using shell companies and fake bids to misappropriate $12 million in taxpayer funds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The allegations include siphoning $1 million into a high-end nightclub, a nearly $50,000 trip to Tahiti and a $140,000 restoration of a vintage Chevy Impala.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scott Turner, the U.S. secretary for Housing and Urban Development, said Young’s group received more than $118 million in public dollars for homeless housing since 2019 — over $75 million of it through the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064495\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064495\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/ScottTurnerGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/ScottTurnerGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/ScottTurnerGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/ScottTurnerGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Secretary of Housing and Urban Development nominee, Scott Turner, testifies during his confirmation hearing in the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The new cases allege about $12 million in misappropriated funds — almost all of it by Young.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bribery charges are against Lakiya Malone, an employee of the nonprofit Special Service for Groups, or SSG, who was responsible for referring homeless people to housing funded by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say Malone took roughly $180,000 in bribes from Alexander Soofer, head of the now-defunct nonprofit Abundant Blessings, and in exchange steered him “ghost” participants — so he could bill for services never rendered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She was supposed to guard the money, and instead she took bribes,” Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Special Service for Groups said it has been working with federal prosecutors “to ensure that any responsible individuals are held accountable” and has strengthened its “protocols and compliance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Charges against Soofer \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/executive-director-south-la-based-charity-arrested-federal-complaint-alleging-23\">\u003cu>were announced in January\u003c/u>\u003c/a>. Authorities announced Wednesday that he has agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. Soofer \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28652149-alex-soofer-plea-agreement/#document/p46/a2829674\">\u003cu>admitted in his plea agreement\u003c/u>\u003c/a> to the alleged bribery scheme.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085155\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085155\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/031225-MentalHealth-JAH-CM-11.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/031225-MentalHealth-JAH-CM-11.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/031225-MentalHealth-JAH-CM-11-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/031225-MentalHealth-JAH-CM-11-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Los Angeles County Superior Court’s Hollywood Courthouse, in Los Angeles, on March 12, 2025. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to prosecutors, Soofer also admitted to “pocketing at least $2 million in taxpayer money for his own personal enrichment and for businesses unrelated to homeless housing,” and that he has agreed to forfeit the money to the U.S. government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors previously alleged he diverted a much larger amount: at least $10 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/la-homeless-nonprofit-soofer\">\u003cu>An LAist investigation found\u003c/u>\u003c/a> the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority kept awarding millions in contract renewals to Soofer’s group even after the authority’s own compliance team labeled it “high-risk” for, among other things, billing for services while reporting no enrolled participants.[aside postID=news_12096431 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/02/260127-SUPERBOWLHOMELESSNESS-13-BL-KQED.jpg']The third defendant announced Wednesday is Donye Mitchell of the nonprofit Big Blue Umbrella.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mitchell is accused of lying about his experience to land a $1.2 million county-funded grant, receiving $315,000 and using those funds for personal expenses, including bail for a domestic violence arrest and video games.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mitchell is “a convicted fraudster, by the way,” Essayli said. He was convicted in 2011 of defrauding California unemployment benefits, according to the criminal complaint in the new case, and was ordered in 2012 to compensate the state $6 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county funds he’s accused of stealing were awarded by a county vendor in 2024 — well after his fraud conviction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LAist has left phone messages for Young’s and Malone’s lawyers inviting their response to the charges and will update this article if they provide comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is unknown who is representing Mitchell, whose arrest authorities announced after Wednesday’s news conference.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Prosecutors’ critique\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Essayli and L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman criticized what they called a glaring lack of oversight of massive spending on homeless services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hochman cited \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/audit-homeless-carter-lahsa\">\u003cu>a court-ordered 2025 report\u003c/u>\u003c/a> that found L.A. city officials failed to properly track $2.3 billion in homeless funds, largely by outsourcing to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority — which the review found failed to collect accurate data on its vendors and hold them accountable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11954914\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11954914\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/CalMattersUnhousedLA01.jpg\" alt=\"Tents line a paved road near a sidewalk. A bicycle is on its side in front of a gray and navy tent with a blue tarp covering its roof. Scattered belongings and cardboard boxes cover the spaces between each tent. A city bus is seen driving in the background.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/CalMattersUnhousedLA01.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/CalMattersUnhousedLA01-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/CalMattersUnhousedLA01-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/CalMattersUnhousedLA01-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/CalMattersUnhousedLA01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The city of Los Angeles relocated a large homeless camp in the Beverly Grove area, next to Beverly Hills, on May 11, 2023. \u003ccite>(Ted Soqui/SIPA USA via Reuters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have not seen the results you would expect for billions of dollars being spent,” Hochman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the beginning of these prosecutions,” he added. ”Many more” are expected in the coming months, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Nick Gerda as a reporter for CalMatters. Gerda reports on alleged financial corruption for LAist. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/09/la-homeless-services-federal-charges/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003c!-- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ -->\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was originally published by \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/\">CalMatters\u003c/a>. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/\">Sign up\u003c/a> for their newsletters.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal and county law enforcement announced charges Wednesday against three people in a widening investigation of \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/homelessness\">homelessness\u003c/a> services fraud in the L.A. area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors previously \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/bill-essayli-federal-charges-homelessness-homekey\">\u003cu>charged\u003c/u>\u003c/a> three \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/executive-director-south-la-based-charity-arrested-federal-complaint-alleging-23\">\u003cu>other people\u003c/u>\u003c/a> and said they plan to bring “many more” cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In Wednesday’s announcement at a news conference, authorities alleged a bribery scheme built on “ghost” clients illustrates a yearslong problem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Nobody was minding the shop,” the region’s top federal prosecutor, Bill Essayli, told reporters in response to a question from LAist. “There’s no vetting. There’s no auditing. There’s no accounting. It was just a rush to push as much money out the door.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What are the charges?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Authorities arrested Michael Young — founder of the Culver City nonprofit Home At Last — and accused him of using shell companies and fake bids to misappropriate $12 million in taxpayer funds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The allegations include siphoning $1 million into a high-end nightclub, a nearly $50,000 trip to Tahiti and a $140,000 restoration of a vintage Chevy Impala.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scott Turner, the U.S. secretary for Housing and Urban Development, said Young’s group received more than $118 million in public dollars for homeless housing since 2019 — over $75 million of it through the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12064495\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12064495\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/ScottTurnerGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/ScottTurnerGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/ScottTurnerGetty-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/11/ScottTurnerGetty-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Secretary of Housing and Urban Development nominee, Scott Turner, testifies during his confirmation hearing in the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee on Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. \u003ccite>(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The new cases allege about $12 million in misappropriated funds — almost all of it by Young.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bribery charges are against Lakiya Malone, an employee of the nonprofit Special Service for Groups, or SSG, who was responsible for referring homeless people to housing funded by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors say Malone took roughly $180,000 in bribes from Alexander Soofer, head of the now-defunct nonprofit Abundant Blessings, and in exchange steered him “ghost” participants — so he could bill for services never rendered.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“She was supposed to guard the money, and instead she took bribes,” Essayli, the first assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In a statement, Special Service for Groups said it has been working with federal prosecutors “to ensure that any responsible individuals are held accountable” and has strengthened its “protocols and compliance.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Charges against Soofer \u003ca href=\"https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdca/pr/executive-director-south-la-based-charity-arrested-federal-complaint-alleging-23\">\u003cu>were announced in January\u003c/u>\u003c/a>. Authorities announced Wednesday that he has agreed to plead guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. Soofer \u003ca href=\"https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28652149-alex-soofer-plea-agreement/#document/p46/a2829674\">\u003cu>admitted in his plea agreement\u003c/u>\u003c/a> to the alleged bribery scheme.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085155\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085155\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/031225-MentalHealth-JAH-CM-11.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/031225-MentalHealth-JAH-CM-11.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/031225-MentalHealth-JAH-CM-11-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/031225-MentalHealth-JAH-CM-11-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Los Angeles County Superior Court’s Hollywood Courthouse, in Los Angeles, on March 12, 2025. \u003ccite>(Jules Hotz for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to prosecutors, Soofer also admitted to “pocketing at least $2 million in taxpayer money for his own personal enrichment and for businesses unrelated to homeless housing,” and that he has agreed to forfeit the money to the U.S. government.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prosecutors previously alleged he diverted a much larger amount: at least $10 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/la-homeless-nonprofit-soofer\">\u003cu>An LAist investigation found\u003c/u>\u003c/a> the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority kept awarding millions in contract renewals to Soofer’s group even after the authority’s own compliance team labeled it “high-risk” for, among other things, billing for services while reporting no enrolled participants.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The third defendant announced Wednesday is Donye Mitchell of the nonprofit Big Blue Umbrella.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mitchell is accused of lying about his experience to land a $1.2 million county-funded grant, receiving $315,000 and using those funds for personal expenses, including bail for a domestic violence arrest and video games.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Mitchell is “a convicted fraudster, by the way,” Essayli said. He was convicted in 2011 of defrauding California unemployment benefits, according to the criminal complaint in the new case, and was ordered in 2012 to compensate the state $6 million.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The county funds he’s accused of stealing were awarded by a county vendor in 2024 — well after his fraud conviction.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>LAist has left phone messages for Young’s and Malone’s lawyers inviting their response to the charges and will update this article if they provide comment.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It is unknown who is representing Mitchell, whose arrest authorities announced after Wednesday’s news conference.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Prosecutors’ critique\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Essayli and L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman criticized what they called a glaring lack of oversight of massive spending on homeless services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hochman cited \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/housing-homelessness/audit-homeless-carter-lahsa\">\u003cu>a court-ordered 2025 report\u003c/u>\u003c/a> that found L.A. city officials failed to properly track $2.3 billion in homeless funds, largely by outsourcing to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority — which the review found failed to collect accurate data on its vendors and hold them accountable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11954914\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11954914\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/CalMattersUnhousedLA01.jpg\" alt=\"Tents line a paved road near a sidewalk. A bicycle is on its side in front of a gray and navy tent with a blue tarp covering its roof. Scattered belongings and cardboard boxes cover the spaces between each tent. A city bus is seen driving in the background.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/CalMattersUnhousedLA01.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/CalMattersUnhousedLA01-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/CalMattersUnhousedLA01-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/CalMattersUnhousedLA01-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/CalMattersUnhousedLA01-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The city of Los Angeles relocated a large homeless camp in the Beverly Grove area, next to Beverly Hills, on May 11, 2023. \u003ccite>(Ted Soqui/SIPA USA via Reuters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have not seen the results you would expect for billions of dollars being spent,” Hochman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is the beginning of these prosecutions,” he added. ”Many more” are expected in the coming months, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>An earlier version of this story incorrectly identified Nick Gerda as a reporter for CalMatters. Gerda reports on alleged financial corruption for LAist. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/09/la-homeless-services-federal-charges/\">originally published on CalMatters\u003c/a> and was republished under the \u003ca href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/\">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives\u003c/a> license.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"marketplace": {
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
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"google": "https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5tZWdhcGhvbmUuZm0vS1FJTkM1NzY0NjAwNDI5",
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"tagline": "Deeply-reported investigative journalism",
"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"info": "Our weekly podcast explores how the media 'sausage' is made, casts an incisive eye on fluctuations in the marketplace of ideas, and examines threats to the freedom of information and expression in America and abroad. For one hour a week, the show tries to lift the veil from the process of \"making media,\" especially news media, because it's through that lens that we see the world and the world sees us",
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},
"perspectives": {
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"order": 14
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"info": "The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy. Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.",
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"possible": {
"id": "possible",
"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Possible-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.possible.fm/",
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"source": "Possible"
},
"link": "/radio/program/possible",
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"spotify": "https://open.spotify.com/show/730YpdUSNlMyPQwNnyjp4k"
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},
"pri-the-world": {
"id": "pri-the-world",
"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
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