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"slug": "california-math-scores-are-far-below-grade-level-this-screener-will-test-students-skills-early",
"title": "California Math Scores Are Far Below Grade Level. This Screener Will Test Students’ Skills Early",
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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/california\">California\u003c/a> schools will test all kindergartners, first- and second-graders in basic math skills and provide them tutoring if they need it, under a bill on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation, sponsored by Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/akilah-weber-165432\">Akilah Weber Pierson\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Diego, is expected to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/04/math-skills-california/\">boost California’s math scores\u003c/a>, which are significantly \u003ca href=\"https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=1&sub=MAT&sj=&st=MN&year=2024R3\">below the national average\u003c/a>. Last year, only 37% of students in California met grade-level math standards, an increase from the previous year but still well below the pre-pandemic level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This bill will help more kids so they don’t get stuck at the starting line in math,” said Marshall Tuck, chief executive officer of EdVoice, a nonprofit advocacy group that’s among the bill’s sponsors. “There’s still a lot more to do, but this is an important step.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1067\">Senate Bill 1067\u003c/a>, schools will be required to test students for basic math skills and provide individual or small-group tutoring or other support for those who need help catching up to their peers. The tests are expected to be fairly straightforward. Kindergartners, for example, might be asked what order numbers go in, which numbers are bigger or smaller, and what quantities numbers represent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because math is sequential, students who start school not knowing their 1-2-3s sometimes lag behind for years. If they don’t understand addition, for example, they’ll struggle with multiplication and fractions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072507\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12072507\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-157_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-157_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-157_qed-1-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-157_qed-1-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wooden blocks and tiny jackets rest on the rug during playtime at a transitional kindergarten class at Cesar Chavez Elementary School in East San José, which the school district is converting into an early learning center, on Feb. 17, 2023. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If they struggle with fractions, they’ll have a hard time with algebra. By high school, only 30% of students currently meet the state’s math standards, with low-income, Black and Latino students faring much worse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many districts in California already use early math assessments. Los Angeles Unified and Compton Unified both assess younger students in basic math skills, and both have seen significant increases in math scores in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Newsom signs the bill, schools would give the first assessments in 2028. He has until the end of September to take action.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Teachers union’s waning influence?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and 71-0 in the Assembly with eight abstentions, despite persistent opposition from the powerful California Teachers Association — the state’s largest teachers union — and a handful of other influential education groups. They argued that mandated assessments make students stressed and fatigued, and would do little to improve students’ math performance. Instead, the state should invest in training teachers to improve the way they teach math, they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CTA also \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2023/03/dyslexia-screening-2/\">opposed a dyslexia screener\u003c/a> in 2023 as well as a bill that calls for a more \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/01/california-education/\">streamlined education governance\u003c/a> system in California. Both bills passed with bipartisan support, suggesting that legislators may be increasingly willing to vote against the powerful union.[aside postID=news_12096557 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081226-SCHOOLTECHBANS-05-MC_QED-1-1.jpg']“I think legislators recognize the issue is urgent,” Tuck said. “The state needs to do more to help students, particularly low-income students, in math.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CTA president David Goldberg said the union takes positions on hundreds of bills every year, and it’s not unusual for some it opposes to pass. Although power dynamics in Sacramento constantly evolve, the union’s influence hasn’t changed, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He pointed to the state’s recent investments in special education and community schools — both union priorities — as well as the union’s support for the relatively unknown \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/06/primary-election-california-superintendent/\">Richard Barrera\u003c/a> for state superintendent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barrera defeated several better-known Legislature veterans in the June primary election. In addition, he noted that numerous local teacher unions represented by the CTA successfully \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/02/teacher-strikes-california/\">went on strike\u003c/a> this year, resulting in higher pay and improved benefits for thousands of teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That said, sometimes things pass that we oppose, and we have to deal with that,” Goldberg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Like ‘a well-baby check-up’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In part because of the opposition, the math bill’s authors added a few amendments since the bill was introduced in February. One allows school districts that are already using assessments to continue using them, as long as they meet certain criteria. Another lets parents know how their children did on the test, something that Yolie Flores, president of the nonprofit Families in Schools, was especially happy to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I tell parents, think of this as a well-baby check-up,” said Flores, whose organization advocates for improving school relationships with marginalized families, mostly in Los Angeles. “You want to know how your kid is doing, so you can get them help if they need it. Sometimes the report card doesn’t tell the whole story.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Next: Improved teacher training?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The math assessment joins a few other recent initiatives aimed at improving California’s dismal math scores, which have stagnated as the state focused on boosting students’ literacy skills in the wake of the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, the state adopted a new math framework and textbooks, expanded transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds, and greatly increased investments in community schools, which offer an array of social services intended to boost attendance and ultimately, academic achievement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1329\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty-1920x1276.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kindergarten students at a school in the San Bruno Park Elementary School District run outside for recess in San Bruno, California, on April 19, 2012. \u003ccite>(Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Next, Tuck would like the state to invest in improving math training for current teachers as well as those still earning their credentials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vince Stewart, vice president of policy and programs for the nonprofit Children Now, said his organization would like the state to take a more comprehensive approach to improving math outcomes, not tackling it bill-by-bill. A broader initiative should also include teacher preparation, professional development, addressing the math teacher shortage and other topics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The organization did not take a position on SB 1067, but “absolutely believes there’s an issue with math performance in California,” Stewart said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/09/math-skills-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>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> schools will test all kindergartners, first- and second-graders in basic math skills and provide them tutoring if they need it, under a bill on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The legislation, sponsored by Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/akilah-weber-165432\">Akilah Weber Pierson\u003c/a>, a Democrat from San Diego, is expected to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/04/math-skills-california/\">boost California’s math scores\u003c/a>, which are significantly \u003ca href=\"https://www.nationsreportcard.gov/profiles/stateprofile?sfj=NP&chort=1&sub=MAT&sj=&st=MN&year=2024R3\">below the national average\u003c/a>. Last year, only 37% of students in California met grade-level math standards, an increase from the previous year but still well below the pre-pandemic level.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This bill will help more kids so they don’t get stuck at the starting line in math,” said Marshall Tuck, chief executive officer of EdVoice, a nonprofit advocacy group that’s among the bill’s sponsors. “There’s still a lot more to do, but this is an important step.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Under \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1067\">Senate Bill 1067\u003c/a>, schools will be required to test students for basic math skills and provide individual or small-group tutoring or other support for those who need help catching up to their peers. The tests are expected to be fairly straightforward. Kindergartners, for example, might be asked what order numbers go in, which numbers are bigger or smaller, and what quantities numbers represent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Because math is sequential, students who start school not knowing their 1-2-3s sometimes lag behind for years. If they don’t understand addition, for example, they’ll struggle with multiplication and fractions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12072507\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12072507\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-157_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-157_qed-1.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-157_qed-1-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/02172023_ksuzuki_tkprogress-157_qed-1-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Wooden blocks and tiny jackets rest on the rug during playtime at a transitional kindergarten class at Cesar Chavez Elementary School in East San José, which the school district is converting into an early learning center, on Feb. 17, 2023. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>If they struggle with fractions, they’ll have a hard time with algebra. By high school, only 30% of students currently meet the state’s math standards, with low-income, Black and Latino students faring much worse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many districts in California already use early math assessments. Los Angeles Unified and Compton Unified both assess younger students in basic math skills, and both have seen significant increases in math scores in recent years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If Newsom signs the bill, schools would give the first assessments in 2028. He has until the end of September to take action.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Teachers union’s waning influence?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The bill passed unanimously in the Senate and 71-0 in the Assembly with eight abstentions, despite persistent opposition from the powerful California Teachers Association — the state’s largest teachers union — and a handful of other influential education groups. They argued that mandated assessments make students stressed and fatigued, and would do little to improve students’ math performance. Instead, the state should invest in training teachers to improve the way they teach math, they said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The CTA also \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2023/03/dyslexia-screening-2/\">opposed a dyslexia screener\u003c/a> in 2023 as well as a bill that calls for a more \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/01/california-education/\">streamlined education governance\u003c/a> system in California. Both bills passed with bipartisan support, suggesting that legislators may be increasingly willing to vote against the powerful union.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“I think legislators recognize the issue is urgent,” Tuck said. “The state needs to do more to help students, particularly low-income students, in math.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CTA president David Goldberg said the union takes positions on hundreds of bills every year, and it’s not unusual for some it opposes to pass. Although power dynamics in Sacramento constantly evolve, the union’s influence hasn’t changed, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He pointed to the state’s recent investments in special education and community schools — both union priorities — as well as the union’s support for the relatively unknown \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/06/primary-election-california-superintendent/\">Richard Barrera\u003c/a> for state superintendent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barrera defeated several better-known Legislature veterans in the June primary election. In addition, he noted that numerous local teacher unions represented by the CTA successfully \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/02/teacher-strikes-california/\">went on strike\u003c/a> this year, resulting in higher pay and improved benefits for thousands of teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That said, sometimes things pass that we oppose, and we have to deal with that,” Goldberg said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Like ‘a well-baby check-up’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In part because of the opposition, the math bill’s authors added a few amendments since the bill was introduced in February. One allows school districts that are already using assessments to continue using them, as long as they meet certain criteria. Another lets parents know how their children did on the test, something that Yolie Flores, president of the nonprofit Families in Schools, was especially happy to see.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I tell parents, think of this as a well-baby check-up,” said Flores, whose organization advocates for improving school relationships with marginalized families, mostly in Los Angeles. “You want to know how your kid is doing, so you can get them help if they need it. Sometimes the report card doesn’t tell the whole story.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Next: Improved teacher training?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The math assessment joins a few other recent initiatives aimed at improving California’s dismal math scores, which have stagnated as the state focused on boosting students’ literacy skills in the wake of the pandemic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In recent years, the state adopted a new math framework and textbooks, expanded transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds, and greatly increased investments in community schools, which offer an array of social services intended to boost attendance and ultimately, academic achievement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12029848\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12029848\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1329\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/03/SanBrunoElementaryGetty-1920x1276.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Kindergarten students at a school in the San Bruno Park Elementary School District run outside for recess in San Bruno, California, on April 19, 2012. \u003ccite>(Michael Macor/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Next, Tuck would like the state to invest in improving math training for current teachers as well as those still earning their credentials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Vince Stewart, vice president of policy and programs for the nonprofit Children Now, said his organization would like the state to take a more comprehensive approach to improving math outcomes, not tackling it bill-by-bill. A broader initiative should also include teacher preparation, professional development, addressing the math teacher shortage and other topics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The organization did not take a position on SB 1067, but “absolutely believes there’s an issue with math performance in California,” Stewart said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2026/09/math-skills-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": "medi-cal-wont-pay-for-assisted-living-in-most-of-california-one-brother-fought-back",
"title": "Medi-Cal Won’t Pay for Assisted Living in Most of California. One Brother Fought Back",
"publishDate": 1788962400,
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"headTitle": "Medi-Cal Won’t Pay for Assisted Living in Most of California. One Brother Fought Back | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/whatmatters\">WhatMatters\u003c/a> to receive the latest news and commentary on the most important issues in the Golden State.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last summer, siblings Roselie and John Aiello decided it was time for Roselie to leave her home of 73 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raised on a cattle ranch in the small town of Mount Shasta, Roselie spent her life working as a butcher and handling animals, assisting her father until his death. When her three brothers moved away, she stayed at home on the ranch, with its winding dirt roads and green pastures. But over the years, the hard manual labor left her bones weak and her back curved, slowing her pace. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>John moved back to the ranch in far \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/northern-california\">Northern California\u003c/a> to take care of Roselie, who needed some assistance with showering and getting dressed. But these tasks began to weigh on John as he balanced his career as a writer with tending to the land, which was getting more difficult for Roselie to navigate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The two siblings made a decision: Roselie, who qualified for Medicaid, would move into assisted living. John would find an appropriate place for her to live and receive care.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But when John tried to apply for assisted living benefits on his sister’s behalf, he found that Medi-Cal — California’s version of Medicaid — does not offer a waiver to pay for assisted living care in Siskiyou County, nor does it in 42 others across the state. Only \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/long-term-care-alternatives-home-and-community-based-service-options/assisted-living-waiver/\">15 California counties\u003c/a>, most of them urban, offer this option.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This has created geographic disparity that gives aging adults in urban areas more options for care than those in rural areas, pushing Northern California seniors like Roselie Aiello into nursing homes or out of their communities, not because they need that level of care, but because they can’t afford to pay out of pocket for assisted living. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re wasting money by dumping somebody like my sister in a skilled nursing facility and lessening her quality of life and her chance at doing better,” John said. “By doing this, it makes no fundamental sense.”\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=\"12098658\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Roselie Aiello at Sundial Assisted Living in Shasta County on March 25, 2026. \u003cbr> (Jessica Blough for 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=\"12098659\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098659\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Roselie Aiello at Sundial Assisted Living in Shasta County on March 25, 2026. (Jessica Blough for CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the coming decade, many more Californians may face the same predicament, given that one in four will be older than 60. As the state prepares for this explosion in the older adult population, it is prioritizing the ability to age in community-based settings like homes or assisted living facilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But availability of assisted living options varies county to county and is based on decisions by the various managed care providers contracted to deliver healthcare to the state’s lowest-income residents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s not a lot of options to begin with in rural counties. You take (the assisted living waiver) off a table, which already has a history of a long waiting list, and the options are pretty bleak,” said Maura Gibney, executive director of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/PCZuA/\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Partnership HealthPlan, which Roselie Aiello is enrolled in, contracts with the state to provide coverage to almost a million Californians on Medi-Cal, making it the largest Medi-Cal managed care plan in Northern California. It is the only Medi-Cal managed care plan available in a separate set of 15 California counties. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Managed care providers are encouraged, but not required, to offer as many “\u003ca href=\"https://calaim.dhcs.ca.gov/pages/community-supports\">community supports\u003c/a>” as they can, Tessa Outhyse, a spokesperson for the California Department of Health Care Services, said in an email. CalAIM, the state’s multiyear initiative to overhaul Medi-Cal, includes community supports such as assistance transitioning to an assisted living facility as well as transitional rent, caregiver respite and personal care services. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These services are intended to offer healthcare options to Medi-Cal members before their conditions escalate to needing more serious care, therefore saving money. Even when CalAIM’s current waivers expire at the end of the year, the community supports benefits will continue through the managed care plans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When determining which supports to offer, managed care plans take into consideration provider availability and local capacity to offer care, Outhyse said. Partnership chose not to offer assisted living support based on financial factors and a lack of appropriate facilities in the rural areas where it provides care, said Dustin Lyda, spokesperson for the organization. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lyda said any change in what the organization offers would require proof that assisted living facilities would be safer and healthier for members than nursing homes. But he acknowledged that options are more limited for rural members. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s definitely a lot more work that we need to do on our end to navigate the more rural areas,” Lyda said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"hitting-roadblocks\">Hitting roadblocks\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When John Aiello heard about assisted living benefits through Medi-Cal, he saw it as the perfect match for his sister’s needs. He knew that he likely would have to move her out of Siskiyou County, where there was only one facility for Medi-Cal recipients, a nursing home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roselie had spent some time at an assisted living facility in neighboring Shasta County, which they saw as a better fit. But Partnership didn’t offer assisted living as a community support in that county. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, the provider offered Roselie a waiver to go into assisted living in Sonoma County, which is about five hours from her home. The Aiellos turned that down, thinking it would not be good for Roselie. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you remove her totally from a family contact, she would not be thriving right now. She needs to see family,” John Aiello said. “When there were resources available that fit her needs in Redding — that’s the closest point to her home county — why do I need to move her to Oakland, to Los Angeles, to San Diego?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over the course of nine months, John sent dozens of emails and spent hours on phone calls to get Partnership HealthPlan to cover Roselie’s placement in assisted living. He had the support of her doctor and a spot for Roselie at the residence in Shasta County. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The process was so intense and frustrating that it drove a wedge between him and his sister in their final months of living together. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He was doing all of this to help me,” Roselie said. “Where was it going to end?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"encouraged-or-required\">Encouraged or required? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Most people prefer community-based services over skilled nursing care, which is \u003ca href=\"https://heller.brandeis.edu/community-living-policy/research-policy/publications/pdfs/briefs/hcbs-improve-outcomes-and-reduce-costs.pdf\">generally more expensive\u003c/a>. But nursing home beds are in short supply and should be reserved for those who truly need them, Gibney said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We really try to help people look at the other options that exist for remaining in the community,” Gibney said. “You’re going to have better health outcomes, better quality of care, if you can stay in the community and out of an institutional setting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Research indicates that while assisted living may provide better outcomes for some, people in assisted living are more likely than nursing home residents to be hospitalized, which can drive up costs, said Dr. Kenneth Lam, a geriatrician and assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The evidence suggests that it’s a trade-off,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Contracts for managed care plans are not competitively bid, Outhyse said. And potential contractors aren’t asked to include specific community supports, such as assisted living, in their managed care plans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Whether a plan chooses to provide specific community supports is not a factor in contract renewal, which focuses instead on overall compliance with state and federal performance standards,” Outhyse wrote in the email.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Partnership’s contract with the state was set to expire in December, but will be extended until 2029 because the state \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/Pages/ManagedCarePlanProcurementUpdate.aspx\">delayed\u003c/a> the process of soliciting managed care contracts. Lyda said Partnership is facing increasing demand for its community supports — which mainly address social needs, such as housing and food security — and for assisted living benefits. But even people in counties where the managed care provider offers an assisted living benefit can have a long wait for placement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After years of constant increases, the number of Californians receiving an assisted living waiver for the first time dropped at the beginning of 2025, though the waitlist continued to climb. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By September, the number of Californians waiting for a waiver had surpassed the number of people who were being supported by it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/kH9D7\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gibney said that Medi-Cal members are often encouraged to get on the waitlist before applying for assisted living funding, which could contribute to the long wait. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Older adults might spend months on a waitlist, only to be told that they are ineligible for assisted living coverage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a lot of shifting sand, that’s what people are finding themselves in the middle of,” Lam said. “They’re being told that they get to choose, but it’s a complex choice.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-new-home\">A new home\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March, Roselie moved into her new home, Sundial Assisted Living, the Shasta County facility where she had previously spent some time. Two months earlier, Partnership had informed the Aiellos that it would cover Roselie’s assisted living care. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Partnership offered Roselie early access to a pilot program that launched on July 1, which extends the assisted living options to select members of the network. There will be no open application process, but members can ask to be considered or referred through a healthcare provider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The goal is to discover if offering the assisted living option will provide better health outcomes at a lower price.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Success would also be having these individuals being able to continue to receive care within their community setting, being in their home,” Lyda said. “We know that that is more impactful to health than being completely taken out of a familiar area.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The adjustment has not been easy for Roselie. She has been hospitalized twice since she moved to Sundial and briefly entered a nursing home. \u003cs> \u003c/s>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Socially, things have gone better. Roselie has made friends and is often called on to teach card games to her fellow Sundial residents. While she was hospitalized, her neighbors and caretakers at Sundial visited her. She’s grateful to John for navigating through red tape to get her here. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m looking at it like this: It’s a new adventure,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>John worries about his sister’s health issues and whether Sundial will be a long-term solution for her. He’s gratified that his fight ended with his sister’s placement in their chosen facility. But he resents having to wage the battle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t understand why I was the guy fighting for everybody,” John said. “I’m just one person trying to support myself, trying to take care of a family member.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jessica Blough reported on this story while with the\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://journalism.berkeley.edu/programs/mj/investigative-reporting/\">\u003cem>Investigative Reporting Program\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>at UC Berkeley Journalism School, with a grant from\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.thescanfoundation.org/\">\u003cem>The SCAN Foundation\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/whatmatters\">WhatMatters\u003c/a> to receive the latest news and commentary on the most important issues in the Golden State.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Raised on a cattle ranch in the small town of Mount Shasta, Roselie spent her life working as a butcher and handling animals, assisting her father until his death. When her three brothers moved away, she stayed at home on the ranch, with its winding dirt roads and green pastures. But over the years, the hard manual labor left her bones weak and her back curved, slowing her pace. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>John moved back to the ranch in far \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/northern-california\">Northern California\u003c/a> to take care of Roselie, who needed some assistance with showering and getting dressed. But these tasks began to weigh on John as he balanced his career as a writer with tending to the land, which was getting more difficult for Roselie to navigate. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>John moved back to the ranch in far \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/northern-california\">Northern California\u003c/a> to take care of Roselie, who needed some assistance with showering and getting dressed. But these tasks began to weigh on John as he balanced his career as a writer with tending to the land, which was getting more difficult for Roselie to navigate. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The two siblings made a decision: Roselie, who qualified for Medicaid, would move into assisted living. John would find an appropriate place for her to live and receive care.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But when John tried to apply for assisted living benefits on his sister’s behalf, he found that Medi-Cal — California’s version of Medicaid — does not offer a waiver to pay for assisted living care in Siskiyou County, nor does it in 42 others across the state. Only \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/long-term-care-alternatives-home-and-community-based-service-options/assisted-living-waiver/\">15 California counties\u003c/a>, most of them urban, offer this option.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>This has created geographic disparity that gives aging adults in urban areas more options for care than those in rural areas, pushing Northern California seniors like Roselie Aiello into nursing homes or out of their communities, not because they need that level of care, but because they can’t afford to pay out of pocket for assisted living. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“You’re wasting money by dumping somebody like my sister in a skilled nursing facility and lessening her quality of life and her chance at doing better,” John said. “By doing this, it makes no fundamental sense.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In the coming decade, many more Californians may face the same predicament, given that one in four will be older than 60. As the state prepares for this explosion in the older adult population, it is prioritizing the ability to age in community-based settings like homes or assisted living facilities. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Partnership HealthPlan, which Roselie Aiello is enrolled in, contracts with the state to provide coverage to almost a million Californians on Medi-Cal, making it the largest Medi-Cal managed care plan in Northern California. It is the only Medi-Cal managed care plan available in a separate set of 15 California counties. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Managed care providers are encouraged, but not required, to offer as many “\u003ca href=\"https://calaim.dhcs.ca.gov/pages/community-supports\">community supports\u003c/a>” as they can, Tessa Outhyse, a spokesperson for the California Department of Health Care Services, said in an email. CalAIM, the state’s multiyear initiative to overhaul Medi-Cal, includes community supports such as assistance transitioning to an assisted living facility as well as transitional rent, caregiver respite and personal care services. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>These services are intended to offer healthcare options to Medi-Cal members before their conditions escalate to needing more serious care, therefore saving money. Even when CalAIM’s current waivers expire at the end of the year, the community supports benefits will continue through the managed care plans. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When determining which supports to offer, managed care plans take into consideration provider availability and local capacity to offer care, Outhyse said. Partnership chose not to offer assisted living support based on financial factors and a lack of appropriate facilities in the rural areas where it provides care, said Dustin Lyda, spokesperson for the organization. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Lyda said any change in what the organization offers would require proof that assisted living facilities would be safer and healthier for members than nursing homes. But he acknowledged that options are more limited for rural members. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“There’s definitely a lot more work that we need to do on our end to navigate the more rural areas,” Lyda said. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>When John Aiello heard about assisted living benefits through Medi-Cal, he saw it as the perfect match for his sister’s needs. He knew that he likely would have to move her out of Siskiyou County, where there was only one facility for Medi-Cal recipients, a nursing home.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Roselie had spent some time at an assisted living facility in neighboring Shasta County, which they saw as a better fit. But Partnership didn’t offer assisted living as a community support in that county. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Instead, the provider offered Roselie a waiver to go into assisted living in Sonoma County, which is about five hours from her home. The Aiellos turned that down, thinking it would not be good for Roselie. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“If you remove her totally from a family contact, she would not be thriving right now. She needs to see family,” John Aiello said. “When there were resources available that fit her needs in Redding — that’s the closest point to her home county — why do I need to move her to Oakland, to Los Angeles, to San Diego?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Over the course of nine months, John sent dozens of emails and spent hours on phone calls to get Partnership HealthPlan to cover Roselie’s placement in assisted living. He had the support of her doctor and a spot for Roselie at the residence in Shasta County. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Over the course of nine months, John sent dozens of emails and spent hours on phone calls to get Partnership HealthPlan to cover Roselie’s placement in assisted living. He had the support of her doctor and a spot for Roselie at the residence in Shasta County. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“He was doing all of this to help me,” Roselie said. “Where was it going to end?”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Most people prefer community-based services over skilled nursing care, which is \u003ca href=\"https://heller.brandeis.edu/community-living-policy/research-policy/publications/pdfs/briefs/hcbs-improve-outcomes-and-reduce-costs.pdf\">generally more expensive\u003c/a>. But nursing home beds are in short supply and should be reserved for those who truly need them, Gibney said.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Most people prefer community-based services over skilled nursing care, which is \u003ca href=\"https://heller.brandeis.edu/community-living-policy/research-policy/publications/pdfs/briefs/hcbs-improve-outcomes-and-reduce-costs.pdf\">generally more expensive\u003c/a>. But nursing home beds are in short supply and should be reserved for those who truly need them, Gibney said.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We really try to help people look at the other options that exist for remaining in the community,” Gibney said. “You’re going to have better health outcomes, better quality of care, if you can stay in the community and out of an institutional setting.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We really try to help people look at the other options that exist for remaining in the community,” Gibney said. “You’re going to have better health outcomes, better quality of care, if you can stay in the community and out of an institutional setting.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Research indicates that while assisted living may provide better outcomes for some, people in assisted living are more likely than nursing home residents to be hospitalized, which can drive up costs, said Dr. Kenneth Lam, a geriatrician and assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Contracts for managed care plans are not competitively bid, Outhyse said. And potential contractors aren’t asked to include specific community supports, such as assisted living, in their managed care plans.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Whether a plan chooses to provide specific community supports is not a factor in contract renewal, which focuses instead on overall compliance with state and federal performance standards,” Outhyse wrote in the email.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Partnership’s contract with the state was set to expire in December, but will be extended until 2029 because the state \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/Pages/ManagedCarePlanProcurementUpdate.aspx\">delayed\u003c/a> the process of soliciting managed care contracts. Lyda said Partnership is facing increasing demand for its community supports — which mainly address social needs, such as housing and food security — and for assisted living benefits. But even people in counties where the managed care provider offers an assisted living benefit can have a long wait for placement. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Partnership’s contract with the state was set to expire in December, but will be extended until 2029 because the state \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/Pages/ManagedCarePlanProcurementUpdate.aspx\">delayed\u003c/a> the process of soliciting managed care contracts. Lyda said Partnership is facing increasing demand for its community supports — which mainly address social needs, such as housing and food security — and for assisted living benefits. But even people in counties where the managed care provider offers an assisted living benefit can have a long wait for placement. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>After years of constant increases, the number of Californians receiving an assisted living waiver for the first time dropped at the beginning of 2025, though the waitlist continued to climb. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>After years of constant increases, the number of Californians receiving an assisted living waiver for the first time dropped at the beginning of 2025, though the waitlist continued to climb. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>By September, the number of Californians waiting for a waiver had surpassed the number of people who were being supported by it.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>By September, the number of Californians waiting for a waiver had surpassed the number of people who were being supported by it.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Gibney said that Medi-Cal members are often encouraged to get on the waitlist before applying for assisted living funding, which could contribute to the long wait. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Older adults might spend months on a waitlist, only to be told that they are ineligible for assisted living coverage. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“It’s a lot of shifting sand, that’s what people are finding themselves in the middle of,” Lam said. “They’re being told that they get to choose, but it’s a complex choice.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“It’s a lot of shifting sand, that’s what people are finding themselves in the middle of,” Lam said. “They’re being told that they get to choose, but it’s a complex choice.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In March, Roselie moved into her new home, Sundial Assisted Living, the Shasta County facility where she had previously spent some time. Two months earlier, Partnership had informed the Aiellos that it would cover Roselie’s assisted living care. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In March, Roselie moved into her new home, Sundial Assisted Living, the Shasta County facility where she had previously spent some time. Two months earlier, Partnership had informed the Aiellos that it would cover Roselie’s assisted living care. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Partnership offered Roselie early access to a pilot program that launched on July 1, which extends the assisted living options to select members of the network. There will be no open application process, but members can ask to be considered or referred through a healthcare provider. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Partnership offered Roselie early access to a pilot program that launched on July 1, which extends the assisted living options to select members of the network. There will be no open application process, but members can ask to be considered or referred through a healthcare provider. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The goal is to discover if offering the assisted living option will provide better health outcomes at a lower price.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“Success would also be having these individuals being able to continue to receive care within their community setting, being in their home,” Lyda said. “We know that that is more impactful to health than being completely taken out of a familiar area.” \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The adjustment has not been easy for Roselie. She has been hospitalized twice since she moved to Sundial and briefly entered a nursing home. \u003cs> \u003c/s>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The adjustment has not been easy for Roselie. She has been hospitalized twice since she moved to Sundial and briefly entered a nursing home. \u003cs> \u003c/s>\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Socially, things have gone better. Roselie has made friends and is often called on to teach card games to her fellow Sundial residents. While she was hospitalized, her neighbors and caretakers at Sundial visited her. She’s grateful to John for navigating through red tape to get her here. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Socially, things have gone better. Roselie has made friends and is often called on to teach card games to her fellow Sundial residents. While she was hospitalized, her neighbors and caretakers at Sundial visited her. She’s grateful to John for navigating through red tape to get her here. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>John worries about his sister’s health issues and whether Sundial will be a long-term solution for her. He’s gratified that his fight ended with his sister’s placement in their chosen facility. But he resents having to wage the battle.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>John worries about his sister’s health issues and whether Sundial will be a long-term solution for her. He’s gratified that his fight ended with his sister’s placement in their chosen facility. But he resents having to wage the battle.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“I don’t understand why I was the guy fighting for everybody,” John said. “I’m just one person trying to support myself, trying to take care of a family member.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jessica Blough reported on this story while with the\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://journalism.berkeley.edu/programs/mj/investigative-reporting/\">\u003cem>Investigative Reporting Program\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>at UC Berkeley Journalism School, with a grant from\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.thescanfoundation.org/\">\u003cem>The SCAN Foundation\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "A pilot program providing more assisted living coverage in rural California has emerged from one man’s fight to change his sister’s options.",
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"title": "Medi-Cal Won’t Pay for Assisted Living in Most of California. One Brother Fought Back | KQED",
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"headline": "Medi-Cal Won’t Pay for Assisted Living in Most of California. One Brother Fought Back",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/whatmatters\">WhatMatters\u003c/a> to receive the latest news and commentary on the most important issues in the Golden State.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Last summer, siblings Roselie and John Aiello decided it was time for Roselie to leave her home of 73 years. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Raised on a cattle ranch in the small town of Mount Shasta, Roselie spent her life working as a butcher and handling animals, assisting her father until his death. When her three brothers moved away, she stayed at home on the ranch, with its winding dirt roads and green pastures. But over the years, the hard manual labor left her bones weak and her back curved, slowing her pace. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>John moved back to the ranch in far \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/northern-california\">Northern California\u003c/a> to take care of Roselie, who needed some assistance with showering and getting dressed. But these tasks began to weigh on John as he balanced his career as a writer with tending to the land, which was getting more difficult for Roselie to navigate. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The two siblings made a decision: Roselie, who qualified for Medicaid, would move into assisted living. John would find an appropriate place for her to live and receive care.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But when John tried to apply for assisted living benefits on his sister’s behalf, he found that Medi-Cal — California’s version of Medicaid — does not offer a waiver to pay for assisted living care in Siskiyou County, nor does it in 42 others across the state. Only \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/long-term-care-alternatives-home-and-community-based-service-options/assisted-living-waiver/\">15 California counties\u003c/a>, most of them urban, offer this option.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>This has created geographic disparity that gives aging adults in urban areas more options for care than those in rural areas, pushing Northern California seniors like Roselie Aiello into nursing homes or out of their communities, not because they need that level of care, but because they can’t afford to pay out of pocket for assisted living. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“You’re wasting money by dumping somebody like my sister in a skilled nursing facility and lessening her quality of life and her chance at doing better,” John said. “By doing this, it makes no fundamental sense.”\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=\"12098658\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare2.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098658\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare2.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare2-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Roselie Aiello at Sundial Assisted Living in Shasta County on March 25, 2026. \u003cbr> (Jessica Blough for 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=\"12098659\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare3.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12098659\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare3.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare3-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/09/CMHealthCare3-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Roselie Aiello at Sundial Assisted Living in Shasta County on March 25, 2026. (Jessica Blough for CalMatters)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In the coming decade, many more Californians may face the same predicament, given that one in four will be older than 60. As the state prepares for this explosion in the older adult population, it is prioritizing the ability to age in community-based settings like homes or assisted living facilities. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But availability of assisted living options varies county to county and is based on decisions by the various managed care providers contracted to deliver healthcare to the state’s lowest-income residents.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s not a lot of options to begin with in rural counties. You take (the assisted living waiver) off a table, which already has a history of a long waiting list, and the options are pretty bleak,” said Maura Gibney, executive director of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/PCZuA/\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Partnership HealthPlan, which Roselie Aiello is enrolled in, contracts with the state to provide coverage to almost a million Californians on Medi-Cal, making it the largest Medi-Cal managed care plan in Northern California. It is the only Medi-Cal managed care plan available in a separate set of 15 California counties. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Managed care providers are encouraged, but not required, to offer as many “\u003ca href=\"https://calaim.dhcs.ca.gov/pages/community-supports\">community supports\u003c/a>” as they can, Tessa Outhyse, a spokesperson for the California Department of Health Care Services, said in an email. CalAIM, the state’s multiyear initiative to overhaul Medi-Cal, includes community supports such as assistance transitioning to an assisted living facility as well as transitional rent, caregiver respite and personal care services. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>These services are intended to offer healthcare options to Medi-Cal members before their conditions escalate to needing more serious care, therefore saving money. Even when CalAIM’s current waivers expire at the end of the year, the community supports benefits will continue through the managed care plans. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When determining which supports to offer, managed care plans take into consideration provider availability and local capacity to offer care, Outhyse said. Partnership chose not to offer assisted living support based on financial factors and a lack of appropriate facilities in the rural areas where it provides care, said Dustin Lyda, spokesperson for the organization. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Lyda said any change in what the organization offers would require proof that assisted living facilities would be safer and healthier for members than nursing homes. But he acknowledged that options are more limited for rural members. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“There’s definitely a lot more work that we need to do on our end to navigate the more rural areas,” Lyda said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"hitting-roadblocks\">Hitting roadblocks\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>When John Aiello heard about assisted living benefits through Medi-Cal, he saw it as the perfect match for his sister’s needs. He knew that he likely would have to move her out of Siskiyou County, where there was only one facility for Medi-Cal recipients, a nursing home.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Roselie had spent some time at an assisted living facility in neighboring Shasta County, which they saw as a better fit. But Partnership didn’t offer assisted living as a community support in that county. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Instead, the provider offered Roselie a waiver to go into assisted living in Sonoma County, which is about five hours from her home. The Aiellos turned that down, thinking it would not be good for Roselie. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“If you remove her totally from a family contact, she would not be thriving right now. She needs to see family,” John Aiello said. “When there were resources available that fit her needs in Redding — that’s the closest point to her home county — why do I need to move her to Oakland, to Los Angeles, to San Diego?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Over the course of nine months, John sent dozens of emails and spent hours on phone calls to get Partnership HealthPlan to cover Roselie’s placement in assisted living. He had the support of her doctor and a spot for Roselie at the residence in Shasta County. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The process was so intense and frustrating that it drove a wedge between him and his sister in their final months of living together. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“He was doing all of this to help me,” Roselie said. “Where was it going to end?”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"encouraged-or-required\">Encouraged or required? \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Most people prefer community-based services over skilled nursing care, which is \u003ca href=\"https://heller.brandeis.edu/community-living-policy/research-policy/publications/pdfs/briefs/hcbs-improve-outcomes-and-reduce-costs.pdf\">generally more expensive\u003c/a>. But nursing home beds are in short supply and should be reserved for those who truly need them, Gibney said.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We really try to help people look at the other options that exist for remaining in the community,” Gibney said. “You’re going to have better health outcomes, better quality of care, if you can stay in the community and out of an institutional setting.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Research indicates that while assisted living may provide better outcomes for some, people in assisted living are more likely than nursing home residents to be hospitalized, which can drive up costs, said Dr. Kenneth Lam, a geriatrician and assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“The evidence suggests that it’s a trade-off,” he said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Contracts for managed care plans are not competitively bid, Outhyse said. And potential contractors aren’t asked to include specific community supports, such as assisted living, in their managed care plans.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Whether a plan chooses to provide specific community supports is not a factor in contract renewal, which focuses instead on overall compliance with state and federal performance standards,” Outhyse wrote in the email.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Partnership’s contract with the state was set to expire in December, but will be extended until 2029 because the state \u003ca href=\"https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/Pages/ManagedCarePlanProcurementUpdate.aspx\">delayed\u003c/a> the process of soliciting managed care contracts. Lyda said Partnership is facing increasing demand for its community supports — which mainly address social needs, such as housing and food security — and for assisted living benefits. But even people in counties where the managed care provider offers an assisted living benefit can have a long wait for placement. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>After years of constant increases, the number of Californians receiving an assisted living waiver for the first time dropped at the beginning of 2025, though the waitlist continued to climb. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>By September, the number of Californians waiting for a waiver had surpassed the number of people who were being supported by it.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr />\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/kH9D7\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\" frameborder=\"0\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Gibney said that Medi-Cal members are often encouraged to get on the waitlist before applying for assisted living funding, which could contribute to the long wait. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Older adults might spend months on a waitlist, only to be told that they are ineligible for assisted living coverage. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“It’s a lot of shifting sand, that’s what people are finding themselves in the middle of,” Lam said. “They’re being told that they get to choose, but it’s a complex choice.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"a-new-home\">A new home\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In March, Roselie moved into her new home, Sundial Assisted Living, the Shasta County facility where she had previously spent some time. Two months earlier, Partnership had informed the Aiellos that it would cover Roselie’s assisted living care. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Partnership offered Roselie early access to a pilot program that launched on July 1, which extends the assisted living options to select members of the network. There will be no open application process, but members can ask to be considered or referred through a healthcare provider. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The goal is to discover if offering the assisted living option will provide better health outcomes at a lower price.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“Success would also be having these individuals being able to continue to receive care within their community setting, being in their home,” Lyda said. “We know that that is more impactful to health than being completely taken out of a familiar area.” \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The adjustment has not been easy for Roselie. She has been hospitalized twice since she moved to Sundial and briefly entered a nursing home. \u003cs> \u003c/s>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Socially, things have gone better. Roselie has made friends and is often called on to teach card games to her fellow Sundial residents. While she was hospitalized, her neighbors and caretakers at Sundial visited her. She’s grateful to John for navigating through red tape to get her here. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I’m looking at it like this: It’s a new adventure,” she said. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>John worries about his sister’s health issues and whether Sundial will be a long-term solution for her. He’s gratified that his fight ended with his sister’s placement in their chosen facility. But he resents having to wage the battle.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“I don’t understand why I was the guy fighting for everybody,” John said. “I’m just one person trying to support myself, trying to take care of a family member.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Jessica Blough reported on this story while with the\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://journalism.berkeley.edu/programs/mj/investigative-reporting/\">\u003cem>Investigative Reporting Program\u003c/em>\u003c/a> \u003cem>at UC Berkeley Journalism School, with a grant from\u003c/em> \u003ca href=\"https://www.thescanfoundation.org/\">\u003cem>The SCAN Foundation\u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003cem>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "community-colleges-suddenly-oppose-plan-to-let-them-offer-more-bachelors-degrees",
"title": "Community Colleges Suddenly Oppose Plan to Let Them Offer More Bachelor’s Degrees",
"publishDate": 1788721200,
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"headTitle": "Community Colleges Suddenly Oppose Plan to Let Them Offer More Bachelor’s Degrees | KQED",
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"content": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/whatmatters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WhatMatters\u003c/a> to receive the latest news and commentary on the most important issues in the Golden State.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s community colleges have been trying for several years to offer more bachelor’s degrees. This year, they put their hopes in two sweeping bills designed to help them do that. But lawmakers made massive, last-minute changes that prompted the state’s community colleges to now oppose the legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The abrupt change of heart, spurred by new limits on how much the colleges could grow their bachelor’s programs, didn’t influence the outcomes of the bills: \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb960\">Senate Bill 960\u003c/a> by Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, a Democrat from Napa, and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2694\">Assembly Bill 2694\u003c/a> by David Alvarez, also a Democrat from Chula Vista. Both passed this week by wide margins in the Legislature and now head to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In recent years, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/01/community-colleges-california-2/#:~:text=While%20Newsom%20supports\">vetoed bills\u003c/a> that sought to expand the community colleges’ ability to issue more bachelor’s degrees. Still, Newsom’s office was involved in the revision of the latest bills, Cabaldon said in a Senate floor speech Monday.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“This is the first time that we’ve been able to engage in productive conversation between the houses and the executive branch,” \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/hearings/280027#t=1158&f=4f607eb330ef5178f50fba4551edfb0e\">he said\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of a college campus with people walking around.\" class=\"wp-image-12023068\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Santiago Canyon College campus in Orange, California. In recent years, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed bills that sought to expand the community colleges’ ability to issue more bachelor’s degrees. (Courtesy of Santiago Canyon College)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Combined, the bills introduce new mechanisms for determining when colleges can create bachelor’s degrees and how many they can offer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new approach has accountability metrics — colleges would be able to offer an additional two to 12 bachelor’s degrees starting in 2028 depending on their students’ certificate, degree and transfer-completion rates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No college district could propose more than three new degrees per year, and districts would need to prove that there’s a workforce need in their region to justify the creation of a bachelor’s degree.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s a claim the state’s labor secretary would step in to validate if the California State University system objects, as has regularly occurred in the pitched policy disputes \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2023/08/bachelors-degrees/\">between the community colleges and the university\u003c/a>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The rules would apply to new degrees offered after 2028; existing community college bachelor’s degrees are grandfathered in. Today, 49 colleges \u003ca href=\"https://www.cccco.edu/About-Us/Chancellors-Office/Divisions/Educational-Services-and-Support/What-we-do/Curriculum-and-Instruction-Unit/Curriculum/Baccalaureate-Degree-Program\">either offer or will soon\u003c/a> offer 66 bachelor’s degrees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cabaldon called the bills a breakthrough that would bring long-sought clarity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This will give us peace,” he said in a phone interview. “That doesn’t mean everybody’s going to agree all of the time, but it does mean the endless war and bickering and fighting and more and more legislation will come to an end.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Community college leaders said the amendments are too last-minute, too unclear and too complicated, even if they appreciate the effort by the Legislature to wrangle the thorny issues.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re being asked to … support a process that is not completely understood or vetted at the last minute, and so that’s just not great policymaking,” said Larry Galizio, president and CEO of the Community College League of California, an association representing community college presidents and board leaders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-bachelor-s-degrees-have-been-so-contentious\">Why bachelor’s degrees have been so contentious\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The community colleges’ sudden shift is another turn in an effort that has produced near-constant turmoil. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Historically, the community colleges and Cal State have clashed over which bachelor’s degrees the colleges can teach. A 2021 state law was supposed to establish peace in the realm, but the colleges and Cal State regularly disagreed on a key concept — degree duplication. That law said the colleges couldn’t create bachelor’s degrees that are already offered by any Cal State or University of California campus, even if a community college is hundreds of miles from the nearest public university. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Colleges and several lawmakers called that an unfair arrangement, since many community college students can’t relocate to a distant university. In some instances, community colleges created those degrees anyway, \u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2026/california-community-colleges-approve-3-new-bachelors-degrees-over-california-state-university-objections/751678\">over the objections of the Cal State system\u003c/a>, EdSource reported.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211.jpg\" alt=\"When researchers took a close look at transcripts for thousands of California community college students, they discovered an encouraging trend in enrollment for undocumented students.\" class=\"wp-image-11714155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The community colleges are generally barred from duplicating a degree a UC campus offers. (Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for UCLA)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Backers and foes of more bachelor’s degrees at community colleges point to competing data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A recent report found that \u003ca href=\"https://rpgroup.org/Portals/0/Documents/Projects/Exploring_Geographic_Isolation_Barrier_Equitable_Transfer_Outcomes/DistanceMatters_ExploringGeographicBarriers_November2024.pdf?ver=2024-12-20-201519-053\">29 of the state’s 116 community colleges\u003c/a> are located at least 25 miles from a public university. Their students are “place-bound” or can’t easily move from the area their community colleges serve. Roughly 157,000 students attend these colleges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/01/community-colleges-california-2/#:~:text=Southwestern%20College%20student%20Marilynn%20Palomino%20is\">Some students say\u003c/a> they need their local community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees because local employers want those — certificates or associate degrees aren’t enough. But under existing law, those colleges cannot provide them because a Cal State 500 miles away offers that degree already.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>On the other hand, community colleges post low transfer rates — just 21% of students who wanted to transfer do so after four years, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2023-123/\">state auditor reported\u003c/a>. This may indicate a broken transfer system that could be remedied if more colleges could offer bachelor’s. Or it may demonstrate that colleges \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/01/community-colleges-california-2/#:~:text=Community%20colleges%20have,college%20system%20chancellor.\">aren’t ready\u003c/a> to widen their academic offerings because most also post low certificate and associate degree completion rates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-the-bills-address-duplication\">How the bills address duplication\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In response, Alvarez and Cabaldon wrote comprehensive bills this year to allow colleges to create bachelor’s degrees, even if they resemble degrees already offered by Cal State campuses. The community colleges were on board with those versions while the Cal State system was opposed; the system instead wanted more streamlined pathways for students to start their studies at a community college and earn a bachelor’s at a Cal State campus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Others in the system have feared that an expansion of community college bachelor’s degrees would siphon away students and crucial tuition revenue at a time when some Cal States \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/03/cal-state-enrollment/\">are battling enrollment declines\u003c/a>.\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/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2230923952.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088396\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2230923952.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2230923952-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2230923952-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California State University, Northridge, on Aug. 22, 2025. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new combined bills allow community colleges to propose bachelor’s degrees even if a nearby Cal State offers a similar program, but only if that Cal State program admits fewer than 75% of applicants from that nearby community college for three consecutive years. The community college would still need to submit a workforce needs report and be governed by the degree caps also spelled out in the bills. That workforce need could be that employers are having difficulty filling positions that require a bachelor’s degree, the two bills say.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>And unlike the current policy, in which there’s no arbiter to settle an impasse between community colleges and the Cal States over duplication, a review by the state’s secretary of labor siding with the colleges would remove the Cal State system’s challenge to the degree. But districts face consequences for being wrong: If the labor secretary sides with Cal State, the district is barred from submitting an application for a similar program for five years.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The community colleges are generally barred from duplicating a degree a UC campus offers. Only written consent from a UC would clear the way for duplication, the bills say.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-community-colleges-are-now-opposed\">Why community colleges are now opposed \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The newly created caps on the number of degrees community college districts can offer are a problem for the community college system. Districts will be judged by their student completion rates and how those rates compare to the statewide average.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The bills “would make a district’s eligibility depend partly on how its performance\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>compares with every other district in the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/SB-960-CCCCO-Letter-of-Opposition-August-26-2026.pdf\">a letter of opposition\u003c/a> to Cabaldon reads from Sonya Christian, chancellor of California Community Colleges. “A district could improve its own student outcomes” but still have the same caps apply to them, “or even see its eligibility change simply because the statewide average changed,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A person walks toward a building labeled "Creative Arts" on a campus with trees, sidewalks and the street in view.\" class=\"wp-image-11968734\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A student walks through the City College of San Francisco community college campus in San Francisco on Aug. 22, 2023. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Galizio of the Community College League also takes issue with the caps on degree creation. He said in an interview that campuses with low graduation rates typically serve more low-income students, the same students who need more bachelor’s degrees to get a leg up in the workforce.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But not all community college leaders think the bills are bad for their campuses, including Jose Fierro, president/superintendent of the Cerritos Community College District. Based on his college’s completion rates, he thinks he’ll be permitted to add a total of six to eight new bachelor’s degrees starting in 2028. That’s plenty for now, he said. The school has two now and plans to launch more in 2027.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“We are not trying to become a university. It’s not our mission. We’re trying to align with industry and provide pathways for social and economic mobility for our students,” he said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But just because the bills aren’t a problem for him doesn’t mean it’s not a problem for the system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For some of us this is workable,” he said. For other colleges, “this is going to bring some additional challenges.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/whatmatters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WhatMatters\u003c/a> to receive the latest news and commentary on the most important issues in the Golden State.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/whatmatters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WhatMatters\u003c/a> to receive the latest news and commentary on the most important issues in the Golden State.\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 community colleges have been trying for several years to offer more bachelor’s degrees. This year, they put their hopes in two sweeping bills designed to help them do that. But lawmakers made massive, last-minute changes that prompted the state’s community colleges to now oppose the legislation. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s community colleges have been trying for several years to offer more bachelor’s degrees. This year, they put their hopes in two sweeping bills designed to help them do that. But lawmakers made massive, last-minute changes that prompted the state’s community colleges to now oppose the legislation. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The abrupt change of heart, spurred by new limits on how much the colleges could grow their bachelor’s programs, didn’t influence the outcomes of the bills: \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb960\">Senate Bill 960\u003c/a> by Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, a Democrat from Napa, and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2694\">Assembly Bill 2694\u003c/a> by David Alvarez, also a Democrat from Chula Vista. Both passed this week by wide margins in the Legislature and now head to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The abrupt change of heart, spurred by new limits on how much the colleges could grow their bachelor’s programs, didn’t influence the outcomes of the bills: \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb960\">Senate Bill 960\u003c/a> by Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, a Democrat from Napa, and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2694\">Assembly Bill 2694\u003c/a> by David Alvarez, also a Democrat from Chula Vista. Both passed this week by wide margins in the Legislature and now head to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In recent years, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/01/community-colleges-california-2/#:~:text=While%20Newsom%20supports\">vetoed bills\u003c/a> that sought to expand the community colleges’ ability to issue more bachelor’s degrees. Still, Newsom’s office was involved in the revision of the latest bills, Cabaldon said in a Senate floor speech Monday.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“This is the first time that we’ve been able to engage in productive conversation between the houses and the executive branch,” \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/hearings/280027#t=1158&f=4f607eb330ef5178f50fba4551edfb0e\">he said\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In recent years, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/01/community-colleges-california-2/#:~:text=While%20Newsom%20supports\">vetoed bills\u003c/a> that sought to expand the community colleges’ ability to issue more bachelor’s degrees. Still, Newsom’s office was involved in the revision of the latest bills, Cabaldon said in a Senate floor speech Monday.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“This is the first time that we’ve been able to engage in productive conversation between the houses and the executive branch,” \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/hearings/280027#t=1158&f=4f607eb330ef5178f50fba4551edfb0e\">he said\u003c/a>.\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/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of a college campus with people walking around.\" class=\"wp-image-12023068\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Santiago Canyon College campus in Orange, California. In recent years, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed bills that sought to expand the community colleges’ ability to issue more bachelor’s degrees.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Courtesy of Santiago Canyon College)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Combined, the bills introduce new mechanisms for determining when colleges can create bachelor’s degrees and how many they can offer. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The new approach has accountability metrics — colleges would be able to offer an additional two to 12 bachelor’s degrees starting in 2028 depending on their students’ certificate, degree and transfer-completion rates.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The new approach has accountability metrics — colleges would be able to offer an additional two to 12 bachelor’s degrees starting in 2028 depending on their students’ certificate, degree and transfer-completion rates.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>No college district could propose more than three new degrees per year, and districts would need to prove that there’s a workforce need in their region to justify the creation of a bachelor’s degree.\u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>That’s a claim the state’s labor secretary would step in to validate if the California State University system objects, as has regularly occurred in the pitched policy disputes \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2023/08/bachelors-degrees/\">between the community colleges and the university\u003c/a>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The rules would apply to new degrees offered after 2028; existing community college bachelor’s degrees are grandfathered in. Today, 49 colleges \u003ca href=\"https://www.cccco.edu/About-Us/Chancellors-Office/Divisions/Educational-Services-and-Support/What-we-do/Curriculum-and-Instruction-Unit/Curriculum/Baccalaureate-Degree-Program\">either offer or will soon\u003c/a> offer 66 bachelor’s degrees.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>That’s a claim the state’s labor secretary would step in to validate if the California State University system objects, as has regularly occurred in the pitched policy disputes \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2023/08/bachelors-degrees/\">between the community colleges and the university\u003c/a>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The rules would apply to new degrees offered after 2028; existing community college bachelor’s degrees are grandfathered in. Today, 49 colleges \u003ca href=\"https://www.cccco.edu/About-Us/Chancellors-Office/Divisions/Educational-Services-and-Support/What-we-do/Curriculum-and-Instruction-Unit/Curriculum/Baccalaureate-Degree-Program\">either offer or will soon\u003c/a> offer 66 bachelor’s degrees.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Cabaldon called the bills a breakthrough that would bring long-sought clarity. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“This will give us peace,” he said in a phone interview. “That doesn’t mean everybody’s going to agree all of the time, but it does mean the endless war and bickering and fighting and more and more legislation will come to an end.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“This will give us peace,” he said in a phone interview. “That doesn’t mean everybody’s going to agree all of the time, but it does mean the endless war and bickering and fighting and more and more legislation will come to an end.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Community college leaders said the amendments are too last-minute, too unclear and too complicated, even if they appreciate the effort by the Legislature to wrangle the thorny issues.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Community college leaders said the amendments are too last-minute, too unclear and too complicated, even if they appreciate the effort by the Legislature to wrangle the thorny issues.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“We’re being asked to … support a process that is not completely understood or vetted at the last minute, and so that’s just not great policymaking,” said Larry Galizio, president and CEO of the Community College League of California, an association representing community college presidents and board leaders. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“We’re being asked to … support a process that is not completely understood or vetted at the last minute, and so that’s just not great policymaking,” said Larry Galizio, president and CEO of the Community College League of California, an association representing community college presidents and board leaders. \u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Why bachelor’s degrees have been so contentious",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-bachelor-s-degrees-have-been-so-contentious\">Why bachelor’s degrees have been so contentious\u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The community colleges’ sudden shift is another turn in an effort that has produced near-constant turmoil. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The community colleges’ sudden shift is another turn in an effort that has produced near-constant turmoil. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Historically, the community colleges and Cal State have clashed over which bachelor’s degrees the colleges can teach. A 2021 state law was supposed to establish peace in the realm, but the colleges and Cal State regularly disagreed on a key concept — degree duplication. That law said the colleges couldn’t create bachelor’s degrees that are already offered by any Cal State or University of California campus, even if a community college is hundreds of miles from the nearest public university. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Historically, the community colleges and Cal State have clashed over which bachelor’s degrees the colleges can teach. A 2021 state law was supposed to establish peace in the realm, but the colleges and Cal State regularly disagreed on a key concept — degree duplication. That law said the colleges couldn’t create bachelor’s degrees that are already offered by any Cal State or University of California campus, even if a community college is hundreds of miles from the nearest public university. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Colleges and several lawmakers called that an unfair arrangement, since many community college students can’t relocate to a distant university. In some instances, community colleges created those degrees anyway, \u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2026/california-community-colleges-approve-3-new-bachelors-degrees-over-california-state-university-objections/751678\">over the objections of the Cal State system\u003c/a>, EdSource reported.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Colleges and several lawmakers called that an unfair arrangement, since many community college students can’t relocate to a distant university. In some instances, community colleges created those degrees anyway, \u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2026/california-community-colleges-approve-3-new-bachelors-degrees-over-california-state-university-objections/751678\">over the objections of the Cal State system\u003c/a>, EdSource reported.\u003c/p>\n"
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"alt": "When researchers took a close look at transcripts for thousands of California community college students, they discovered an encouraging trend in enrollment for undocumented students.",
"srcset": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-1200x800.jpg 1200w",
"sizes": "(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211.jpg\" alt=\"When researchers took a close look at transcripts for thousands of California community college students, they discovered an encouraging trend in enrollment for undocumented students.\" class=\"wp-image-11714155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The community colleges are generally barred from duplicating a degree a UC campus offers. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for UCLA)\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/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211.jpg\" alt=\"When researchers took a close look at transcripts for thousands of California community college students, they discovered an encouraging trend in enrollment for undocumented students.\" class=\"wp-image-11714155\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The community colleges are generally barred from duplicating a degree a UC campus offers. \u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for UCLA)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Backers and foes of more bachelor’s degrees at community colleges point to competing data.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Backers and foes of more bachelor’s degrees at community colleges point to competing data.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>A recent report found that \u003ca href=\"https://rpgroup.org/Portals/0/Documents/Projects/Exploring_Geographic_Isolation_Barrier_Equitable_Transfer_Outcomes/DistanceMatters_ExploringGeographicBarriers_November2024.pdf?ver=2024-12-20-201519-053\">29 of the state’s 116 community colleges\u003c/a> are located at least 25 miles from a public university. Their students are “place-bound” or can’t easily move from the area their community colleges serve. Roughly 157,000 students attend these colleges.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>A recent report found that \u003ca href=\"https://rpgroup.org/Portals/0/Documents/Projects/Exploring_Geographic_Isolation_Barrier_Equitable_Transfer_Outcomes/DistanceMatters_ExploringGeographicBarriers_November2024.pdf?ver=2024-12-20-201519-053\">29 of the state’s 116 community colleges\u003c/a> are located at least 25 miles from a public university. Their students are “place-bound” or can’t easily move from the area their community colleges serve. Roughly 157,000 students attend these colleges.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/01/community-colleges-california-2/#:~:text=Southwestern%20College%20student%20Marilynn%20Palomino%20is\">Some students say\u003c/a> they need their local community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees because local employers want those — certificates or associate degrees aren’t enough. But under existing law, those colleges cannot provide them because a Cal State 500 miles away offers that degree already.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>On the other hand, community colleges post low transfer rates — just 21% of students who wanted to transfer do so after four years, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2023-123/\">state auditor reported\u003c/a>. This may indicate a broken transfer system that could be remedied if more colleges could offer bachelor’s. Or it may demonstrate that colleges \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/01/community-colleges-california-2/#:~:text=Community%20colleges%20have,college%20system%20chancellor.\">aren’t ready\u003c/a> to widen their academic offerings because most also post low certificate and associate degree completion rates.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/01/community-colleges-california-2/#:~:text=Southwestern%20College%20student%20Marilynn%20Palomino%20is\">Some students say\u003c/a> they need their local community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees because local employers want those — certificates or associate degrees aren’t enough. But under existing law, those colleges cannot provide them because a Cal State 500 miles away offers that degree already.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>On the other hand, community colleges post low transfer rates — just 21% of students who wanted to transfer do so after four years, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2023-123/\">state auditor reported\u003c/a>. This may indicate a broken transfer system that could be remedied if more colleges could offer bachelor’s. Or it may demonstrate that colleges \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/01/community-colleges-california-2/#:~:text=Community%20colleges%20have,college%20system%20chancellor.\">aren’t ready\u003c/a> to widen their academic offerings because most also post low certificate and associate degree completion rates.\u003c/p>\n"
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"attrs": {
"text": "How the bills address duplication",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-the-bills-address-duplication\">How the bills address duplication\u003c/h2>\n",
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"\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-the-bills-address-duplication\">How the bills address duplication\u003c/h2>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>In response, Alvarez and Cabaldon wrote comprehensive bills this year to allow colleges to create bachelor’s degrees, even if they resemble degrees already offered by Cal State campuses. The community colleges were on board with those versions while the Cal State system was opposed; the system instead wanted more streamlined pathways for students to start their studies at a community college and earn a bachelor’s at a Cal State campus. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>In response, Alvarez and Cabaldon wrote comprehensive bills this year to allow colleges to create bachelor’s degrees, even if they resemble degrees already offered by Cal State campuses. The community colleges were on board with those versions while the Cal State system was opposed; the system instead wanted more streamlined pathways for students to start their studies at a community college and earn a bachelor’s at a Cal State campus. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Others in the system have feared that an expansion of community college bachelor’s degrees would siphon away students and crucial tuition revenue at a time when some Cal States \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/03/cal-state-enrollment/\">are battling enrollment declines\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Others in the system have feared that an expansion of community college bachelor’s degrees would siphon away students and crucial tuition revenue at a time when some Cal States \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/03/cal-state-enrollment/\">are battling enrollment declines\u003c/a>.\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/GettyImages-2230923952.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088396\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2230923952.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2230923952-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2230923952-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California State University, Northridge, on Aug. 22, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\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/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2230923952.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088396\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California State University, Northridge, on Aug. 22, 2025.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The new combined bills allow community colleges to propose bachelor’s degrees even if a nearby Cal State offers a similar program, but only if that Cal State program admits fewer than 75% of applicants from that nearby community college for three consecutive years. The community college would still need to submit a workforce needs report and be governed by the degree caps also spelled out in the bills. That workforce need could be that employers are having difficulty filling positions that require a bachelor’s degree, the two bills say.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>And unlike the current policy, in which there’s no arbiter to settle an impasse between community colleges and the Cal States over duplication, a review by the state’s secretary of labor siding with the colleges would remove the Cal State system’s challenge to the degree. But districts face consequences for being wrong: If the labor secretary sides with Cal State, the district is barred from submitting an application for a similar program for five years.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The community colleges are generally barred from duplicating a degree a UC campus offers. Only written consent from a UC would clear the way for duplication, the bills say.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The new combined bills allow community colleges to propose bachelor’s degrees even if a nearby Cal State offers a similar program, but only if that Cal State program admits fewer than 75% of applicants from that nearby community college for three consecutive years. The community college would still need to submit a workforce needs report and be governed by the degree caps also spelled out in the bills. That workforce need could be that employers are having difficulty filling positions that require a bachelor’s degree, the two bills say.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>And unlike the current policy, in which there’s no arbiter to settle an impasse between community colleges and the Cal States over duplication, a review by the state’s secretary of labor siding with the colleges would remove the Cal State system’s challenge to the degree. But districts face consequences for being wrong: If the labor secretary sides with Cal State, the district is barred from submitting an application for a similar program for five years.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The community colleges are generally barred from duplicating a degree a UC campus offers. Only written consent from a UC would clear the way for duplication, the bills say.\u003c/p>\n"
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"text": "Why community colleges are now opposed ",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-community-colleges-are-now-opposed\">Why community colleges are now opposed \u003c/h2>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>The newly created caps on the number of degrees community college districts can offer are a problem for the community college system. Districts will be judged by their student completion rates and how those rates compare to the statewide average.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The bills “would make a district’s eligibility depend partly on how its performance\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>The newly created caps on the number of degrees community college districts can offer are a problem for the community college system. Districts will be judged by their student completion rates and how those rates compare to the statewide average.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The bills “would make a district’s eligibility depend partly on how its performance\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>compares with every other district in the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/SB-960-CCCCO-Letter-of-Opposition-August-26-2026.pdf\">a letter of opposition\u003c/a> to Cabaldon reads from Sonya Christian, chancellor of California Community Colleges. “A district could improve its own student outcomes” but still have the same caps apply to them, “or even see its eligibility change simply because the statewide average changed,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n",
"innerContent": [
"\n\u003cp>compares with every other district in the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/SB-960-CCCCO-Letter-of-Opposition-August-26-2026.pdf\">a letter of opposition\u003c/a> to Cabaldon reads from Sonya Christian, chancellor of California Community Colleges. “A district could improve its own student outcomes” but still have the same caps apply to them, “or even see its eligibility change simply because the statewide average changed,” she wrote.\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/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A person walks toward a building labeled "Creative Arts" on a campus with trees, sidewalks and the street in view.\" class=\"wp-image-11968734\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 992px) min(100vw, 1536px), (min-width: 768px) min(100vw, 1280px), min(100vw, 1020px)\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A student walks through the City College of San Francisco community college campus in San Francisco on Aug. 22, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/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/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A person walks toward a building labeled "Creative Arts" on a campus with trees, sidewalks and the street in view.\" class=\"wp-image-11968734\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A student walks through the City College of San Francisco community college campus in San Francisco on Aug. 22, 2023.\u003ccite class=\"wp-inline-image-credit\"> (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>Galizio of the Community College League also takes issue with the caps on degree creation. He said in an interview that campuses with low graduation rates typically serve more low-income students, the same students who need more bachelor’s degrees to get a leg up in the workforce.\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>Galizio of the Community College League also takes issue with the caps on degree creation. He said in an interview that campuses with low graduation rates typically serve more low-income students, the same students who need more bachelor’s degrees to get a leg up in the workforce.\u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But not all community college leaders think the bills are bad for their campuses, including Jose Fierro, president/superintendent of the Cerritos Community College District. Based on his college’s completion rates, he thinks he’ll be permitted to add a total of six to eight new bachelor’s degrees starting in 2028. That’s plenty for now, he said. The school has two now and plans to launch more in 2027.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“We are not trying to become a university. It’s not our mission. We’re trying to align with industry and provide pathways for social and economic mobility for our students,” he said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>But not all community college leaders think the bills are bad for their campuses, including Jose Fierro, president/superintendent of the Cerritos Community College District. Based on his college’s completion rates, he thinks he’ll be permitted to add a total of six to eight new bachelor’s degrees starting in 2028. That’s plenty for now, he said. The school has two now and plans to launch more in 2027.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“We are not trying to become a university. It’s not our mission. We’re trying to align with industry and provide pathways for social and economic mobility for our students,” he said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n"
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>But just because the bills aren’t a problem for him doesn’t mean it’s not a problem for the system. \u003c/p>\n",
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"innerHTML": "\n\u003cp>“For some of us this is workable,” he said. For other colleges, “this is going to bring some additional challenges.”\u003c/p>\n",
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"\n\u003cp>“For some of us this is workable,” he said. For other colleges, “this is going to bring some additional challenges.”\u003c/p>\n"
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"excerpt": "Two bills sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom set new rules for determining when colleges can create bachelor’s degrees and how many they can offer.\n\n",
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"title": "Community Colleges Suddenly Oppose Plan to Let Them Offer More Bachelor’s Degrees | KQED",
"description": "Two bills sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom set new rules for determining when colleges can create bachelor’s degrees and how many they can offer.\n\n",
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"headline": "Community Colleges Suddenly Oppose Plan to Let Them Offer More Bachelor’s Degrees",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/subscribe-to-calmatters/whatmatters\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WhatMatters\u003c/a> to receive the latest news and commentary on the most important issues in the Golden State.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>’s community colleges have been trying for several years to offer more bachelor’s degrees. This year, they put their hopes in two sweeping bills designed to help them do that. But lawmakers made massive, last-minute changes that prompted the state’s community colleges to now oppose the legislation. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The abrupt change of heart, spurred by new limits on how much the colleges could grow their bachelor’s programs, didn’t influence the outcomes of the bills: \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb960\">Senate Bill 960\u003c/a> by Sen. Christopher Cabaldon, a Democrat from Napa, and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2694\">Assembly Bill 2694\u003c/a> by David Alvarez, also a Democrat from Chula Vista. Both passed this week by wide margins in the Legislature and now head to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In recent years, Newsom \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/01/community-colleges-california-2/#:~:text=While%20Newsom%20supports\">vetoed bills\u003c/a> that sought to expand the community colleges’ ability to issue more bachelor’s degrees. Still, Newsom’s office was involved in the revision of the latest bills, Cabaldon said in a Senate floor speech Monday.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“This is the first time that we’ve been able to engage in productive conversation between the houses and the executive branch,” \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/hearings/280027#t=1158&f=4f607eb330ef5178f50fba4551edfb0e\">he said\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1.jpg\" alt=\"An aerial view of a college campus with people walking around.\" class=\"wp-image-12023068\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/01/0207SSC200203437-2048x1365-1-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Santiago Canyon College campus in Orange, California. In recent years, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed bills that sought to expand the community colleges’ ability to issue more bachelor’s degrees. (Courtesy of Santiago Canyon College)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Combined, the bills introduce new mechanisms for determining when colleges can create bachelor’s degrees and how many they can offer. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new approach has accountability metrics — colleges would be able to offer an additional two to 12 bachelor’s degrees starting in 2028 depending on their students’ certificate, degree and transfer-completion rates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>No college district could propose more than three new degrees per year, and districts would need to prove that there’s a workforce need in their region to justify the creation of a bachelor’s degree.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\u003cp>That’s a claim the state’s labor secretary would step in to validate if the California State University system objects, as has regularly occurred in the pitched policy disputes \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2023/08/bachelors-degrees/\">between the community colleges and the university\u003c/a>.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The rules would apply to new degrees offered after 2028; existing community college bachelor’s degrees are grandfathered in. Today, 49 colleges \u003ca href=\"https://www.cccco.edu/About-Us/Chancellors-Office/Divisions/Educational-Services-and-Support/What-we-do/Curriculum-and-Instruction-Unit/Curriculum/Baccalaureate-Degree-Program\">either offer or will soon\u003c/a> offer 66 bachelor’s degrees.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Cabaldon called the bills a breakthrough that would bring long-sought clarity. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“This will give us peace,” he said in a phone interview. “That doesn’t mean everybody’s going to agree all of the time, but it does mean the endless war and bickering and fighting and more and more legislation will come to an end.”\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Community college leaders said the amendments are too last-minute, too unclear and too complicated, even if they appreciate the effort by the Legislature to wrangle the thorny issues.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“We’re being asked to … support a process that is not completely understood or vetted at the last minute, and so that’s just not great policymaking,” said Larry Galizio, president and CEO of the Community College League of California, an association representing community college presidents and board leaders. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-bachelor-s-degrees-have-been-so-contentious\">Why bachelor’s degrees have been so contentious\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The community colleges’ sudden shift is another turn in an effort that has produced near-constant turmoil. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Historically, the community colleges and Cal State have clashed over which bachelor’s degrees the colleges can teach. A 2021 state law was supposed to establish peace in the realm, but the colleges and Cal State regularly disagreed on a key concept — degree duplication. That law said the colleges couldn’t create bachelor’s degrees that are already offered by any Cal State or University of California campus, even if a community college is hundreds of miles from the nearest public university. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Colleges and several lawmakers called that an unfair arrangement, since many community college students can’t relocate to a distant university. In some instances, community colleges created those degrees anyway, \u003ca href=\"https://edsource.org/2026/california-community-colleges-approve-3-new-bachelors-degrees-over-california-state-university-objections/751678\">over the objections of the Cal State system\u003c/a>, EdSource reported.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211.jpg\" alt=\"When researchers took a close look at transcripts for thousands of California community college students, they discovered an encouraging trend in enrollment for undocumented students.\" class=\"wp-image-11714155\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/12/GettyImages-494862297-e1545347957211-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The community colleges are generally barred from duplicating a degree a UC campus offers. (Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for UCLA)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Backers and foes of more bachelor’s degrees at community colleges point to competing data.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>A recent report found that \u003ca href=\"https://rpgroup.org/Portals/0/Documents/Projects/Exploring_Geographic_Isolation_Barrier_Equitable_Transfer_Outcomes/DistanceMatters_ExploringGeographicBarriers_November2024.pdf?ver=2024-12-20-201519-053\">29 of the state’s 116 community colleges\u003c/a> are located at least 25 miles from a public university. Their students are “place-bound” or can’t easily move from the area their community colleges serve. Roughly 157,000 students attend these colleges.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/01/community-colleges-california-2/#:~:text=Southwestern%20College%20student%20Marilynn%20Palomino%20is\">Some students say\u003c/a> they need their local community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees because local employers want those — certificates or associate degrees aren’t enough. But under existing law, those colleges cannot provide them because a Cal State 500 miles away offers that degree already.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>On the other hand, community colleges post low transfer rates — just 21% of students who wanted to transfer do so after four years, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.auditor.ca.gov/reports/2023-123/\">state auditor reported\u003c/a>. This may indicate a broken transfer system that could be remedied if more colleges could offer bachelor’s. Or it may demonstrate that colleges \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/01/community-colleges-california-2/#:~:text=Community%20colleges%20have,college%20system%20chancellor.\">aren’t ready\u003c/a> to widen their academic offerings because most also post low certificate and associate degree completion rates.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-the-bills-address-duplication\">How the bills address duplication\u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>In response, Alvarez and Cabaldon wrote comprehensive bills this year to allow colleges to create bachelor’s degrees, even if they resemble degrees already offered by Cal State campuses. The community colleges were on board with those versions while the Cal State system was opposed; the system instead wanted more streamlined pathways for students to start their studies at a community college and earn a bachelor’s at a Cal State campus. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Others in the system have feared that an expansion of community college bachelor’s degrees would siphon away students and crucial tuition revenue at a time when some Cal States \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/03/cal-state-enrollment/\">are battling enrollment declines\u003c/a>.\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/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2230923952.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-12088396\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2230923952.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2230923952-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-2230923952-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">California State University, Northridge, on Aug. 22, 2025. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The new combined bills allow community colleges to propose bachelor’s degrees even if a nearby Cal State offers a similar program, but only if that Cal State program admits fewer than 75% of applicants from that nearby community college for three consecutive years. The community college would still need to submit a workforce needs report and be governed by the degree caps also spelled out in the bills. That workforce need could be that employers are having difficulty filling positions that require a bachelor’s degree, the two bills say.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>And unlike the current policy, in which there’s no arbiter to settle an impasse between community colleges and the Cal States over duplication, a review by the state’s secretary of labor siding with the colleges would remove the Cal State system’s challenge to the degree. But districts face consequences for being wrong: If the labor secretary sides with Cal State, the district is barred from submitting an application for a similar program for five years.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The community colleges are generally barred from duplicating a degree a UC campus offers. Only written consent from a UC would clear the way for duplication, the bills say.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-community-colleges-are-now-opposed\">Why community colleges are now opposed \u003c/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>The newly created caps on the number of degrees community college districts can offer are a problem for the community college system. Districts will be judged by their student completion rates and how those rates compare to the statewide average.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>The bills “would make a district’s eligibility depend partly on how its performance\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>compares with every other district in the state,” \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/SB-960-CCCCO-Letter-of-Opposition-August-26-2026.pdf\">a letter of opposition\u003c/a> to Cabaldon reads from Sonya Christian, chancellor of California Community Colleges. “A district could improve its own student outcomes” but still have the same caps apply to them, “or even see its eligibility change simply because the statewide average changed,” she wrote.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A person walks toward a building labeled "Creative Arts" on a campus with trees, sidewalks and the street in view.\" class=\"wp-image-11968734\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/11/230822-CCSFCampus-01-BL-qut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A student walks through the City College of San Francisco community college campus in San Francisco on Aug. 22, 2023. (Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>Galizio of the Community College League also takes issue with the caps on degree creation. He said in an interview that campuses with low graduation rates typically serve more low-income students, the same students who need more bachelor’s degrees to get a leg up in the workforce.\u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But not all community college leaders think the bills are bad for their campuses, including Jose Fierro, president/superintendent of the Cerritos Community College District. Based on his college’s completion rates, he thinks he’ll be permitted to add a total of six to eight new bachelor’s degrees starting in 2028. That’s plenty for now, he said. The school has two now and plans to launch more in 2027.\u003cbr>\u003cbr>“We are not trying to become a university. It’s not our mission. We’re trying to align with industry and provide pathways for social and economic mobility for our students,” he said in an interview. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>But just because the bills aren’t a problem for him doesn’t mean it’s not a problem for the system. \u003c/p>\n\n\n\n\u003cp>“For some of us this is workable,” he said. For other colleges, “this is going to bring some additional challenges.”\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "should-california-backfill-science-funding-after-trump-cuts-voters-could-decide-in-2028",
"title": "Should California Backfill Science Funding After Trump Cuts? Voters Could Decide in 2028",
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"headTitle": "Should California Backfill Science Funding After Trump Cuts? Voters Could Decide in 2028 | 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>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> science bond measure to counter the Trump administration’s research cuts is back from the dead after state lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom reached a deal last week to place the $7.5 billion request to voters on the March 2028 ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb895\">Senate Bill 895\u003c/a> by Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, passed the Legislature with minimal opposition and bipartisan support on Monday and now awaits Newsom’s signature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It has been in the works for more than a year and began as a $23 billion bond proposal but got a steep haircut mid-year, down to $12 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After failing to clear a June legislative deadline to get on this year’s ballot, the bond proposal appeared moribund — and was slashed to $5 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Wiener and a united front led by the University of California and the union representing graduate students, two forces that are \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2022/12/uc-strike-civil-disobedience/\">often\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2024/05/uc-strike/\">loggerheads\u003c/a>, continued working to restore the bill. Both significantly benefit, as the money fuels scientific discovery while also supplementing the pay of graduate students conducting essential research for professors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The summer hustle paid off: For the first time, leaders of the Assembly, Senate and Newsom are all backing the measure, which was heavily amended in the past two weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069108\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069108\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during his State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2026, in Sacramento, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have performed a ritual legislative resurrection of the bill,” Wiener quipped at a press conference Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure would allocate $1 billion to the UC and California State University to build more science facilities and create a system of scientific panels to review research proposals based on their scientific merits. The bulk of the funding would pay for a wide array of priorities such as biomedical research, wildfire prevention and water supply. Portions of the bond would also support science breakthroughs that can be commercialized and provide opportunities for early-career researchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonds are a kind of debt that government agencies issue and then pay down over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Public or private research companies, universities, academic medical centers, institutes, and organizations would be eligible for the grants or loans under this bond measure. A newly formed California Foundation for Science and Health Research Council would write more specific rules on how the money can be used.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why backers say the bond is needed\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Wiener and the coalition in support of the measure view it as a backstop against the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to terminate existing and new research funding for the UC and other campuses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump’s Department of Justice has argued in courts that grants the administration canceled violated his prohibitions on research into diversity issues and climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the grants sought to better understand diseases, and focused on new disease-fighting drugs, cancer and dementia. About half of the UC system’s spending on research comes from the federal government — in 2024-25 that totaled \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucop.edu/operating-budget/_files/rbudget/2026-27-budget-detail.pdf#page=21\">around $3 billion in federal grants\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12097112\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12097112\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/UCLACM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/UCLACM.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/UCLACM-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/UCLACM-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The UCLA campus in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2022. \u003ccite>(Raquel Natalicchio for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Last year the White House suspended or cancelled more than 1,000 California science grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration admitted in court filings that it used \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/research-grants-california-2/\">bulk keyword searches\u003c/a> for terms related to DEI and climate change to target grants to cancel. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/#:~:text=At%20one%20point%20last%20year%20the%20Trump%20administration%20froze%20or%20terminated%20more%20than%201%2C000%20California%20science%20grants%20from%20the%20National%20Institutes%20of%20Health%20and%20National%20Science%20Foundation.\">Most of those\u003c/a> have been \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2025/09/ucla-research-grants/\">restored\u003c/a> for now through various court orders \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2025/11/uc/\">after professors\u003c/a> sued last year. But at least one major case is unresolved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration seeks to further expand control over federal research by proposing to require political appointees to decide \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/well/omb-scientific-grant-proposal.html?eafs_enabled=false\">which science grants are funded\u003c/a>, departing from a practice in which peer-review scientific committees select the worthiest grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump’s desire to bring federal science increasingly under his control spurred esteemed U.S. scientists to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/world/canada/canada-universities-hire-us-researchers.html\">move to other countries\u003c/a> that recently passed budgets to entice researchers to relocate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Harold R. Collard, vice chancellor for research at research powerhouse UC San Francisco, said at Friday’s press event that the Wiener bond measure could keep more researchers in California and attract new ones. Experts say every dollar of NIH spending amounts to \u003ca href=\"https://www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/annual-economic-report/\">$2.57 of economic activity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How the measure came back from dead\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The measure initially sped through the Senate but stalled in the Assembly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Political insiders \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/#:~:text=Several%20legislative%20and%20political%20insiders%20told%20CalMatters%20that%20another%20reason%20the%20science%20research%20bond\">suspected\u003c/a> that the holdup was over worry it would compete with the Assembly’s priority bond, an \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2026/08/california-rhna-housing-affordable-progress/#:~:text=Affordable%20developers%20and%20other%20housing%20advocates%20are%20hoping%20voters%20will%20back%20an%20%2411.25%20billion%20state%20bond%20in%20November%20to%20replenish%20the%20coffers.%C2%A0\">$11.25 billion ballot measure\u003c/a> for this November to expand housing construction and affordability in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of that measure feared it might be defeated if another large bond was on the ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think there’s some legitimate political concerns about placing something competing with the housing bond,” said Chris Micheli, a veteran lobbyist and law professor, in an interview in June when Wiener’s bill was derailed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085954\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085954\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen. Scott Wiener speaks during an election night event at his campaign headquarters in San Francisco on June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wiener validated that suspicion on Friday. “We already placed a housing bond on the ballot. There are a lot of items on the state ballot, and you know I understand why some people were concerned about placing yet additional items on the ballot for November, and that’s why we were able to, after the deadline passed, work collaboratively towards March of 2028.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The housing bond experienced a similar journey: It got skipped over by political leaders in 2024 to make room \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2024/propositions/\">for two\u003c/a> $10 billion bonds for school construction and to combat the effects of climate change.[aside postID=news_12097632 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/09/GettyImages-183300309.jpg']This November voters will see another science research bond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That measure, Proposition 38, is backed by a billionaire funder and would approve $8.4 billion for research into immunology and immunotherapies, with an emphasis on Alzheimer’s, cancer and heart disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Half of that funding appears to benefit \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2026/07/proposition-38-california/\">just one institute\u003c/a> that is significantly supported by that billionaire funder, CalMatters reported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wiener doesn’t think that Prop. 38 will compete with his bond effort some two years later. “That ballot measure primarily funds one particular institute. It’s not a broad science policy funding measure, and so it’s just very different,” he said on Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The onus will be on the coalition backing the bond to convince voters to pass it in 2028, he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/09/science-research-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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"excerpt": "Last year the White House suspended or cancelled more than 1,000 California science grants. This bond measure would restore some of that funding.",
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"title": "Should California Backfill Science Funding After Trump Cuts? Voters Could Decide in 2028 | KQED",
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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 \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> science bond measure to counter the Trump administration’s research cuts is back from the dead after state lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom reached a deal last week to place the $7.5 billion request to voters on the March 2028 ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb895\">Senate Bill 895\u003c/a> by Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco, passed the Legislature with minimal opposition and bipartisan support on Monday and now awaits Newsom’s signature.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It has been in the works for more than a year and began as a $23 billion bond proposal but got a steep haircut mid-year, down to $12 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After failing to clear a June legislative deadline to get on this year’s ballot, the bond proposal appeared moribund — and was slashed to $5 billion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Wiener and a united front led by the University of California and the union representing graduate students, two forces that are \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2022/12/uc-strike-civil-disobedience/\">often\u003c/a> at \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2024/05/uc-strike/\">loggerheads\u003c/a>, continued working to restore the bill. Both significantly benefit, as the money fuels scientific discovery while also supplementing the pay of graduate students conducting essential research for professors.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The summer hustle paid off: For the first time, leaders of the Assembly, Senate and Newsom are all backing the measure, which was heavily amended in the past two weeks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12069108\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12069108\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1337\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/GavinNewsomStateoftheState2026AP-1536x1027.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during his State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2026, in Sacramento, California. \u003ccite>(Godofredo A. Vásquez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We have performed a ritual legislative resurrection of the bill,” Wiener quipped at a press conference Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure would allocate $1 billion to the UC and California State University to build more science facilities and create a system of scientific panels to review research proposals based on their scientific merits. The bulk of the funding would pay for a wide array of priorities such as biomedical research, wildfire prevention and water supply. Portions of the bond would also support science breakthroughs that can be commercialized and provide opportunities for early-career researchers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bonds are a kind of debt that government agencies issue and then pay down over time.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Public or private research companies, universities, academic medical centers, institutes, and organizations would be eligible for the grants or loans under this bond measure. A newly formed California Foundation for Science and Health Research Council would write more specific rules on how the money can be used.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Why backers say the bond is needed\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Wiener and the coalition in support of the measure view it as a backstop against the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to terminate existing and new research funding for the UC and other campuses.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump’s Department of Justice has argued in courts that grants the administration canceled violated his prohibitions on research into diversity issues and climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many of the grants sought to better understand diseases, and focused on new disease-fighting drugs, cancer and dementia. About half of the UC system’s spending on research comes from the federal government — in 2024-25 that totaled \u003ca href=\"https://www.ucop.edu/operating-budget/_files/rbudget/2026-27-budget-detail.pdf#page=21\">around $3 billion in federal grants\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12097112\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12097112\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/UCLACM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1331\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/UCLACM.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/UCLACM-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/UCLACM-1536x1022.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The UCLA campus in Los Angeles on Feb. 18, 2022. \u003ccite>(Raquel Natalicchio for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Last year the White House suspended or cancelled more than 1,000 California science grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration admitted in court filings that it used \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/research-grants-california-2/\">bulk keyword searches\u003c/a> for terms related to DEI and climate change to target grants to cancel. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/#:~:text=At%20one%20point%20last%20year%20the%20Trump%20administration%20froze%20or%20terminated%20more%20than%201%2C000%20California%20science%20grants%20from%20the%20National%20Institutes%20of%20Health%20and%20National%20Science%20Foundation.\">Most of those\u003c/a> have been \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2025/09/ucla-research-grants/\">restored\u003c/a> for now through various court orders \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2025/11/uc/\">after professors\u003c/a> sued last year. But at least one major case is unresolved.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration seeks to further expand control over federal research by proposing to require political appointees to decide \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/well/omb-scientific-grant-proposal.html?eafs_enabled=false\">which science grants are funded\u003c/a>, departing from a practice in which peer-review scientific committees select the worthiest grants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Trump’s desire to bring federal science increasingly under his control spurred esteemed U.S. scientists to \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/world/canada/canada-universities-hire-us-researchers.html\">move to other countries\u003c/a> that recently passed budgets to entice researchers to relocate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dr. Harold R. Collard, vice chancellor for research at research powerhouse UC San Francisco, said at Friday’s press event that the Wiener bond measure could keep more researchers in California and attract new ones. Experts say every dollar of NIH spending amounts to \u003ca href=\"https://www.unitedformedicalresearch.org/annual-economic-report/\">$2.57 of economic activity\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How the measure came back from dead\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The measure initially sped through the Senate but stalled in the Assembly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Political insiders \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/07/newsom-uc-cal-state-billion-dollars-more/#:~:text=Several%20legislative%20and%20political%20insiders%20told%20CalMatters%20that%20another%20reason%20the%20science%20research%20bond\">suspected\u003c/a> that the holdup was over worry it would compete with the Assembly’s priority bond, an \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2026/08/california-rhna-housing-affordable-progress/#:~:text=Affordable%20developers%20and%20other%20housing%20advocates%20are%20hoping%20voters%20will%20back%20an%20%2411.25%20billion%20state%20bond%20in%20November%20to%20replenish%20the%20coffers.%C2%A0\">$11.25 billion ballot measure\u003c/a> for this November to expand housing construction and affordability in California.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Supporters of that measure feared it might be defeated if another large bond was on the ballot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think there’s some legitimate political concerns about placing something competing with the housing bond,” said Chris Micheli, a veteran lobbyist and law professor, in an interview in June when Wiener’s bill was derailed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12085954\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12085954\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/260602-DISTRICT11SCOTTWIENER-15-BL-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen. Scott Wiener speaks during an election night event at his campaign headquarters in San Francisco on June 2, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Wiener validated that suspicion on Friday. “We already placed a housing bond on the ballot. There are a lot of items on the state ballot, and you know I understand why some people were concerned about placing yet additional items on the ballot for November, and that’s why we were able to, after the deadline passed, work collaboratively towards March of 2028.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The housing bond experienced a similar journey: It got skipped over by political leaders in 2024 to make room \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/california-voter-guide-2024/propositions/\">for two\u003c/a> $10 billion bonds for school construction and to combat the effects of climate change.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>This November voters will see another science research bond.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That measure, Proposition 38, is backed by a billionaire funder and would approve $8.4 billion for research into immunology and immunotherapies, with an emphasis on Alzheimer’s, cancer and heart disease.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Half of that funding appears to benefit \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/elections/2026/07/proposition-38-california/\">just one institute\u003c/a> that is significantly supported by that billionaire funder, CalMatters reported.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wiener doesn’t think that Prop. 38 will compete with his bond effort some two years later. “That ballot measure primarily funds one particular institute. It’s not a broad science policy funding measure, and so it’s just very different,” he said on Friday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The onus will be on the coalition backing the bond to convince voters to pass it in 2028, he added.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/2026/09/science-research-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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"title": "California Democrats Race to Ban Electric Shock Gloves Before ICE Buys Them",
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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>Democratic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> lawmakers are pushing a last-minute bill to ban federal agents from using electric shock gloves, becoming one of the first states in the nation to respond to reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to purchase thousands of gloves next year as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democrats this week advanced \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2760\">Assembly Bill 2760\u003c/a>, which would prohibit ICE agents and state and local officers from wearing any device that can deliver electric shocks. It would also block California police departments from purchasing the devices with state money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Diego Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/lashae-sharp-collins-187430\">LaShae Sharp-Collins\u003c/a>, a Democrat, introduced the bill only last week, with days remaining in the legislative session, in a process known as a “gut and amend,” in which an unrelated bill is rewritten and fast–tracked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The eleventh-hour move \u003ca href=\"https://apfs-cloud.dhs.gov/record/74524/public-print/\">follows a notice\u003c/a> published earlier this month by the Department of Homeland Security that said ICE is seeking to spend up to $20 million to buy thousands of taser-like gloves from Compliant Technologies, a Kentucky-based company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The product, called G.L.O.V.E. for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, is marketed as a non-lethal, de-escalation device on the company’s website. \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/ice-electric-shock-gloves-85ff746d3e0ee5f39e7a9a3f1f576252\">The Associated Press\u003c/a> first reported about the notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12070624\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12070624\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/AP26020827442794-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/AP26020827442794-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/AP26020827442794-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/AP26020827442794-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen. Adam Schiff, right, walks with Sen. Alex Padilla, during a visit to an immigration detention center on Jan. 20, 2026, in California City, California. \u003ccite>(Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>ICE announced on Thursday it was awarding the Kentucky company a $16.7 million contract for 6,000 pairs of gloves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While the gloves are not currently being used in California, waiting for a tragedy to act, in my personal opinion, and so many others, would be something that California could not handle,” Sharp-Collins \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/hearings/279966#t=1613&f=776f67398bb7df923fcea1627f67ed04\">said at a hearing\u003c/a> on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said the gloves pose a public safety risk and cited the case of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/24/ice-officers-electric-shock-gloves\">Kentucky man who died\u003c/a> after allegedly being shocked 27 times with the gloves and 13 times with a Taser while in jail last year.[aside postID=news_12097097 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260827-Palantir-Nurses-01-KQED.jpg']On Thursday, U.S. Sen Alex Padilla and other congressional Democrats \u003ca href=\"https://www.booker.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/final-booker_letter_to_dhs_ice_re_shock_glovespdf.pdf\">wrote a letter\u003c/a> to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin urging the department to cancel its contract with the company providing the gloves, calling them “hand-worn tasers disguised as restraint equipment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Civil rights groups strongly support the bill and argue that electric shock gloves are inhumane and an excessive use of force.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Electroshock gloves by any law enforcement agency makes Californians less safe,” Anallely Martin, of the California Immigrant Policy Center, said at the hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California State Sheriffs’ Association and numerous other law enforcement groups oppose the bill, arguing it would unnecessarily limit officers’ ability to de-escalate a situation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a bad policy from a California law enforcement perspective, and it’s really only gonna be a message to the feds that’s going to fail to land,” California State Sheriffs’ Association lobbyist Cory Salzillo said \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/hearings/279966#t=2082&f=776f67398bb7df923fcea1627f67ed04\">at the hearing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the latest move by California lawmakers to clamp down on ICE agents in response to President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration raids. Just this week, Democrats \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb938\">passed a bill\u003c/a> that would ban federal agents from working for state or local police agencies and another to make it easier for people to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb747\">sue agents for civil rights\u003c/a> violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In April, a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/04/immigration-mask-ban-9th-circuit/\">federal court struck down\u003c/a> a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb627\">2025 law\u003c/a> forcing masked immigration agents to identify themselves. Judges ruled the state had stepped out of bounds when it tried to enforce rules against federal officers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12070630\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12070630\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260116-NewsomLuriePresser-32-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260116-NewsomLuriePresser-32-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260116-NewsomLuriePresser-32-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260116-NewsomLuriePresser-32-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference at the Friendship House Association of American Indians in San Francisco on Jan. 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Similar to that law, if Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the new bills, they’re expected to face nearly identical legal challenges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“States simply can’t regulate how federal officers do their jobs, even if we don’t like how they do their jobs. That’s up to the federal government,” UC Davis law professor Vikram Amar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without a clear argument on how the gloves violate people’s constitutional rights, the legislation would likely hold little weight in court, Amar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It makes a lot of bills like this kind of more performative than real,” Amar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-ice-electric-shock-gloves/\">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>Democratic \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> lawmakers are pushing a last-minute bill to ban federal agents from using electric shock gloves, becoming one of the first states in the nation to respond to reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement plans to purchase thousands of gloves next year as part of the Trump administration’s crackdown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Democrats this week advanced \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2760\">Assembly Bill 2760\u003c/a>, which would prohibit ICE agents and state and local officers from wearing any device that can deliver electric shocks. It would also block California police departments from purchasing the devices with state money.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Diego Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/lashae-sharp-collins-187430\">LaShae Sharp-Collins\u003c/a>, a Democrat, introduced the bill only last week, with days remaining in the legislative session, in a process known as a “gut and amend,” in which an unrelated bill is rewritten and fast–tracked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The eleventh-hour move \u003ca href=\"https://apfs-cloud.dhs.gov/record/74524/public-print/\">follows a notice\u003c/a> published earlier this month by the Department of Homeland Security that said ICE is seeking to spend up to $20 million to buy thousands of taser-like gloves from Compliant Technologies, a Kentucky-based company.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The product, called G.L.O.V.E. for Generated Low Output Voltage Emitter, is marketed as a non-lethal, de-escalation device on the company’s website. \u003ca href=\"https://apnews.com/article/ice-electric-shock-gloves-85ff746d3e0ee5f39e7a9a3f1f576252\">The Associated Press\u003c/a> first reported about the notice.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12070624\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12070624\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/AP26020827442794-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/AP26020827442794-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/AP26020827442794-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/AP26020827442794-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sen. Adam Schiff, right, walks with Sen. Alex Padilla, during a visit to an immigration detention center on Jan. 20, 2026, in California City, California. \u003ccite>(Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>ICE announced on Thursday it was awarding the Kentucky company a $16.7 million contract for 6,000 pairs of gloves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“While the gloves are not currently being used in California, waiting for a tragedy to act, in my personal opinion, and so many others, would be something that California could not handle,” Sharp-Collins \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/hearings/279966#t=1613&f=776f67398bb7df923fcea1627f67ed04\">said at a hearing\u003c/a> on Wednesday.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said the gloves pose a public safety risk and cited the case of a \u003ca href=\"https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/24/ice-officers-electric-shock-gloves\">Kentucky man who died\u003c/a> after allegedly being shocked 27 times with the gloves and 13 times with a Taser while in jail last year.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>On Thursday, U.S. Sen Alex Padilla and other congressional Democrats \u003ca href=\"https://www.booker.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/final-booker_letter_to_dhs_ice_re_shock_glovespdf.pdf\">wrote a letter\u003c/a> to DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin urging the department to cancel its contract with the company providing the gloves, calling them “hand-worn tasers disguised as restraint equipment.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Civil rights groups strongly support the bill and argue that electric shock gloves are inhumane and an excessive use of force.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Electroshock gloves by any law enforcement agency makes Californians less safe,” Anallely Martin, of the California Immigrant Policy Center, said at the hearing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California State Sheriffs’ Association and numerous other law enforcement groups oppose the bill, arguing it would unnecessarily limit officers’ ability to de-escalate a situation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is a bad policy from a California law enforcement perspective, and it’s really only gonna be a message to the feds that’s going to fail to land,” California State Sheriffs’ Association lobbyist Cory Salzillo said \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/hearings/279966#t=2082&f=776f67398bb7df923fcea1627f67ed04\">at the hearing\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s the latest move by California lawmakers to clamp down on ICE agents in response to President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration raids. Just this week, Democrats \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb938\">passed a bill\u003c/a> that would ban federal agents from working for state or local police agencies and another to make it easier for people to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb747\">sue agents for civil rights\u003c/a> violations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In April, a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/justice/2026/04/immigration-mask-ban-9th-circuit/\">federal court struck down\u003c/a> a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb627\">2025 law\u003c/a> forcing masked immigration agents to identify themselves. Judges ruled the state had stepped out of bounds when it tried to enforce rules against federal officers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12070630\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12070630\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260116-NewsomLuriePresser-32-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260116-NewsomLuriePresser-32-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260116-NewsomLuriePresser-32-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/01/260116-NewsomLuriePresser-32-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" />\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference at the Friendship House Association of American Indians in San Francisco on Jan. 16, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Similar to that law, if Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signs the new bills, they’re expected to face nearly identical legal challenges.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“States simply can’t regulate how federal officers do their jobs, even if we don’t like how they do their jobs. That’s up to the federal government,” UC Davis law professor Vikram Amar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Without a clear argument on how the gloves violate people’s constitutional rights, the legislation would likely hold little weight in court, Amar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It makes a lot of bills like this kind of more performative than real,” Amar said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-ice-electric-shock-gloves/\">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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"headTitle": "Sex Abuse Survivors and Broke School Districts at Odds in Legislature’s Final Days | 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>\u003ca href=\"https://kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> legislators this week are rushing to broker a compromise on child sexual assault lawsuits before the Legislature finishes for the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They are faced with the unenviable task of figuring out how to give justice to survivors of child sexual assault by school or county employees without bankrupting the cash-strapped school districts and local governments responsible for compensating them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Counties and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/02/sex-abuse-california-2/\">school districts\u003c/a> have been flooded with lawsuits from survivors since the Legislature essentially waived any statute of limitations for those cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The resulting damage payments and insurance premium hikes have cost schools and local governments billions, depleting their reserves and blowing holes in their budgets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the final week of the 2026 legislative session, lobbyists for schools and counties are pushing Senate and Assembly leaders to strike a last-minute deal that would allow survivors to be compensated for past harms while simultaneously stewarding taxpayer dollars and protecting local agencies from going bankrupt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082992\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082992\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children at Mission Kids Preschool in San Francisco raise their hands to ask Senator Alex Padilla a question on June 1, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>An attempt last year to find common ground collapsed in the final hours of the legislative session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Victims’ advocacy groups fiercely oppose any changes that would make it more difficult for survivors to receive compensation and have been rallying support to keep the law as it is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s impossible to choose between the future education of California students and meeting the needs for survivors,” said Dr. Debra Schade, president of the California School Boards Association, one of the groups pushing for a deal. “But if we don’t do something soon, the future of our public school system in California is at risk.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘A difficult needle to thread’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Counties and school districts want to be able to cap how much money each survivor could seek in damages, as well as require a greater amount of evidence from victims who wait more than 20 years to file a claim. But both of those proposals are nonstarters with survivor advocates, who are livid that the government would consider putting a “price tag” on someone’s sexual abuse. They say it’s also unreasonable to expect that children and parents would keep documentation that could prove they were assaulted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A June draft proposal from Assembly Speaker \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/robert-rivas-165041\">Robert Rivas\u003c/a>’s office, obtained by CalMatters, showed that Assembly leaders were at least considering caps on damages and a higher threshold for evidence in older cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Decades-old claims are much more likely to involve perpetrators and witnesses who are dead, as well as missing or damaged records. Without access to that evidence, counties and schools say they’re at an unfair disadvantage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095609\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1998px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095609\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on August 17, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While counties and school districts say they agree victims should be able to seek just compensation for the harms they’ve suffered, public entities are responsible for “safeguarding the resources that we are entrusted with” to help current students and vulnerable populations, said Faith Borges, a lobbyist for local government insurance pools that are called joint powers authorities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been a difficult needle to thread,” Borges said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Victims’ groups argue that the government has vast resources at its disposal to defend itself — including staff attorneys, researchers and archives of public documents — whereas most survivors and their families can only afford litigation with a plaintiff’s attorney.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is a towering immorality to make the traumatized survivors of child rape, beatings, and sex abuse pay the bills for our negligence,” said Ed Howard, senior attorney for the Children’s Advocacy Institute, at a news conference in Sacramento.[aside postID=news_12094994 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260722-FAMILYSEPARATION-03-BL-KQED.jpg']“It is our fault what happened to them. Not theirs,” Howard said. “That is grotesque that a child would have to have a higher burden of proof to get compensation for crimes committed to them by people that we selected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The politically powerful \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/organizations/-17#year%5B%5D=2025\">Consumer Attorneys of California\u003c/a>, which has contributed at least $350,000 to California lawmakers this legislative session, is also part of the campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Suzie, a 25-year-old survivor who asked to be identified by her first name, hopes the financial pain will force school districts and counties to make changes to protect children under their care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said seeking justice through the courts required her to confront her abuser — her fourth grade teacher — and take on an army of attorneys for the Mountainview School District who sought to discredit her allegations that the teacher molested and groomed her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just became super suicidal like, when I was only eight or nine,” Suzie said. “I couldn’t tell my parents that I was scared of going to school, so I was like, at such a young age, the bad guy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After she and five other students sued the district, a jury last April \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-16/los-angeles-jury-awards-48-million-to-students-abused-by-teacher-at-el-monte-school\">awarded them\u003c/a> a $48 million verdict, with the district responsible for just over $36 million and the teacher responsible for the remainder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wish a lot of things wouldn’t have happened to me,” Suzie said. “But also, with the financial compensation, there’s going to be, maybe, room for growth for (the district). And a definite change. Because it cannot happen again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Previous compromise attempt collapsed\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>An effort to strike a deal last year, brokered by Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/john-laird-3108\">John Laird\u003c/a>, a Santa Cruz Democrat, fell apart at the last minute. Counties and school districts were upset that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb577\">Senate Bill 577\u003c/a> didn’t include caps on how much money victims could seek in damages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Government agencies say a compensation limit is the only way to achieve meaningful change, but the concept infuriates survivor groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Survivors were also angry that that proposal sought to ban any further claims from survivors of sex abuse at one Los Angeles County juvenile detention facility, MacLaren Children’s Center, which permanently closed in 2003.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086449\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086449\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1391\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187-1536x1079.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chalk art decorates pavement outside of an old bus operating as a preschool at the Aspire Monarch Academy school in Oakland, California, on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015. \u003ccite>(Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The county approved \u003ca href=\"https://lacounty.gov/2025/04/04/la-county-reaches-4-billion-tentative-settlement-in-thousands-of-sexual-abuse-cases/\">a $4 billion settlement \u003c/a>last April to resolve more than 6,800 child sex abuse cases, some of which date to 1959.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rivas shelved the bill in the hope that the two sides could continue negotiating and hash out a more comprehensive deal in 2026, according to people familiar with the decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, legislative leaders are split along the same fault lines. The speaker’s office wants to ensure the public entities’ financial health and has been open to discussions about damage caps, while Senate President Pro Tem \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/monique-limon-13069\">Monique Limón\u003c/a> and her staff insist caps would hamper survivors’ rights, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Limón in a statement said the Senate “remains committed to maintaining access to justice for all survivors” while also recognizing the financial challenges of public entities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the two leaders have met regularly for weeks, and sources familiar with the negotiations say the two sides are very close to a compromise, no deal has emerged.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Flood of lawsuits squeezes tight budgets\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcmat.org/publicationsreports/child-sexual-assault-fiscal-implications-report.pdf\">a 2024 Legislature-mandated report\u003c/a>, thousands of suits have been filed since Gov. Gavin Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB218\">Assembly Bill 218\u003c/a> in 2019, raising the age for victims to report past abuse and file lawsuits from 26 to 40 years old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law also allows people who discover as adults that they were sexually abused as children five years to file a claim, up from the previous three years, and created a three-year window during which survivors could revive past claims that expired due to the previous statute of limitations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The flood of claims has resulted in settlements and jury verdicts that are projected to cost California school districts up to $3 billion. Counties face liabilities several times those of school districts, according to the 2024 state report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089327\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089327\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinNewsomEducationGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1374\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinNewsomEducationGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinNewsomEducationGetty-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinNewsomEducationGetty-1536x1055.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Gavin Newsom walks with students from Clinton Elementary School to announce support for literacy with The Golden State Literacy Plan at Clinton Elementary School in Compton on June 5, 2025. The governor was joined by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and other education officials. \u003ccite>(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Los Angeles County alone estimated that its payouts reach $3 billion to resolve roughly 3,000 claims of sexual abuse that occurred in the county’s foster homes, youth shelters and probation camps and halls dating to the 1950s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some counties and school districts had private insurance to help cover their liabilities, the state’s insurance crisis in the 1970s forced the vast majority of them to embrace the alternate, self-run joint-powers authorities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike private insurance companies, which have large stores of capital in case of unexpected costs, public entities pay their premiums with taxpayer dollars.[aside postID=news_12096327 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/260824-Animal-Rescue-Presser-ZF-01-KQED.jpg']The sheer volume of cases filed since 2019 has sent premiums skyrocketing, which disproportionately hurts smaller rural school districts and counties and those with few or no claims against them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several counties and school districts say they’ve had to cut staff and defer maintenance, such as replacing schools’ aging air conditioning, to afford their insurance payments as well as cover the cost of claims for harms that took place when the district or county didn’t have insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eric Dill, an associate superintendent for the Poway Unified School District, said his district has been forced to cut $10 million a year from its budget over the last three years, mostly from programming, staff and maintenance because of a requirement to set aside money for underinsured or uninsured claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district has dedicated $7.5 million — the equivalent of 75 teachers’ salaries and benefits — in premiums and contributions to its self-insurance fund over the last four years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is very real that today’s students are suffering from a lack of services that could otherwise be provided if we could use those general fund dollars to put back into the classroom,” Dill said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While child sexual assault cases are at the heart of legislative negotiations, advocates for the school districts and counties are pushing for the changes to apply to all civil liability cases brought against them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Survivors decry backroom dealing\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Survivor advocates say legislative leaders are cutting out crucial voices and public input by trying to fast-track a deal at the last minute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If a bill had gone through the traditional process, victims could have testified before committees about their abuse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re having to ask survivors to speak into a microphone and hope that the folks who are making the decisions in the building hear our voices,” said Jennifer Rodriguez, executive director of the Youth Law Center, at the news conference. “That’s not a democratic process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081808\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081808\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-VallejoChildCare-37-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-VallejoChildCare-37-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-VallejoChildCare-37-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-VallejoChildCare-37-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children play in an outdoor area at Rise Vallejo, an early education center, in Vallejo on April 28, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Howard, the senior attorney at Children’s Advocacy Institute, acknowledged that the topic of childhood sexual abuse is thorny and any measure that could alter the existing law “may not have survived a more thorough scrutiny of the regular bill process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Legislators have until midnight on Aug. 31 to wrap up lawmaking for the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>For the record: This story has been corrected to clarify that the survivors groups have not received any funding from the Consumer Attorneys of California.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-legislature-child-sex-abuse-claims/\">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\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": " State lawmakers are struggling to balance counties’ and schools’ financial health with the incalculable cost of survivors’ trauma.",
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"title": "Sex Abuse Survivors and Broke School Districts at Odds in Legislature’s Final Days | KQED",
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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://kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> legislators this week are rushing to broker a compromise on child sexual assault lawsuits before the Legislature finishes for the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They are faced with the unenviable task of figuring out how to give justice to survivors of child sexual assault by school or county employees without bankrupting the cash-strapped school districts and local governments responsible for compensating them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Counties and \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/02/sex-abuse-california-2/\">school districts\u003c/a> have been flooded with lawsuits from survivors since the Legislature essentially waived any statute of limitations for those cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The resulting damage payments and insurance premium hikes have cost schools and local governments billions, depleting their reserves and blowing holes in their budgets.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the final week of the 2026 legislative session, lobbyists for schools and counties are pushing Senate and Assembly leaders to strike a last-minute deal that would allow survivors to be compensated for past harms while simultaneously stewarding taxpayer dollars and protecting local agencies from going bankrupt.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12082992\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1999px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12082992\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1.jpg 1999w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/020_SanFrancisco_AlexPadillaMissionKids_06012021_qed-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children at Mission Kids Preschool in San Francisco raise their hands to ask Senator Alex Padilla a question on June 1, 2021. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>An attempt last year to find common ground collapsed in the final hours of the legislative session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Victims’ advocacy groups fiercely oppose any changes that would make it more difficult for survivors to receive compensation and have been rallying support to keep the law as it is.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s impossible to choose between the future education of California students and meeting the needs for survivors,” said Dr. Debra Schade, president of the California School Boards Association, one of the groups pushing for a deal. “But if we don’t do something soon, the future of our public school system in California is at risk.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘A difficult needle to thread’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Counties and school districts want to be able to cap how much money each survivor could seek in damages, as well as require a greater amount of evidence from victims who wait more than 20 years to file a claim. But both of those proposals are nonstarters with survivor advocates, who are livid that the government would consider putting a “price tag” on someone’s sexual abuse. They say it’s also unreasonable to expect that children and parents would keep documentation that could prove they were assaulted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A June draft proposal from Assembly Speaker \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/robert-rivas-165041\">Robert Rivas\u003c/a>’s office, obtained by CalMatters, showed that Assembly leaders were at least considering caps on damages and a higher threshold for evidence in older cases.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Decades-old claims are much more likely to involve perpetrators and witnesses who are dead, as well as missing or damaged records. Without access to that evidence, counties and schools say they’re at an unfair disadvantage.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095609\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1998px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095609\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1998\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed.jpg 1998w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081726-SFUSDFirstDay-20-MC_qed-1536x1025.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1998px) 100vw, 1998px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Students arrive at Jose Ortega Elementary School for the first day of their school year on August 17, 2026, in San Francisco. \u003ccite>(Miles Cull/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While counties and school districts say they agree victims should be able to seek just compensation for the harms they’ve suffered, public entities are responsible for “safeguarding the resources that we are entrusted with” to help current students and vulnerable populations, said Faith Borges, a lobbyist for local government insurance pools that are called joint powers authorities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s been a difficult needle to thread,” Borges said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Victims’ groups argue that the government has vast resources at its disposal to defend itself — including staff attorneys, researchers and archives of public documents — whereas most survivors and their families can only afford litigation with a plaintiff’s attorney.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is a towering immorality to make the traumatized survivors of child rape, beatings, and sex abuse pay the bills for our negligence,” said Ed Howard, senior attorney for the Children’s Advocacy Institute, at a news conference in Sacramento.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“It is our fault what happened to them. Not theirs,” Howard said. “That is grotesque that a child would have to have a higher burden of proof to get compensation for crimes committed to them by people that we selected.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The politically powerful \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/organizations/-17#year%5B%5D=2025\">Consumer Attorneys of California\u003c/a>, which has contributed at least $350,000 to California lawmakers this legislative session, is also part of the campaign.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Suzie, a 25-year-old survivor who asked to be identified by her first name, hopes the financial pain will force school districts and counties to make changes to protect children under their care.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She said seeking justice through the courts required her to confront her abuser — her fourth grade teacher — and take on an army of attorneys for the Mountainview School District who sought to discredit her allegations that the teacher molested and groomed her.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just became super suicidal like, when I was only eight or nine,” Suzie said. “I couldn’t tell my parents that I was scared of going to school, so I was like, at such a young age, the bad guy.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After she and five other students sued the district, a jury last April \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-16/los-angeles-jury-awards-48-million-to-students-abused-by-teacher-at-el-monte-school\">awarded them\u003c/a> a $48 million verdict, with the district responsible for just over $36 million and the teacher responsible for the remainder.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I wish a lot of things wouldn’t have happened to me,” Suzie said. “But also, with the financial compensation, there’s going to be, maybe, room for growth for (the district). And a definite change. Because it cannot happen again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Previous compromise attempt collapsed\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>An effort to strike a deal last year, brokered by Sen. \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/john-laird-3108\">John Laird\u003c/a>, a Santa Cruz Democrat, fell apart at the last minute. Counties and school districts were upset that \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb577\">Senate Bill 577\u003c/a> didn’t include caps on how much money victims could seek in damages.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Government agencies say a compensation limit is the only way to achieve meaningful change, but the concept infuriates survivor groups.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Survivors were also angry that that proposal sought to ban any further claims from survivors of sex abuse at one Los Angeles County juvenile detention facility, MacLaren Children’s Center, which permanently closed in 2003.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12086449\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1980px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12086449\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1980\" height=\"1391\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187.jpg 1980w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GettyImages-1408498187-1536x1079.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1980px) 100vw, 1980px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chalk art decorates pavement outside of an old bus operating as a preschool at the Aspire Monarch Academy school in Oakland, California, on Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015. \u003ccite>(Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The county approved \u003ca href=\"https://lacounty.gov/2025/04/04/la-county-reaches-4-billion-tentative-settlement-in-thousands-of-sexual-abuse-cases/\">a $4 billion settlement \u003c/a>last April to resolve more than 6,800 child sex abuse cases, some of which date to 1959.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rivas shelved the bill in the hope that the two sides could continue negotiating and hash out a more comprehensive deal in 2026, according to people familiar with the decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This year, legislative leaders are split along the same fault lines. The speaker’s office wants to ensure the public entities’ financial health and has been open to discussions about damage caps, while Senate President Pro Tem \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/monique-limon-13069\">Monique Limón\u003c/a> and her staff insist caps would hamper survivors’ rights, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Limón in a statement said the Senate “remains committed to maintaining access to justice for all survivors” while also recognizing the financial challenges of public entities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Although the two leaders have met regularly for weeks, and sources familiar with the negotiations say the two sides are very close to a compromise, no deal has emerged.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Flood of lawsuits squeezes tight budgets\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>According to \u003ca href=\"https://www.fcmat.org/publicationsreports/child-sexual-assault-fiscal-implications-report.pdf\">a 2024 Legislature-mandated report\u003c/a>, thousands of suits have been filed since Gov. Gavin Newsom signed \u003ca href=\"https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201920200AB218\">Assembly Bill 218\u003c/a> in 2019, raising the age for victims to report past abuse and file lawsuits from 26 to 40 years old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law also allows people who discover as adults that they were sexually abused as children five years to file a claim, up from the previous three years, and created a three-year window during which survivors could revive past claims that expired due to the previous statute of limitations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The flood of claims has resulted in settlements and jury verdicts that are projected to cost California school districts up to $3 billion. Counties face liabilities several times those of school districts, according to the 2024 state report.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089327\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089327\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinNewsomEducationGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1374\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinNewsomEducationGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinNewsomEducationGetty-160x110.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/GavinNewsomEducationGetty-1536x1055.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Gov. Gavin Newsom walks with students from Clinton Elementary School to announce support for literacy with The Golden State Literacy Plan at Clinton Elementary School in Compton on June 5, 2025. The governor was joined by State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and other education officials. \u003ccite>(Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Los Angeles County alone estimated that its payouts reach $3 billion to resolve roughly 3,000 claims of sexual abuse that occurred in the county’s foster homes, youth shelters and probation camps and halls dating to the 1950s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While some counties and school districts had private insurance to help cover their liabilities, the state’s insurance crisis in the 1970s forced the vast majority of them to embrace the alternate, self-run joint-powers authorities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Unlike private insurance companies, which have large stores of capital in case of unexpected costs, public entities pay their premiums with taxpayer dollars.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The sheer volume of cases filed since 2019 has sent premiums skyrocketing, which disproportionately hurts smaller rural school districts and counties and those with few or no claims against them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Several counties and school districts say they’ve had to cut staff and defer maintenance, such as replacing schools’ aging air conditioning, to afford their insurance payments as well as cover the cost of claims for harms that took place when the district or county didn’t have insurance.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eric Dill, an associate superintendent for the Poway Unified School District, said his district has been forced to cut $10 million a year from its budget over the last three years, mostly from programming, staff and maintenance because of a requirement to set aside money for underinsured or uninsured claims.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The district has dedicated $7.5 million — the equivalent of 75 teachers’ salaries and benefits — in premiums and contributions to its self-insurance fund over the last four years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It is very real that today’s students are suffering from a lack of services that could otherwise be provided if we could use those general fund dollars to put back into the classroom,” Dill said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While child sexual assault cases are at the heart of legislative negotiations, advocates for the school districts and counties are pushing for the changes to apply to all civil liability cases brought against them.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Survivors decry backroom dealing\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Survivor advocates say legislative leaders are cutting out crucial voices and public input by trying to fast-track a deal at the last minute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If a bill had gone through the traditional process, victims could have testified before committees about their abuse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re having to ask survivors to speak into a microphone and hope that the folks who are making the decisions in the building hear our voices,” said Jennifer Rodriguez, executive director of the Youth Law Center, at the news conference. “That’s not a democratic process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12081808\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12081808\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-VallejoChildCare-37-BL.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-VallejoChildCare-37-BL.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-VallejoChildCare-37-BL-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/04/260428-VallejoChildCare-37-BL-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children play in an outdoor area at Rise Vallejo, an early education center, in Vallejo on April 28, 2026. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Howard, the senior attorney at Children’s Advocacy Institute, acknowledged that the topic of childhood sexual abuse is thorny and any measure that could alter the existing law “may not have survived a more thorough scrutiny of the regular bill process.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Legislators have until midnight on Aug. 31 to wrap up lawmaking for the year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ci>For the record: This story has been corrected to clarify that the survivors groups have not received any funding from the Consumer Attorneys of California.\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/california-legislature-child-sex-abuse-claims/\">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\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "homeless-counts-dropped-in-alameda-san-francisco-counties-this-year",
"title": "Homeless Counts Dropped in Alameda, San Francisco Counties This Year",
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"headTitle": "Homeless Counts Dropped in Alameda, San Francisco Counties This Year | 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>\u003ca href=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> reduced its official homeless count in 2025 after years of increases. Now, preliminary data for 2026 shows many places in the state are continuing to make progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Counties up and down the state are reporting that their homeless populations dropped this year, citing early results of the point-in-time count conducted in January. Some of the drops were significant. San Joaquin County cut its total unhoused population by nearly a third compared to 2024 and nearly halved the number of people sleeping on the street without shelter. Others were more modest, such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083310/fewer-people-are-sleeping-on-san-francisco-streets-but-family-homelessness-is-up\">San Francisco’s 4% drop\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of the 28 counties or continuums of care (which group smaller counties together into single counts) that released 2026 data, more than half reported a decline in homelessness. Eight others did not conduct a point-in-time count this year, while seven had not publicly released their results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials in counties where the homeless count dropped credit their progress to creating more shelter beds and low-income housing, which they say was made possible by new state funds released over the past several years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, some activists are questioning whether the numbers really are as rosy as they seem. Cities have ramped up enforcement against unhoused people in recent years – clearing encampments and citing people for illegal camping more frequently – which causes people to scatter and become harder to count. Just because someone is missing from an official count doesn’t mean they moved off the street and into housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even in counties celebrating wins this year, officials wonder whether they can maintain those gains in the face of recent \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/08/medi-cal-the-cut-healthcare-threatened/\">federal cuts to Medi-Cal\u003c/a> and social services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve made progress,” said Jonathan Russell, director of Alameda County Health Housing and Homelessness Services, which reported \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084262/homelessness-is-down-in-alameda-county-can-it-maintain-that-progress\">a 13% drop in homelessness compared to 2024\u003c/a>. “And there are real threats, real peril.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What the 2026 point-in-time counts show\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The federal government requires every county to conduct a point-in-time census of its homeless population at least every other year, though some do it every year. Typically, volunteers join city, county and nonprofit staffers on a single night in January to tally every unhoused person they see. The results are generally considered an undercount, as it’s easy to overlook people tucked away behind bushes or hunkered down in parked cars. But despite the count’s flaws, it’s the only standardized way the state (and the rest of the country) has to measure fluctuations in its homeless populations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were 181,934 homeless Californians counted last year – a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/05/point-in-time-homelessness-report/\">nearly 3% drop\u003c/a> from 2024. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which compiles the data from each county, won’t release the official statewide or nationwide 2026 count for many months. But most counties that did a 2026 count have published the preliminary results on their own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv id=\"datawrapper-vis-6oAWh\" style=\"min-height: 931px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/6oAWh/full.png\" alt=\"A bar chart showing the change in total homeless counts, expressed as a percent change, between either 2024 or 2025 and 2026. The largest decline was in Fresno and Madera counties, with a 34% drop. The largest increase was in Amador, Calveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne which saw a more than doubling —130%.\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>In some counties, the results were disappointing. Los Angeles County, after two years of declines, reported a 1% increase in homelessness this year. Homelessness increased 13% throughout Sacramento County from 2024, though it was down within the city of Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/contra-costa-county\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a>, after a significant decrease between 2024 and 2025, saw homelessness creep up 7% this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, there were several reminders this year that the point-in-time counts are not perfect. \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-11/accounting-glitch-caused-nearly-half-of-l-a-s-increase-in-homeless-count\">The Los Angeles Times\u003c/a> uncovered an accounting glitch that inflated the city’s homeless count by more than 600 people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11678220\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11678220 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/06/RS23880_20170126_CC_county_homeless_count_215-e1530300027897.jpg\" alt=\"The homeless camp of Jarrett Keesling and Kelli Lengele, whom are among the hundreds of homeless the Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) interacted with as it conducts its annual count of homeless county residents Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A homeless encampment near an overpass in Contra Costa County, on Jan. 26, 2017. The county recorded an almost 7% increase in homelessness this year since 2025. \u003ccite>(Eric Kayne/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In Central California, Fresno and Madera counties, which combined reported a 34% drop in homelessness compared to last year, appeared to have the largest reduction in the state. But the counties \u003ca href=\"https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cc7bc02e8ba44aa938ccd4f/t/6a234bea54fe294ede543e7c/1780698092853/2026+PIT+Preliminary+Summary.pdf\">changed\u003c/a> the way they counted this year, potentially skewing the numbers. Instead of tallying everyone who was visible on the street as they did in 2025, this year, volunteers counted only people who confirmed they are homeless and agreed to participate in a survey. That change makes this year’s count difficult to compare to 2025 data, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/article316062827.html\">officials admitted\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some counties touted wins in moving people off the street and into shelters – a feat that’s considered progress even though those people are still considered homeless. In Alameda County, the percentage of unhoused people living in shelters \u003ca href=\"https://weblink.alamedacountyca.gov/ACHHS/DocView.aspx?id=2336&dbid=0&repo=ACH-DocumentLibrary&cr=1\">increased\u003c/a> from 21% in 2019 to 37% this year.[aside postID=news_12084262 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/GettyImages-1247572601-scaled-e1760372488675.jpg']Alameda County reached another significant milestone last year: for the first time since the county began tracking in 2021, slightly more people left homelessness and moved into housing than became newly homeless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Russell credits a major influx of state homelessness dollars that appeared in the county’s coffers about four years ago, including investments in \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2026/05/newsom-homekey-records/\">Homekey\u003c/a> (the state program that helps cities and counties buy hotels to turn into homeless housing) and the state’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention fund. The state also awarded additional housing funds for homeless Californians with mental illness and substance use disorder in 2023 and 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Joaquin County, which boasted one of the biggest drops in overall homelessness and unsheltered homelessness in California, added more than 100 shelter beds and more than 1,000 permanent housing units between 2024 and 2026. That allowed the county to increase the number of people living in permanent housing by 86%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There just wasn’t money available 10 years ago like there is now,” said Dawn McLeish, deputy director of the county’s human services department. “It just took a couple years for those investments to get all the way off the ground.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv id=\"datawrapper-vis-7JDyb\" style=\"min-height: 826px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/7JDyb/full.png\" alt=\"A bar chart showing the change in total homeless counts, expressed as a percent change, between either 2024 or 2025 and 2026. The largest decline was in Fresno and Madera counties, with a 34% drop. The largest increase was in Amador, Calveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne which saw a more than doubling —130%.\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>Niki Jones, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, views downward-trending numbers across the state with suspicion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They can call it progress if they want to,” she said. “I call baloney.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2024/06/california-homeless-camps-grants-pass-ruling/\">gave cities more leeway\u003c/a> to crack down on homeless encampments, cities have \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/09/camping-ban-ordinances/\">passed new ordinances\u003c/a> banning camps, police are giving out \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/06/homelessness-enforcement-data/\">more citations\u003c/a> for camping-related offenses and activists are reporting more frequent encampment clearings. When people are forced to disperse from their camps, they become more difficult to spot during point-in-time counts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a lot harder to find one person with a blanket somewhere than it is to see a camp,” Jones said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA4903-1.html\">recent study\u003c/a> looking at the Skid Row, Hollywood and Venice neighborhoods in Los Angeles found the overall level of unsheltered homelessness didn’t change between December 2024 and January 2026. But the number of people living in tents dropped 23%, while the number of people “sleeping rough” (without a tent, tarp or other shelter) increased 20%, according to data from the nonprofit research organization RAND.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077679\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077679\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/050422-SAN-JOSE-HOMELESS-SJM-DS-CM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/050422-SAN-JOSE-HOMELESS-SJM-DS-CM.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/050422-SAN-JOSE-HOMELESS-SJM-DS-CM-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man walks at the homeless encampment located along Coleman Avenue between West Hedding Street and Asbury Street in San Jose on June 22, 2021. \u003ccite>(Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That shift away from camps could pose a challenge in getting people into housing, as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ main intervention – the Inside Safe program – specifically targets people living in tent encampments and moves them into hotels. In addition, rough sleepers generally have a harder time holding onto their personal documents and phones, making it harder for them to navigate the process of getting into housing, according to the study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Increased enforcement could lead to people going uncounted, but it’s hard to tell how much that is really affecting point-in-time count results, said Roxanne Wilson, homeless services director for Monterey County. She does know that she’s seeing more people in her community move into housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Monterey County saw a 15% decrease in overall homelessness compared to 2024, while the number of people living outdoors dropped by nearly a quarter. Wilson attributes that largely to state funds. Monterey County won three state Encampment Resolution Grants that helped it move more than 150 people out of encampments along the Pajaro River levee, in Soledad and in King City. The money went toward opening a new shelter for the Pajaro River residents in Santa Cruz County, tiny homes in Soledad and hotel rooms in King City, Wilson said. People moved from the camps into those temporary accommodations, where they could then focus on securing permanent housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson called that a “huge accomplishment.” But state homelessness funding comes in the form of one-time grants, meaning counties never know for sure how much money they’ll get next year – or if they’ll get anything at all. That makes it hard to plan ahead and invest in long-term strategies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is that it’s going to be hard to hold this line,” Wilson said, “if we don’t start having more stable funding sources.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>An earlier version of this story reflected an incorrect number of new shelter beds in San Joaquin County. The correct number is 100.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/08/pit-counts-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\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "California reduced its official homeless count in 2025 after years of increases. Now, preliminary data for 2026 shows many places in the state, including some Bay Area counties, are continuing to make progress.",
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"title": "Homeless Counts Dropped in Alameda, San Francisco Counties This Year | KQED",
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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=\"http://kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> reduced its official homeless count in 2025 after years of increases. Now, preliminary data for 2026 shows many places in the state are continuing to make progress.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Counties up and down the state are reporting that their homeless populations dropped this year, citing early results of the point-in-time count conducted in January. Some of the drops were significant. San Joaquin County cut its total unhoused population by nearly a third compared to 2024 and nearly halved the number of people sleeping on the street without shelter. Others were more modest, such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12083310/fewer-people-are-sleeping-on-san-francisco-streets-but-family-homelessness-is-up\">San Francisco’s 4% drop\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Of the 28 counties or continuums of care (which group smaller counties together into single counts) that released 2026 data, more than half reported a decline in homelessness. Eight others did not conduct a point-in-time count this year, while seven had not publicly released their results.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Officials in counties where the homeless count dropped credit their progress to creating more shelter beds and low-income housing, which they say was made possible by new state funds released over the past several years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the same time, some activists are questioning whether the numbers really are as rosy as they seem. Cities have ramped up enforcement against unhoused people in recent years – clearing encampments and citing people for illegal camping more frequently – which causes people to scatter and become harder to count. Just because someone is missing from an official count doesn’t mean they moved off the street and into housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even in counties celebrating wins this year, officials wonder whether they can maintain those gains in the face of recent \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/08/medi-cal-the-cut-healthcare-threatened/\">federal cuts to Medi-Cal\u003c/a> and social services.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve made progress,” said Jonathan Russell, director of Alameda County Health Housing and Homelessness Services, which reported \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/12084262/homelessness-is-down-in-alameda-county-can-it-maintain-that-progress\">a 13% drop in homelessness compared to 2024\u003c/a>. “And there are real threats, real peril.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What the 2026 point-in-time counts show\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The federal government requires every county to conduct a point-in-time census of its homeless population at least every other year, though some do it every year. Typically, volunteers join city, county and nonprofit staffers on a single night in January to tally every unhoused person they see. The results are generally considered an undercount, as it’s easy to overlook people tucked away behind bushes or hunkered down in parked cars. But despite the count’s flaws, it’s the only standardized way the state (and the rest of the country) has to measure fluctuations in its homeless populations.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were 181,934 homeless Californians counted last year – a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/05/point-in-time-homelessness-report/\">nearly 3% drop\u003c/a> from 2024. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which compiles the data from each county, won’t release the official statewide or nationwide 2026 count for many months. But most counties that did a 2026 count have published the preliminary results on their own.\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv id=\"datawrapper-vis-6oAWh\" style=\"min-height: 931px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/6oAWh/full.png\" alt=\"A bar chart showing the change in total homeless counts, expressed as a percent change, between either 2024 or 2025 and 2026. The largest decline was in Fresno and Madera counties, with a 34% drop. The largest increase was in Amador, Calveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne which saw a more than doubling —130%.\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>In some counties, the results were disappointing. Los Angeles County, after two years of declines, reported a 1% increase in homelessness this year. Homelessness increased 13% throughout Sacramento County from 2024, though it was down within the city of Sacramento.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/contra-costa-county\">Contra Costa County\u003c/a>, after a significant decrease between 2024 and 2025, saw homelessness creep up 7% this year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In addition, there were several reminders this year that the point-in-time counts are not perfect. \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-08-11/accounting-glitch-caused-nearly-half-of-l-a-s-increase-in-homeless-count\">The Los Angeles Times\u003c/a> uncovered an accounting glitch that inflated the city’s homeless count by more than 600 people.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11678220\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11678220 size-full\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/06/RS23880_20170126_CC_county_homeless_count_215-e1530300027897.jpg\" alt=\"The homeless camp of Jarrett Keesling and Kelli Lengele, whom are among the hundreds of homeless the Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) interacted with as it conducts its annual count of homeless county residents Thursday, Jan. 26, 2017.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A homeless encampment near an overpass in Contra Costa County, on Jan. 26, 2017. The county recorded an almost 7% increase in homelessness this year since 2025. \u003ccite>(Eric Kayne/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In Central California, Fresno and Madera counties, which combined reported a 34% drop in homelessness compared to last year, appeared to have the largest reduction in the state. But the counties \u003ca href=\"https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cc7bc02e8ba44aa938ccd4f/t/6a234bea54fe294ede543e7c/1780698092853/2026+PIT+Preliminary+Summary.pdf\">changed\u003c/a> the way they counted this year, potentially skewing the numbers. Instead of tallying everyone who was visible on the street as they did in 2025, this year, volunteers counted only people who confirmed they are homeless and agreed to participate in a survey. That change makes this year’s count difficult to compare to 2025 data, \u003ca href=\"https://www.fresnobee.com/article316062827.html\">officials admitted\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some counties touted wins in moving people off the street and into shelters – a feat that’s considered progress even though those people are still considered homeless. In Alameda County, the percentage of unhoused people living in shelters \u003ca href=\"https://weblink.alamedacountyca.gov/ACHHS/DocView.aspx?id=2336&dbid=0&repo=ACH-DocumentLibrary&cr=1\">increased\u003c/a> from 21% in 2019 to 37% this year.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Alameda County reached another significant milestone last year: for the first time since the county began tracking in 2021, slightly more people left homelessness and moved into housing than became newly homeless.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Russell credits a major influx of state homelessness dollars that appeared in the county’s coffers about four years ago, including investments in \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2026/05/newsom-homekey-records/\">Homekey\u003c/a> (the state program that helps cities and counties buy hotels to turn into homeless housing) and the state’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention fund. The state also awarded additional housing funds for homeless Californians with mental illness and substance use disorder in 2023 and 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Joaquin County, which boasted one of the biggest drops in overall homelessness and unsheltered homelessness in California, added more than 100 shelter beds and more than 1,000 permanent housing units between 2024 and 2026. That allowed the county to increase the number of people living in permanent housing by 86%.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There just wasn’t money available 10 years ago like there is now,” said Dawn McLeish, deputy director of the county’s human services department. “It just took a couple years for those investments to get all the way off the ground.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cdiv id=\"datawrapper-vis-7JDyb\" style=\"min-height: 826px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/7JDyb/full.png\" alt=\"A bar chart showing the change in total homeless counts, expressed as a percent change, between either 2024 or 2025 and 2026. The largest decline was in Fresno and Madera counties, with a 34% drop. The largest increase was in Amador, Calveras, Mariposa and Tuolumne which saw a more than doubling —130%.\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>Niki Jones, executive director of the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness, views downward-trending numbers across the state with suspicion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They can call it progress if they want to,” she said. “I call baloney.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024 \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/2024/06/california-homeless-camps-grants-pass-ruling/\">gave cities more leeway\u003c/a> to crack down on homeless encampments, cities have \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2024/09/camping-ban-ordinances/\">passed new ordinances\u003c/a> banning camps, police are giving out \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2025/06/homelessness-enforcement-data/\">more citations\u003c/a> for camping-related offenses and activists are reporting more frequent encampment clearings. When people are forced to disperse from their camps, they become more difficult to spot during point-in-time counts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s a lot harder to find one person with a blanket somewhere than it is to see a camp,” Jones said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A \u003ca href=\"https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA4903-1.html\">recent study\u003c/a> looking at the Skid Row, Hollywood and Venice neighborhoods in Los Angeles found the overall level of unsheltered homelessness didn’t change between December 2024 and January 2026. But the number of people living in tents dropped 23%, while the number of people “sleeping rough” (without a tent, tarp or other shelter) increased 20%, according to data from the nonprofit research organization RAND.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12077679\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12077679\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/050422-SAN-JOSE-HOMELESS-SJM-DS-CM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"800\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/050422-SAN-JOSE-HOMELESS-SJM-DS-CM.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/050422-SAN-JOSE-HOMELESS-SJM-DS-CM-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A man walks at the homeless encampment located along Coleman Avenue between West Hedding Street and Asbury Street in San Jose on June 22, 2021. \u003ccite>(Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>That shift away from camps could pose a challenge in getting people into housing, as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ main intervention – the Inside Safe program – specifically targets people living in tent encampments and moves them into hotels. In addition, rough sleepers generally have a harder time holding onto their personal documents and phones, making it harder for them to navigate the process of getting into housing, according to the study.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Increased enforcement could lead to people going uncounted, but it’s hard to tell how much that is really affecting point-in-time count results, said Roxanne Wilson, homeless services director for Monterey County. She does know that she’s seeing more people in her community move into housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Monterey County saw a 15% decrease in overall homelessness compared to 2024, while the number of people living outdoors dropped by nearly a quarter. Wilson attributes that largely to state funds. Monterey County won three state Encampment Resolution Grants that helped it move more than 150 people out of encampments along the Pajaro River levee, in Soledad and in King City. The money went toward opening a new shelter for the Pajaro River residents in Santa Cruz County, tiny homes in Soledad and hotel rooms in King City, Wilson said. People moved from the camps into those temporary accommodations, where they could then focus on securing permanent housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wilson called that a “huge accomplishment.” But state homelessness funding comes in the form of one-time grants, meaning counties never know for sure how much money they’ll get next year – or if they’ll get anything at all. That makes it hard to plan ahead and invest in long-term strategies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The reality is that it’s going to be hard to hold this line,” Wilson said, “if we don’t start having more stable funding sources.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>An earlier version of this story reflected an incorrect number of new shelter beds in San Joaquin County. The correct number is 100.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/housing/homelessness/2026/08/pit-counts-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\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Californians Voted to Spend $1 Billion on K-12 Arts. Why Are Schools Returning the Money?",
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"headTitle": "Californians Voted to Spend $1 Billion on K-12 Arts. Why Are Schools Returning the Money? | 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>Three years after voters passed an ambitious arts education funding measure, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/education\">California’s K-12 schools\u003c/a> were supposed to be awash in dance, music, theater and fine arts. But some schools are returning their arts money to the state, saying the rules on how to spend it are too vague and they can’t find enough arts teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The sad thing is, this means that thousands of kids aren’t getting art,” said Austin Beutner, the former superintendent of Los Angeles Unified who wrote \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/prop28artsandmusicedfunding.asp\">Proposition 28\u003c/a>. “We thought Prop. 28 was clear.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prop. 28, which voters overwhelmingly approved in 2022, sets aside about $1 billion a year for the arts in California public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12094193\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094193\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-15-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-15-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-15-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-15-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A kindergarten classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on August 6, 2026. Mission Bay Elementary is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Schools with more low-income students get more money, but otherwise funding is based on enrollment. Los Angeles Unified, with about 400,000 students, got about $72 million last year, while Death Valley Unified, with 21 students, got about $2,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schools must spend at least 80% of their money on additional arts staff, with the rest going to art supplies and other arts expenses. Whatever they don’t spend, they’re required to return to the state after three years. The first three-year period just ended, and the California Department of Education hasn’t yet announced how much money schools returned.[aside postID=news_12094994 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/260722-FAMILYSEPARATION-03-BL-KQED.jpg']The state redistributes the unspent money to individual schools that are using their Prop. 28 money correctly, based on their annual spending reports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State data \u003ca href=\"https://createca.org/california-arts-education-data-project/\">compiled by Create CA\u003c/a>, an arts nonprofit that supported Prop. 28, shows dozens, if not hundreds of schools that spent no money. Among them are charter schools, small schools, and mid-sized schools in every corner of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the other end of the spectrum, many districts have gone on spending sprees, hiring teachers and expanding programs at all schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bakersfield City Schools, for example, doubled the size of its folklorico and mariachi dance programs, bought thousands of musical instruments and paired local artists with classroom teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Long Beach Unified has also doubled down on the arts. Its high school course catalog offers dozens of arts classes, including classics like marching band and painting as well as more obscure classes like improvisational dance, steel drums, stage technology, chamber orchestra and photography.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Too few teachers, too much confusion\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>But other districts, particularly smaller and rural districts, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2024/05/arts-education/\">have hit some snags\u003c/a>. Even though the state allows districts to pool their Prop. 28 money to share a teacher, the law doesn’t provide explicit language about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless, schools say there are not enough art teachers to hire. According to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sri.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/California-Arts-Education-Landscape-2025.pdf\">recent Stanford Research Institute study\u003c/a>, California needs at least 5,000 new arts teachers to meet the demand. Rural areas in general \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2024/03/rural-schools-california/\">have a harder time\u003c/a> hiring teachers, particularly those with specialized training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another obstacle is what some school officials describe as vague directions in the law. Prop. 28 broadly defines what constitutes an arts class, but it doesn’t require those classes to align with the state’s existing \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/vp/cf/\">arts framework\u003c/a>. And schools already get arts funding from the state, leaving some school officials wondering if they can mix their funds and still comply with the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12083046\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12083046\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260508-EXPANSIONCONSEQUENCE-TV-05194-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260508-EXPANSIONCONSEQUENCE-TV-05194-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260508-EXPANSIONCONSEQUENCE-TV-05194-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260508-EXPANSIONCONSEQUENCE-TV-05194-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heather Posner (center), executive director of Carquinez Garden School, does arts and crafts with children in the school yard of Carquinez Garden School in Crockett on May 8, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We need clarity and confidence that we’re doing this the right way,” said El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools Ed Manansala, saying schools are afraid of misusing the funds – for example, sharing a music teacher with another district but not dividing their time lawfully. “We have a long history of supporting the arts and we really want to make sure we do this right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Manansala and other school officials also say they’re afraid of getting sued if they don’t use the money correctly. That’s what happened to Los Angeles Unified. Beutner sued his former district last year, claiming it cut existing arts funding and backfilled it with Prop. 28 money, which is prohibited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit is pending in Los Angeles Superior Court. The district said that its use of Prop. 28 money was legal.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘We should not be fighting over this’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Nonetheless, the confusion led Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/al-muratsuchi-34399\">Al Muratsuchi\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2440\">write a bill\u003c/a> that would clarify some of the Prop. 28 language – for example, defining what constitutes supplemental arts funding. The legislation so far has had nearly unanimous bipartisan support, but one very vocal opponent: Beutner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beutner said that Muratsuchi’s bill, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2440\">Assembly Bill 2440\u003c/a>, essentially guts Prop. 28 by giving schools too much leeway to spend their money. Among his concerns is that districts will not increase arts education at all school sites, but instead cluster it at certain schools or try to pawn off a physical education class, for example, as an arts class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I believe in the arts, and what it can do for students. Some kids only come to school because of the arts,” Beutner said. “We should not be fighting over this. Prop. 28 is very clear” in that it requires schools to add extra arts programs, not replace existing programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089615\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1777px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089615\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_6623_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_6623_qed.jpg 1777w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_6623_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_6623_qed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The majority of students enrolled in the transitional kindergarten program at Kingsley Elementary School come from Spanish-speaking families. Teacher Ana Quintanilla helps them learn basic letters and words. \u003ccite>(Ana Tintocalis/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Beutner also described the bill as a “get-out-of-jail-free card” for Los Angeles Unified, because he said it would give the district more freedom in how it spends its Prop. 28 money. District spokesperson Christy Hagen said in an email that the district had nothing to do with the bill and hasn’t taken a position on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beutner said he’d like to see Muratsuchi’s legislation tabled until a judge rules on his lawsuit against Los Angeles Unified. Otherwise, spending the funding could become even more confusing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill is currently in the suspense file in the Senate appropriations committee, awaiting approval Thursday. If the committee doesn’t agree to hear it, it’ll likely die.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi said he’s open to a last-minute compromise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“(Beutner) and I share the same goal of Prop. 28 providing arts and music to every child in California regardless of zip code,” said Muratsuchi, a Democrat from Torrance. “We want to make sure the law’s language reflects that. Hopefully I convinced him that I mean well and we have the same objective.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Urgent need for clarity\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Clarifying the languageis crucial if the law is going to be successful, said Veronica Alvarez, executive director of Create CA, a nonprofit that promotes arts education in California schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Too many school districts are not spending their Prop. 28 money because they’re confused about the guidelines or can’t comply with what they view as overly narrow requirements, Alvarez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want clearer statewide rules, so all kids from Shasta to Bakersfield get high-quality arts education,” Alvarez said. “Hopefully we can move forward on this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/2026/08/arts-programs-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\n",
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"excerpt": "Proposition 28, which voters overwhelmingly approved in 2022, sets aside about $1 billion a year for the arts in California public schools.\r\n\r\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>Three years after voters passed an ambitious arts education funding measure, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/education\">California’s K-12 schools\u003c/a> were supposed to be awash in dance, music, theater and fine arts. But some schools are returning their arts money to the state, saying the rules on how to spend it are too vague and they can’t find enough arts teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The sad thing is, this means that thousands of kids aren’t getting art,” said Austin Beutner, the former superintendent of Los Angeles Unified who wrote \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/eo/in/prop28artsandmusicedfunding.asp\">Proposition 28\u003c/a>. “We thought Prop. 28 was clear.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Prop. 28, which voters overwhelmingly approved in 2022, sets aside about $1 billion a year for the arts in California public schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12094193\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094193\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-15-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-15-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-15-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/20260806_SFUSDNEWSCHOOL_GC-15-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A kindergarten classroom at Mission Bay Elementary School in San Francisco on August 6, 2026. Mission Bay Elementary is the first new public SFUSD school to open in 20 years. \u003ccite>(Gina Castro for KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Schools with more low-income students get more money, but otherwise funding is based on enrollment. Los Angeles Unified, with about 400,000 students, got about $72 million last year, while Death Valley Unified, with 21 students, got about $2,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Schools must spend at least 80% of their money on additional arts staff, with the rest going to art supplies and other arts expenses. Whatever they don’t spend, they’re required to return to the state after three years. The first three-year period just ended, and the California Department of Education hasn’t yet announced how much money schools returned.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>The state redistributes the unspent money to individual schools that are using their Prop. 28 money correctly, based on their annual spending reports.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>State data \u003ca href=\"https://createca.org/california-arts-education-data-project/\">compiled by Create CA\u003c/a>, an arts nonprofit that supported Prop. 28, shows dozens, if not hundreds of schools that spent no money. Among them are charter schools, small schools, and mid-sized schools in every corner of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At the other end of the spectrum, many districts have gone on spending sprees, hiring teachers and expanding programs at all schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bakersfield City Schools, for example, doubled the size of its folklorico and mariachi dance programs, bought thousands of musical instruments and paired local artists with classroom teachers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Long Beach Unified has also doubled down on the arts. Its high school course catalog offers dozens of arts classes, including classics like marching band and painting as well as more obscure classes like improvisational dance, steel drums, stage technology, chamber orchestra and photography.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Too few teachers, too much confusion\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>But other districts, particularly smaller and rural districts, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2024/05/arts-education/\">have hit some snags\u003c/a>. Even though the state allows districts to pool their Prop. 28 money to share a teacher, the law doesn’t provide explicit language about it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Regardless, schools say there are not enough art teachers to hire. According to a \u003ca href=\"https://www.sri.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/California-Arts-Education-Landscape-2025.pdf\">recent Stanford Research Institute study\u003c/a>, California needs at least 5,000 new arts teachers to meet the demand. Rural areas in general \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/education/k-12-education/2024/03/rural-schools-california/\">have a harder time\u003c/a> hiring teachers, particularly those with specialized training.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another obstacle is what some school officials describe as vague directions in the law. Prop. 28 broadly defines what constitutes an arts class, but it doesn’t require those classes to align with the state’s existing \u003ca href=\"https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/vp/cf/\">arts framework\u003c/a>. And schools already get arts funding from the state, leaving some school officials wondering if they can mix their funds and still comply with the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12083046\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12083046\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260508-EXPANSIONCONSEQUENCE-TV-05194-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260508-EXPANSIONCONSEQUENCE-TV-05194-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260508-EXPANSIONCONSEQUENCE-TV-05194-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/05/260508-EXPANSIONCONSEQUENCE-TV-05194-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Heather Posner (center), executive director of Carquinez Garden School, does arts and crafts with children in the school yard of Carquinez Garden School in Crockett on May 8, 2026. \u003ccite>(Tâm Vũ/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We need clarity and confidence that we’re doing this the right way,” said El Dorado County Superintendent of Schools Ed Manansala, saying schools are afraid of misusing the funds – for example, sharing a music teacher with another district but not dividing their time lawfully. “We have a long history of supporting the arts and we really want to make sure we do this right.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Manansala and other school officials also say they’re afraid of getting sued if they don’t use the money correctly. That’s what happened to Los Angeles Unified. Beutner sued his former district last year, claiming it cut existing arts funding and backfilled it with Prop. 28 money, which is prohibited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lawsuit is pending in Los Angeles Superior Court. The district said that its use of Prop. 28 money was legal.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘We should not be fighting over this’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Nonetheless, the confusion led Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/al-muratsuchi-34399\">Al Muratsuchi\u003c/a> to \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2440\">write a bill\u003c/a> that would clarify some of the Prop. 28 language – for example, defining what constitutes supplemental arts funding. The legislation so far has had nearly unanimous bipartisan support, but one very vocal opponent: Beutner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beutner said that Muratsuchi’s bill, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260ab2440\">Assembly Bill 2440\u003c/a>, essentially guts Prop. 28 by giving schools too much leeway to spend their money. Among his concerns is that districts will not increase arts education at all school sites, but instead cluster it at certain schools or try to pawn off a physical education class, for example, as an arts class.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I believe in the arts, and what it can do for students. Some kids only come to school because of the arts,” Beutner said. “We should not be fighting over this. Prop. 28 is very clear” in that it requires schools to add extra arts programs, not replace existing programs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12089615\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1777px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12089615\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_6623_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1777\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_6623_qed.jpg 1777w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_6623_qed-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/IMG_6623_qed-1536x1152.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1777px) 100vw, 1777px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The majority of students enrolled in the transitional kindergarten program at Kingsley Elementary School come from Spanish-speaking families. Teacher Ana Quintanilla helps them learn basic letters and words. \u003ccite>(Ana Tintocalis/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Beutner also described the bill as a “get-out-of-jail-free card” for Los Angeles Unified, because he said it would give the district more freedom in how it spends its Prop. 28 money. District spokesperson Christy Hagen said in an email that the district had nothing to do with the bill and hasn’t taken a position on it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Beutner said he’d like to see Muratsuchi’s legislation tabled until a judge rules on his lawsuit against Los Angeles Unified. Otherwise, spending the funding could become even more confusing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bill is currently in the suspense file in the Senate appropriations committee, awaiting approval Thursday. If the committee doesn’t agree to hear it, it’ll likely die.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Muratsuchi said he’s open to a last-minute compromise.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“(Beutner) and I share the same goal of Prop. 28 providing arts and music to every child in California regardless of zip code,” said Muratsuchi, a Democrat from Torrance. “We want to make sure the law’s language reflects that. Hopefully I convinced him that I mean well and we have the same objective.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Urgent need for clarity\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Clarifying the languageis crucial if the law is going to be successful, said Veronica Alvarez, executive director of Create CA, a nonprofit that promotes arts education in California schools.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Too many school districts are not spending their Prop. 28 money because they’re confused about the guidelines or can’t comply with what they view as overly narrow requirements, Alvarez said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We want clearer statewide rules, so all kids from Shasta to Bakersfield get high-quality arts education,” Alvarez said. “Hopefully we can move forward on this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "california-demands-less-plastic-in-packaging-manufacturers-say-youll-pay-more-for-stuff",
"title": "California Demands Less Plastic in Packaging. Manufacturers Say You’ll Pay More for Stuff",
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"headTitle": "California Demands Less Plastic in Packaging. Manufacturers Say You’ll Pay More for Stuff | 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>More than two dozen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> Assembly Democrats and one state senator sent a letter Wednesday to legislative leaders asking them to delay fees under SB 54, the state’s landmark plastic reduction law, for two years — an eleventh-hour push as the Legislature hurtles toward the end of session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The letter, addressed to Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, was signed by 23 Assemblymembers and Sen. Melissa Hurtado.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It asks lawmakers to pause fee assessment and collection this year and next, commit to a “reform package” next session, and increase legislative oversight of the program going forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The request lands amid a broader fight over how the plastics law is rolling out. Little by little California is demanding that the packages you pick up at your doorstep or at the store contain less plastic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027813\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027813\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A worker sorts plastics at Ridwell’s processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four years ago aims to phase out 25% of non-recyclable, non-compostable plastic by 2032.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To get there, the state tasked a nonprofit, the Circular Action Alliance, with drafting a plan to meet the state goals. The group estimated the work would cost $17.2 billion over five years – and is asking for a three-year exemption from the source-reduction deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as the state moves to implement the law, questions are mounting over how the organization calculates the fees producers — and eventually consumers — will pay, and how much oversight the group actually faces.[aside postID=science_2001611 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2026/08/ClimateSolutionsGetty.jpg']Industry groups say the price tag for complying with the law could be tens of billions of dollars higher than California originally estimated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An industry-commissioned study found the law could cost consumers three times what the state projected — between $683 and $948 a year, rather than $190.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means groceries, shampoo bottles and other consumer goods packed in plastic could cost a little more as the law takes effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, which oversees implementation, declined an interview but said in a written statement that the law puts consumers first and pushes producers to design packaging with recycling in mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Californians are facing rising costs and pollution from increasingly complex packaging that wasn’t designed for the recycling systems local governments, ratepayers, and the state developed and funded over the past four decades,” said CalRecycle director Zoe Heller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The law’s rollout is a dial, not a switch, giving producers flexibility to redesign packaging, invest in recycling systems, reduce single-use plastics, and make adjustments along the way,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Watching the watchers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Circular Action Alliance published its fee schedule in June, spelling out what each producer owes into the system. The fees could add up to more than $10 million for some businesses, according to the Dairy Institute of California. The Dairy Institute is a trade association that represents milk processors and dairy product manufacturers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But unlike a state agency, the Circular Action Alliance answers to almost no one, said Katie Davey, executive director of the Dairy Institute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[The alliance] does not have to go through an audit by the state auditor. They’re not subject to the (California open government law) Brown Act. They’re not subject to public records requests. The Legislature does not approve their budget and does not approve how many employees they need, or how many fees they can charge,” Davey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12011992\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12011992\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Recology, hundreds of tons of recycling is loaded onto conveyor belts and nonrecyclable materials are separated by hand. \u003ccite>(Juan Carlos Lara/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As a private nonprofit, Circular Action Alliance indeed is not subject to the Brown Act or public-records law — but records it submits to CalRecycle or other government entities may be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalRecycle must approve its fee schedule and implementation plan, and has the authority to audit the organization’s performance, said CalRecycle spokesperson Lance Klug, who added that the plastics law includes provisions to ensure the group’s budget and fees are appropriate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance’s role “is not to set California policy,” said its spokesperson, Larine Urbina. “Our role is to implement the framework established by SB 54 under CalRecycle’s oversight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Davey said the gap extends to enforcement. Businesses that fall short will face so-called \u003ca href=\"https://static1.squarespace.com/static/64260ed078c36925b1cf3385/t/6a2ffce95c73742ee3a1dc97/1781529833493/10_Eco-Modulation_CAA_CA_Plan_20260615.pdf\">malus fees,\u003c/a> which fund bonuses for those that comply. But the Circular Action Alliance hasn’t said what those fees will be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shane Gusman, a lobbyist for the Teamsters, which represents hundreds of thousands of California workers, raised similar concerns. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>They’re a wholly independent nonprofit organization that has no oversight. That’s part of the problem.” The union backed the plastics law hoping it would boost jobs; Guzman now says the fees could affect workers too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after the alliance published its fee schedule, Davey and a coalition of industry leaders — including the California Restaurant Association, the California League of Food Producers, the American Forest and Paper Association and the Print Creative Alliance — commissioned a study disputing CalRecycle’s numbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers sort plastics at the Ridwell processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>It found CalRecycle’s 2025 estimate of $21 billion in implementation costs, or $190 a year per California household, rests on “idealized assumptions that fail to capture real-world costs and complications the regulations will create.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study puts the number somewhere between $35 and $58 billion, rising after the implementation period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Klug of CalRecycle said the agency’s earlier reports were just estimates. “The actual costs will be determined by producer choices,” he said. “These costs, for example, will reflect the infrastructure needed to recycle materials that producers are choosing to use.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Agriculture groups push back\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The biggest hurdle for producers is cutting plastic use 25% by 2032 — which state regulators say will require redesigning packaging and shifting toward reusable products, such as dishes at restaurants and paper-based packaging for produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Business groups say they support the state’s goals but call the timeline unworkable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Food safety is one sticking point: alternatives like paper-based containers for berries are less breathable and spoil faster, while heavier glass or cardboard adds transportation costs, said Casey Creamer, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11320553\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11320553\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Driscoll's, the largest berry producer in the world, now grows about the same quantity of raspberries and strawberries in Mexico as it does in California. Many American producers have recently expanded their production to Mexico.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1494\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-800x598.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-1020x762.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-1920x1434.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-1180x881.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-960x717.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-240x179.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-375x280.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-520x388.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Driscoll’s, the largest berry producer in the world, now grows about the same quantity of raspberries and strawberries in Mexico as it does in California. Many American producers have recently expanded their production to Mexico. \u003ccite>(Mike Mozart/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We just don’t want to force something out and not be able to deliver a fresh, healthy commodity, or create a situation that has more significant or adverse environmental concerns just because we look at plastics and packaging in a silo,” Creamer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmental groups oppose any pause.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of us pay for plastic pollution through higher garbage bills and clean-ups of polluted beaches and waterways, not to mention the damage to our environment and our health,”said Nick Lapis, director of advocacy for Californians Against Waste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat representing coastal Los Angeles County who authored the law, said it’s time plastic producers are held accountable for the waste they produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This 11th-hour Hail Mary is only trying to maintain status quo and avoid due responsibility, throwing years of good-faith negotiations, and affordability and sustainability improvements out the window,” he said in a statement about producers’ efforts to pause implementation of the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Businesses pass costs to consumers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Whether the plastics law is actually driving up grocery prices yet is hard to pin down. Creamer said businesses may already be factoring the organization’s planned fees into their prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal data show grocery prices dipped slightly in July from June, though prices have climbed year over year and that rate is accelerating, said Richard Volpe, a consumer-price expert at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Neither the USDA nor the Bureau of Labor Statistics has released August figures, and no data yet isolates the state plastics law’s effect from broader inflation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Volpe said retailers, who run on thin margins, will eventually pass costs on to consumers — but probably not right away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12015784\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12015784\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-800x560.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-1020x714.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-1536x1075.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-1920x1344.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raw Farm raw milk containers are displayed on a shelf at a grocery store on Nov. 25, 2024, in San Anselmo, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It will not happen overnight,” he said. “And it will still be relatively small, mostly on the order of pennies on the dollar.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry groups warn it will add up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If someone’s even on the cusp of food insecurity and they’re looking at $1,000 more a year, that’s pushing them over the food cliff,” said Nate Rose, a spokesperson for the California Grocers Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Teamsters, which backed the plastics law hoping it would boost jobs, now worry the fees could affect workers too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law “has been morphed into something that is going to cost California consumers a substantial amount of money at a time when I don’t know if we need to spend thousands more on groceries,” said Gusman, the Teamsters lobbyist. “That also has an impact on the workforce.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/08/plastics-law-producer-responsibility-consumer/\">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",
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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>More than two dozen \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a> Assembly Democrats and one state senator sent a letter Wednesday to legislative leaders asking them to delay fees under SB 54, the state’s landmark plastic reduction law, for two years — an eleventh-hour push as the Legislature hurtles toward the end of session.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The letter, addressed to Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, was signed by 23 Assemblymembers and Sen. Melissa Hurtado.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It asks lawmakers to pause fee assessment and collection this year and next, commit to a “reform package” next session, and increase legislative oversight of the program going forward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The request lands amid a broader fight over how the plastics law is rolling out. Little by little California is demanding that the packages you pick up at your doorstep or at the store contain less plastic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027813\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027813\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_Ridwell_DB_01232_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A worker sorts plastics at Ridwell’s processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>A law Gov. Gavin Newsom signed four years ago aims to phase out 25% of non-recyclable, non-compostable plastic by 2032.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To get there, the state tasked a nonprofit, the Circular Action Alliance, with drafting a plan to meet the state goals. The group estimated the work would cost $17.2 billion over five years – and is asking for a three-year exemption from the source-reduction deadline.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as the state moves to implement the law, questions are mounting over how the organization calculates the fees producers — and eventually consumers — will pay, and how much oversight the group actually faces.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Industry groups say the price tag for complying with the law could be tens of billions of dollars higher than California originally estimated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>An industry-commissioned study found the law could cost consumers three times what the state projected — between $683 and $948 a year, rather than $190.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That means groceries, shampoo bottles and other consumer goods packed in plastic could cost a little more as the law takes effect.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, which oversees implementation, declined an interview but said in a written statement that the law puts consumers first and pushes producers to design packaging with recycling in mind.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Californians are facing rising costs and pollution from increasingly complex packaging that wasn’t designed for the recycling systems local governments, ratepayers, and the state developed and funded over the past four decades,” said CalRecycle director Zoe Heller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The law’s rollout is a dial, not a switch, giving producers flexibility to redesign packaging, invest in recycling systems, reduce single-use plastics, and make adjustments along the way,” she added.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Watching the watchers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Circular Action Alliance published its fee schedule in June, spelling out what each producer owes into the system. The fees could add up to more than $10 million for some businesses, according to the Dairy Institute of California. The Dairy Institute is a trade association that represents milk processors and dairy product manufacturers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But unlike a state agency, the Circular Action Alliance answers to almost no one, said Katie Davey, executive director of the Dairy Institute.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[The alliance] does not have to go through an audit by the state auditor. They’re not subject to the (California open government law) Brown Act. They’re not subject to public records requests. The Legislature does not approve their budget and does not approve how many employees they need, or how many fees they can charge,” Davey said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12011992\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12011992\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/10/241031-Recycling-Campaign-Flyers-JCL-03-KQED-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">At Recology, hundreds of tons of recycling is loaded onto conveyor belts and nonrecyclable materials are separated by hand. \u003ccite>(Juan Carlos Lara/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As a private nonprofit, Circular Action Alliance indeed is not subject to the Brown Act or public-records law — but records it submits to CalRecycle or other government entities may be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalRecycle must approve its fee schedule and implementation plan, and has the authority to audit the organization’s performance, said CalRecycle spokesperson Lance Klug, who added that the plastics law includes provisions to ensure the group’s budget and fees are appropriate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The alliance’s role “is not to set California policy,” said its spokesperson, Larine Urbina. “Our role is to implement the framework established by SB 54 under CalRecycle’s oversight.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Davey said the gap extends to enforcement. Businesses that fall short will face so-called \u003ca href=\"https://static1.squarespace.com/static/64260ed078c36925b1cf3385/t/6a2ffce95c73742ee3a1dc97/1781529833493/10_Eco-Modulation_CAA_CA_Plan_20260615.pdf\">malus fees,\u003c/a> which fund bonuses for those that comply. But the Circular Action Alliance hasn’t said what those fees will be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shane Gusman, a lobbyist for the Teamsters, which represents hundreds of thousands of California workers, raised similar concerns. \u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>They’re a wholly independent nonprofit organization that has no oversight. That’s part of the problem.” The union backed the plastics law hoping it would boost jobs; Guzman now says the fees could affect workers too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Shortly after the alliance published its fee schedule, Davey and a coalition of industry leaders — including the California Restaurant Association, the California League of Food Producers, the American Forest and Paper Association and the Print Creative Alliance — commissioned a study disputing CalRecycle’s numbers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12026737\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12026737\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/20250124_RIDWELL_DB_00484-KQED-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers sort plastics at the Ridwell processing plant in San Leandro. \u003ccite>(David M. Barreda/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cdiv class=\"mceTemp\">\u003c/div>\n\u003cp>It found CalRecycle’s 2025 estimate of $21 billion in implementation costs, or $190 a year per California household, rests on “idealized assumptions that fail to capture real-world costs and complications the regulations will create.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The study puts the number somewhere between $35 and $58 billion, rising after the implementation period.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Klug of CalRecycle said the agency’s earlier reports were just estimates. “The actual costs will be determined by producer choices,” he said. “These costs, for example, will reflect the infrastructure needed to recycle materials that producers are choosing to use.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Agriculture groups push back\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The biggest hurdle for producers is cutting plastic use 25% by 2032 — which state regulators say will require redesigning packaging and shifting toward reusable products, such as dishes at restaurants and paper-based packaging for produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Business groups say they support the state’s goals but call the timeline unworkable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Food safety is one sticking point: alternatives like paper-based containers for berries are less breathable and spoil faster, while heavier glass or cardboard adds transportation costs, said Casey Creamer, president of the California Fresh Fruit Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11320553\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11320553\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb.jpg\" alt=\"Driscoll's, the largest berry producer in the world, now grows about the same quantity of raspberries and strawberries in Mexico as it does in California. Many American producers have recently expanded their production to Mexico.\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1494\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-800x598.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-1020x762.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-1920x1434.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-1180x881.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-960x717.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-240x179.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-375x280.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/02/11320552-thumb-520x388.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Driscoll’s, the largest berry producer in the world, now grows about the same quantity of raspberries and strawberries in Mexico as it does in California. Many American producers have recently expanded their production to Mexico. \u003ccite>(Mike Mozart/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“We just don’t want to force something out and not be able to deliver a fresh, healthy commodity, or create a situation that has more significant or adverse environmental concerns just because we look at plastics and packaging in a silo,” Creamer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Environmental groups oppose any pause.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of us pay for plastic pollution through higher garbage bills and clean-ups of polluted beaches and waterways, not to mention the damage to our environment and our health,”said Nick Lapis, director of advocacy for Californians Against Waste.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sen. Ben Allen, a Democrat representing coastal Los Angeles County who authored the law, said it’s time plastic producers are held accountable for the waste they produce.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This 11th-hour Hail Mary is only trying to maintain status quo and avoid due responsibility, throwing years of good-faith negotiations, and affordability and sustainability improvements out the window,” he said in a statement about producers’ efforts to pause implementation of the law.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Businesses pass costs to consumers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Whether the plastics law is actually driving up grocery prices yet is hard to pin down. Creamer said businesses may already be factoring the organization’s planned fees into their prices.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Federal data show grocery prices dipped slightly in July from June, though prices have climbed year over year and that rate is accelerating, said Richard Volpe, a consumer-price expert at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Neither the USDA nor the Bureau of Labor Statistics has released August figures, and no data yet isolates the state plastics law’s effect from broader inflation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Volpe said retailers, who run on thin margins, will eventually pass costs on to consumers — but probably not right away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12015784\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12015784\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-800x560.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-1020x714.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-160x112.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-1536x1075.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/11/BirdFluMilkFresnoGetty-1920x1344.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Raw Farm raw milk containers are displayed on a shelf at a grocery store on Nov. 25, 2024, in San Anselmo, California. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It will not happen overnight,” he said. “And it will still be relatively small, mostly on the order of pennies on the dollar.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Industry groups warn it will add up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If someone’s even on the cusp of food insecurity and they’re looking at $1,000 more a year, that’s pushing them over the food cliff,” said Nate Rose, a spokesperson for the California Grocers Association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Teamsters, which backed the plastics law hoping it would boost jobs, now worry the fees could affect workers too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The law “has been morphed into something that is going to cost California consumers a substantial amount of money at a time when I don’t know if we need to spend thousands more on groceries,” said Gusman, the Teamsters lobbyist. “That also has an impact on the workforce.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/08/plastics-law-producer-responsibility-consumer/\">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\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "californians-face-eviction-as-insurer-cancels-assisted-living-benefit",
"title": "Californians Face Eviction as Insurer Cancels Assisted Living Benefit",
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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>Four weeks ago, Matt Johnstone received a call from the board-and-care facility in North Hollywood where his 89-year-old father lives. Health Net, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/health-insurance\">insurance\u003c/a> company that pays for his care, was eliminating its assisted living benefit, meaning he would have to move out soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnstone panicked. His father has dementia and needs around-the-clock care. Neither Johnstone nor his brother can afford the roughly $6,000 per month the facility costs, and with health problems of their own, they can’t safely meet his needs at home either. Without insurance coverage, their father could end up on the streets, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095716\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095716\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_21.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_21.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_21-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_21-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matt Johnstone helps his dad put on his shoes while he sits at the edge of his bed in his room at an assisted living facility in North Hollywood on Aug. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He’s declining, and I just don’t know what’s going to happen if the program ends,” Johnstone said. CalMatters is not publishing the father’s name because Johnstone fears the plan will target him for speaking with media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health Net, one of the largest \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/medi-cal/\">Medi-Cal\u003c/a> insurers in the country, is canceling assisted living benefits for members at the end of the year, according to documents obtained by CalMatters and interviews with providers. Approximately 3,500 Medi-Cal patients like Johnstone’s father rely on Health Net to pay for assisted living costs. Most are elderly, and many have cognitive issues like dementia, senior advocates say. Medi-Cal is the state’s public insurance program for low-income Californians and people with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalViva Health and Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley, which contract with Health Net to provide services, have also notified the state of their intent to discontinue assisted living benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health Net’s decision has been shrouded in confusion with little public information. Senior advocates and family members of assisted living residents fear people will become homeless or be shuffled between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A disaster in the making?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Pauline Shatara, deputy director of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, said a few assisted living facilities have already confirmed to her organization that residents have been dropped off at emergency rooms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is going to be a disaster,” Shatara said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Senior advocates also say the state did not include enough consumer protections to ensure patients stay housed if plans decide to terminate coverage. State regulators dispute that characterization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095717\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095717\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_27.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_27.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_27-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_27-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pictures of Johnstone’s father with puppies, books, a stuffed animal and a first-prize award for a motorcycle show sit on a nightstand in his room. \u003ccite>(Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The assisted living support is an optional Medi-Cal benefit, meaning plans can opt-into offering it to members and decide annually whether the program will continue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assisted living support is part of CalAIM, California’s broad effort to improve Medi-Cal services and save money by stabilizing high-cost users who often end up repeatedly in emergency rooms. It pays a majority of the 24-hour service costs at board-and-care homes, memory care facilities, or larger group settings, while residents cover room-and-board fees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The average nursing home, which offers a higher level of medical care, costs upwards of \u003ca href=\"https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/2023/dimensions-and-indicators/nursing-home-cost\">$10,000 per month\u003c/a>, while an assisted living facility costs between $5,000 to $7,000 monthly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state created the benefit in part to relieve pressure on a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2022/09/medi-cal-assisted-living/\">separate assisted living program for low-income patients\u003c/a> managed directly by the state, which has an 18,000 person cap and a three- to four-year waitlist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health Net operates Medi-Cal plans in 10 counties: Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare.\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">[aside postID=news_12095504 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/gettyimages-1257858410-scaled.jpeg']\u003c/span>In an unsigned statement, a spokesperson for the company disputed the assertion that patients would be left without services and would end up unhoused. Affected members will receive care through their individual authorization date, and could be transitioned to nursing homes, back home with in-home supportive services, or to other programs, according to the statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are working closely with members, providers and care management teams to develop individualized transition plans based on each member’s clinical needs and eligibility for other available programs and services,” the company statement said.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The statement also said internal data showed the assisted living program “has not led to better care” in terms of fewer emergency room visits or days hospitalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health Net told state regulators its decision was fueled partly by an increase in members moving from home to assisted living rather than from nursing homes, a trend that costs the plan money instead of generating savings, according to a termination notice sent to the Department of Health Care Services. The plan also blames regulators for changing program guidelines that had previously allowed Health Net to limit community transitions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The guidance raises concerns regarding program integrity and long term viability,” the notice reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Health Care Services, which oversees the program, refused an interview request. In an emailed statement, officials said the department would communicate with Health Net to “ensure member protections and continuity of care”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health Net’s decision follows a \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/health/recuperative-care-soul-housing-health-net-discharge-contract-terminate-transition-plan-respite\">similar one last year to terminate a separate CalAIM benefit with a provider in L.A. County\u003c/a>, affecting hundreds of people in temporary medical housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their position is it’s less costly to offer no services than some services,” said Hagar Dickman, director of long-term services and supports for Justice In Aging.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>No information sparks confusion, ‘rumor mill’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When Johnstone first heard about Health Net’s decision, he searched the company’s website for information about the change: Nothing. Then, he picked up the phone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I called into Health Net customer service, they didn’t even know what the program is,” Johnstone said. He has not received a letter notifying him of the upcoming termination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jennifer Horcasitas-Glenn ran into the same problem. Her 75-year-old mother-in-law, Jacqueline Glenn, has dementia and Alzheimer’s. Horcasistas-Glenn and her husband spent nine years caring for Jacqueline at home until recent hospitalizations made it impossible to continue. She has been in a memory care facility since May.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095719\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095719\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_23.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_23.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_23-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_23-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Johnstone’s father smokes his pipe outside an assisted living facility in North Hollywood on Aug. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Horcasitas-Glenn said she was also notified of the change by a third-party provider, not Health Net, and hasn’t gotten answers from the insurer. Horcasitas-Glenn said she spent days bouncing between customer service representatives and supervisors who had never heard of the program before being transferred to a Health Net social worker who was aware of the changes but had no further information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I told her I have a plethora of questions I need answered. She said ‘I think you should forward all of your questions to this email,’” Horcasitas-Glenn said. To-date she has not received answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The health plan notified some major contractors that services would be terminated Oct. 7, according to providers interviewed by CalMatters. But Medi-Cal enrollees themselves have not been notified of changes by Health Net, according to advocates and multiple families interviewed for this story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the biggest sources of confusion is when services will actually stop. Many of the plan contracts end in October, but the plan has an obligation to continue services until the end of the year, Dickman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The question is, what’s Health Net going to do after October 7? They don’t have contracts with these facilities, so how are they going to provide?” said Jonathan Istrin, chairman of Libertana, one of the groups whose contracts were terminated. Libertana subcontracts with hundreds of assisted living facilities in California, Istrin said, and Health Net doesn’t have the infrastructure to pay those places directly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028053\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2048px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028053\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Various analyses have found that many who escalate complaints to government regulators successfully get insurance denials overturned. Consumer advocates and policymakers say that’s a clear sign insurance companies routinely deny care they shouldn’t. \u003ccite>(Skynesher/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Health Net must notify members of termination 30 days before the service end date. Providers aren’t certain whether notices will go out at the end of September or beginning of December. For some, the notices may come after members are already evicted, Shatara said..\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now it can feel like a rumor mill and nobody knows what they should do because Health Net has not been giving anyone any information,” Shatara said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Aug. 10, Horcasitas-Glenn said she received a letter from Health Net stating that approval for her mother’s memory care facility would be revoked a month early “at the request of the provider.” The provider told Horcasitas-Glenn that they had not requested an early termination and had instead asked Health Net how to accommodate patients who have a right to services until the end of the year. CalMatters independently confirmed this information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is baloney. They’re not being transparent about anything, and they’re lying on documents,” Horcasitas-Glenn said. Customer service still doesn’t know what program she’s talking about when she calls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to state regulators, Health Net members are entitled to services until Dec. 31 as long as it is “clinically appropriate.” If the authorization for a member’s assisted living expires before the end of the year, they should request an extension.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>State offers few consumer protections\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Other than the 30-day notice, advocates say, the state has very few protections for patients when services are terminated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health Net has not given patients transition plans, and the state cannot guarantee patients will receive the same level of care elsewhere, Shatara said. Advocates and providers told CalMatters the Department of Health Care Services and Health Net have mutually referred questions to the other organization, offering no clear answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Health Care Services in an email argued its patient notification requirements are adequate, stating “Medi-Cal members have strong protections.” Some patient protections include the right to appeal or file a grievance with the plan, access to alternative services, and continuity-of-care requirements. The state also places responsibility with Health Net.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095729\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095729\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_14.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_14.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_14-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_14-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matt Johnstone, left, and Russell Granger, right, help their father Jim get up from his bed at an assisted living facility in North Hollywood on Aug. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to the termination notice filed with the state, Health Net members “will be transitioned to alternative care settings, including home, as appropriate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cfigcaption>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For most patients, home is not an option, Shatara said. Many live on fixed Social Security incomes and give up their primary residence in order to pay room and board fees at care facilities that Medi-Cal doesn’t cover. Their needs are also too acute for family members to meet. The only other appropriate alternative care settings, Shatara said, are nursing homes and hospitals, which may not be able to handle the influx.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s inevitable that people will end up in ERs and on the streets,” Shatara said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some families like Horcasitas-Glenn are contemplating switching to another Medi-Cal insurer that still provides the benefit, but have been told other plans don’t want to approve these expensive long-term services for new patients. Others, like Johnstone, are at a loss.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnstone’s dad turned a lifelong love of motorcycles and racecars into a successful autobody repair and restoration business in Southern California. Eventually, in his later years, undiagnosed dementia would trap his mind 20 years in the past, Johnstone said, causing him to make poor business decisions and take on enormous amounts of debt and work he could no longer perform. A terminal cancer diagnosis for Johnstone’s mother would also wipe out all of the family’s savings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is nothing else,” Johnstone said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Worried your loved one will be affected by changes to Medi-Cal services? Send tips to health@calmatters.org.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\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\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/08/assisted-living-healthnet-coverage/\">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",
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"excerpt": "Health Net’s decision to cut assisted living benefits for roughly 3,500 low-income seniors could force some of them onto the streets, critics fear.",
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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>Four weeks ago, Matt Johnstone received a call from the board-and-care facility in North Hollywood where his 89-year-old father lives. Health Net, the \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/health-insurance\">insurance\u003c/a> company that pays for his care, was eliminating its assisted living benefit, meaning he would have to move out soon.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnstone panicked. His father has dementia and needs around-the-clock care. Neither Johnstone nor his brother can afford the roughly $6,000 per month the facility costs, and with health problems of their own, they can’t safely meet his needs at home either. Without insurance coverage, their father could end up on the streets, he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095716\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095716\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_21.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_21.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_21-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_21-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matt Johnstone helps his dad put on his shoes while he sits at the edge of his bed in his room at an assisted living facility in North Hollywood on Aug. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“He’s declining, and I just don’t know what’s going to happen if the program ends,” Johnstone said. CalMatters is not publishing the father’s name because Johnstone fears the plan will target him for speaking with media.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health Net, one of the largest \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/tag/medi-cal/\">Medi-Cal\u003c/a> insurers in the country, is canceling assisted living benefits for members at the end of the year, according to documents obtained by CalMatters and interviews with providers. Approximately 3,500 Medi-Cal patients like Johnstone’s father rely on Health Net to pay for assisted living costs. Most are elderly, and many have cognitive issues like dementia, senior advocates say. Medi-Cal is the state’s public insurance program for low-income Californians and people with disabilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>CalViva Health and Community Health Plan of Imperial Valley, which contract with Health Net to provide services, have also notified the state of their intent to discontinue assisted living benefits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health Net’s decision has been shrouded in confusion with little public information. Senior advocates and family members of assisted living residents fear people will become homeless or be shuffled between hospitals and skilled nursing facilities.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A disaster in the making?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Pauline Shatara, deputy director of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, said a few assisted living facilities have already confirmed to her organization that residents have been dropped off at emergency rooms.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is going to be a disaster,” Shatara said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Senior advocates also say the state did not include enough consumer protections to ensure patients stay housed if plans decide to terminate coverage. State regulators dispute that characterization.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095717\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095717\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_27.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_27.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_27-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_27-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Pictures of Johnstone’s father with puppies, books, a stuffed animal and a first-prize award for a motorcycle show sit on a nightstand in his room. \u003ccite>(Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The assisted living support is an optional Medi-Cal benefit, meaning plans can opt-into offering it to members and decide annually whether the program will continue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Assisted living support is part of CalAIM, California’s broad effort to improve Medi-Cal services and save money by stabilizing high-cost users who often end up repeatedly in emergency rooms. It pays a majority of the 24-hour service costs at board-and-care homes, memory care facilities, or larger group settings, while residents cover room-and-board fees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The average nursing home, which offers a higher level of medical care, costs upwards of \u003ca href=\"https://ltsschoices.aarp.org/scorecard-report/2023/dimensions-and-indicators/nursing-home-cost\">$10,000 per month\u003c/a>, while an assisted living facility costs between $5,000 to $7,000 monthly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The state created the benefit in part to relieve pressure on a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2022/09/medi-cal-assisted-living/\">separate assisted living program for low-income patients\u003c/a> managed directly by the state, which has an 18,000 person cap and a three- to four-year waitlist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health Net operates Medi-Cal plans in 10 counties: Amador, Calaveras, Fresno, Inyo, Los Angeles, Mono, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tulare.\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/span>In an unsigned statement, a spokesperson for the company disputed the assertion that patients would be left without services and would end up unhoused. Affected members will receive care through their individual authorization date, and could be transitioned to nursing homes, back home with in-home supportive services, or to other programs, according to the statement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We are working closely with members, providers and care management teams to develop individualized transition plans based on each member’s clinical needs and eligibility for other available programs and services,” the company statement said.\u003cstrong> \u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The statement also said internal data showed the assisted living program “has not led to better care” in terms of fewer emergency room visits or days hospitalized.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health Net told state regulators its decision was fueled partly by an increase in members moving from home to assisted living rather than from nursing homes, a trend that costs the plan money instead of generating savings, according to a termination notice sent to the Department of Health Care Services. The plan also blames regulators for changing program guidelines that had previously allowed Health Net to limit community transitions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The guidance raises concerns regarding program integrity and long term viability,” the notice reads.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Health Care Services, which oversees the program, refused an interview request. In an emailed statement, officials said the department would communicate with Health Net to “ensure member protections and continuity of care”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health Net’s decision follows a \u003ca href=\"https://laist.com/news/health/recuperative-care-soul-housing-health-net-discharge-contract-terminate-transition-plan-respite\">similar one last year to terminate a separate CalAIM benefit with a provider in L.A. County\u003c/a>, affecting hundreds of people in temporary medical housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Their position is it’s less costly to offer no services than some services,” said Hagar Dickman, director of long-term services and supports for Justice In Aging.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>No information sparks confusion, ‘rumor mill’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When Johnstone first heard about Health Net’s decision, he searched the company’s website for information about the change: Nothing. Then, he picked up the phone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I called into Health Net customer service, they didn’t even know what the program is,” Johnstone said. He has not received a letter notifying him of the upcoming termination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jennifer Horcasitas-Glenn ran into the same problem. Her 75-year-old mother-in-law, Jacqueline Glenn, has dementia and Alzheimer’s. Horcasistas-Glenn and her husband spent nine years caring for Jacqueline at home until recent hospitalizations made it impossible to continue. She has been in a memory care facility since May.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095719\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095719\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_23.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_23.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_23-160x107.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_23-1536x1024.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Johnstone’s father smokes his pipe outside an assisted living facility in North Hollywood on Aug. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Horcasitas-Glenn said she was also notified of the change by a third-party provider, not Health Net, and hasn’t gotten answers from the insurer. Horcasitas-Glenn said she spent days bouncing between customer service representatives and supervisors who had never heard of the program before being transferred to a Health Net social worker who was aware of the changes but had no further information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I told her I have a plethora of questions I need answered. She said ‘I think you should forward all of your questions to this email,’” Horcasitas-Glenn said. To-date she has not received answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The health plan notified some major contractors that services would be terminated Oct. 7, according to providers interviewed by CalMatters. But Medi-Cal enrollees themselves have not been notified of changes by Health Net, according to advocates and multiple families interviewed for this story.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One of the biggest sources of confusion is when services will actually stop. Many of the plan contracts end in October, but the plan has an obligation to continue services until the end of the year, Dickman said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The question is, what’s Health Net going to do after October 7? They don’t have contracts with these facilities, so how are they going to provide?” said Jonathan Istrin, chairman of Libertana, one of the groups whose contracts were terminated. Libertana subcontracts with hundreds of assisted living facilities in California, Istrin said, and Health Net doesn’t have the infrastructure to pay those places directly.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12028053\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2048px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12028053\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1365\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/GettyImages-1434072256-copy-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Various analyses have found that many who escalate complaints to government regulators successfully get insurance denials overturned. Consumer advocates and policymakers say that’s a clear sign insurance companies routinely deny care they shouldn’t. \u003ccite>(Skynesher/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Health Net must notify members of termination 30 days before the service end date. Providers aren’t certain whether notices will go out at the end of September or beginning of December. For some, the notices may come after members are already evicted, Shatara said..\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Right now it can feel like a rumor mill and nobody knows what they should do because Health Net has not been giving anyone any information,” Shatara said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Aug. 10, Horcasitas-Glenn said she received a letter from Health Net stating that approval for her mother’s memory care facility would be revoked a month early “at the request of the provider.” The provider told Horcasitas-Glenn that they had not requested an early termination and had instead asked Health Net how to accommodate patients who have a right to services until the end of the year. CalMatters independently confirmed this information.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This is baloney. They’re not being transparent about anything, and they’re lying on documents,” Horcasitas-Glenn said. Customer service still doesn’t know what program she’s talking about when she calls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to state regulators, Health Net members are entitled to services until Dec. 31 as long as it is “clinically appropriate.” If the authorization for a member’s assisted living expires before the end of the year, they should request an extension.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>State offers few consumer protections\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Other than the 30-day notice, advocates say, the state has very few protections for patients when services are terminated.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Health Net has not given patients transition plans, and the state cannot guarantee patients will receive the same level of care elsewhere, Shatara said. Advocates and providers told CalMatters the Department of Health Care Services and Health Net have mutually referred questions to the other organization, offering no clear answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Department of Health Care Services in an email argued its patient notification requirements are adequate, stating “Medi-Cal members have strong protections.” Some patient protections include the right to appeal or file a grievance with the plan, access to alternative services, and continuity-of-care requirements. The state also places responsibility with Health Net.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12095729\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12095729\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_14.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_14.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_14-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/081326_Assisted-Living_AD_CM_14-1536x1024.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Matt Johnstone, left, and Russell Granger, right, help their father Jim get up from his bed at an assisted living facility in North Hollywood on Aug. 13, 2026. \u003ccite>(Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>According to the termination notice filed with the state, Health Net members “will be transitioned to alternative care settings, including home, as appropriate.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure>\u003cfigcaption>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For most patients, home is not an option, Shatara said. Many live on fixed Social Security incomes and give up their primary residence in order to pay room and board fees at care facilities that Medi-Cal doesn’t cover. Their needs are also too acute for family members to meet. The only other appropriate alternative care settings, Shatara said, are nursing homes and hospitals, which may not be able to handle the influx.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s inevitable that people will end up in ERs and on the streets,” Shatara said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some families like Horcasitas-Glenn are contemplating switching to another Medi-Cal insurer that still provides the benefit, but have been told other plans don’t want to approve these expensive long-term services for new patients. Others, like Johnstone, are at a loss.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Johnstone’s dad turned a lifelong love of motorcycles and racecars into a successful autobody repair and restoration business in Southern California. Eventually, in his later years, undiagnosed dementia would trap his mind 20 years in the past, Johnstone said, causing him to make poor business decisions and take on enormous amounts of debt and work he could no longer perform. A terminal cancer diagnosis for Johnstone’s mother would also wipe out all of the family’s savings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There is nothing else,” Johnstone said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Worried your loved one will be affected by changes to Medi-Cal services? Send tips to health@calmatters.org.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\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\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/health/2026/08/assisted-living-healthnet-coverage/\">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\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "California Lawmakers Kill Grizzly Bear Reintroduction Bill",
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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>Lawmakers on Thursday killed a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/07/california-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill/\">controversial plan\u003c/a> that could have allowed grizzly bears to one day return to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Assembly Appropriations Committee spiked Inglewood Democratic Sen. Laura Richardson’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1305\">Senate Bill 1305\u003c/a>. The measure would have tasked the California Department of Fish and Wildlife with creating a “roadmap that evaluates whether, and under what conditions, reintroduction of the grizzly bear is feasible and advisable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As is typical with the Legislature’s appropriations committees, lawmakers didn’t discuss the bill; nor did they take public testimony before the committee’s chairperson, Democratic Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/buffy-wicks-165044\" data-type=\"link\">Buffy Wicks\u003c/a> of Oakland, announced the decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wicks later told reporters that before intentionally reintroducing grizzly bears, the state must figure out how humans can best coexist with predatory wildlife. She pointed to the controversial return of gray wolves to California and the subsequent loss of cattle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The state needs to really invest in how we are actually addressing and dealing with those conflicts,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12076801\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12076801\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260317-MONARCH-THE-BEAR-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260317-MONARCH-THE-BEAR-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260317-MONARCH-THE-BEAR-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260317-MONARCH-THE-BEAR-04-KQED-1536x1028.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">It is often said that the bear on the modern California state flag is based on “Monarch,” one of the last grizzly bears to live in the state. But researchers now believe it was based on the drawing of another bear, Samson. \u003ccite>(Joseph Sohm/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Grizzlies once lived across most of California. As many as 10,000 may have roamed before the Gold Rush.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They were so prevalent that when California settlers tried to form their own nation, they called it the Bear Flag Republic. A grizzly bear is memorialized on California’s flag.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Settlers systematically exterminated the animals. They were gone by the 1920s, leaving the smaller black bear as California’s only surviving native bear species.[aside postID=news_12092538 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/20260604_YOLOBATS_GC-2-KQED.jpg']Two Native American tribes consponsored the bill, and several animal welfare and environmental groups supported it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They argued that bringing the second largest land predator back to America’s most populated state would right an ecological wrong and help restore California’s degraded ecosystem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents included ranchers, hunting associations and rural communities. They argued California is far too populated with people to sustain another apex predator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rural communities are already overwhelmed with conflicts with mountain lions, black bears and wolves that attack livestock and wander into their towns, opponents said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure set aside no funding for the study, but it allowed for a future Legislature or an outside group to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Yue Stella Yu contributed reporting. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bill/\">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\u003cp>\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>Lawmakers on Thursday killed a \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/07/california-grizzly-bear-reintroduction-bill/\">controversial plan\u003c/a> that could have allowed grizzly bears to one day return to \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Assembly Appropriations Committee spiked Inglewood Democratic Sen. Laura Richardson’s \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/bills/ca_202520260sb1305\">Senate Bill 1305\u003c/a>. The measure would have tasked the California Department of Fish and Wildlife with creating a “roadmap that evaluates whether, and under what conditions, reintroduction of the grizzly bear is feasible and advisable.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As is typical with the Legislature’s appropriations committees, lawmakers didn’t discuss the bill; nor did they take public testimony before the committee’s chairperson, Democratic Assemblymember \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.digitaldemocracy.org/legislators/buffy-wicks-165044\" data-type=\"link\">Buffy Wicks\u003c/a> of Oakland, announced the decision.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Wicks later told reporters that before intentionally reintroducing grizzly bears, the state must figure out how humans can best coexist with predatory wildlife. She pointed to the controversial return of gray wolves to California and the subsequent loss of cattle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The state needs to really invest in how we are actually addressing and dealing with those conflicts,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12076801\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12076801\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260317-MONARCH-THE-BEAR-04-KQED.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1339\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260317-MONARCH-THE-BEAR-04-KQED.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260317-MONARCH-THE-BEAR-04-KQED-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/03/260317-MONARCH-THE-BEAR-04-KQED-1536x1028.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">It is often said that the bear on the modern California state flag is based on “Monarch,” one of the last grizzly bears to live in the state. But researchers now believe it was based on the drawing of another bear, Samson. \u003ccite>(Joseph Sohm/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Grizzlies once lived across most of California. As many as 10,000 may have roamed before the Gold Rush.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They were so prevalent that when California settlers tried to form their own nation, they called it the Bear Flag Republic. A grizzly bear is memorialized on California’s flag.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Settlers systematically exterminated the animals. They were gone by the 1920s, leaving the smaller black bear as California’s only surviving native bear species.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Two Native American tribes consponsored the bill, and several animal welfare and environmental groups supported it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They argued that bringing the second largest land predator back to America’s most populated state would right an ecological wrong and help restore California’s degraded ecosystem.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Opponents included ranchers, hunting associations and rural communities. They argued California is far too populated with people to sustain another apex predator.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Rural communities are already overwhelmed with conflicts with mountain lions, black bears and wolves that attack livestock and wander into their towns, opponents said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The measure set aside no funding for the study, but it allowed for a future Legislature or an outside group to do so.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Yue Stella Yu contributed reporting. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/politics/2026/08/lawmakers-kill-grizzly-bill/\">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\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "federal-colorado-river-plan-leaves-states-guessing-every-two-years",
"title": "Federal Colorado River Plan Leaves States Guessing Every Two Years",
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"headTitle": "Federal Colorado River Plan Leaves States Guessing Every Two Years | 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>Dire water conditions, missed deadlines and uncertainty on the Colorado River are complicating critical water decisions in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No single state, water agency or federal official has shown the power, or the will, to break the deadlock among Colorado River basin states over how to share the dwindling supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Years of fraught negotiations have failed to yield consensus even as major reservoir storage plummets \u003ca href=\"https://www.colorado.edu/center/gwc/media/832\">to record lows\u003c/a> — ratcheting up the tensions, and the stakes, for the states’ negotiators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, key agreements for managing the river are expiring at the end of this year. These include agreements reached in 2007 that lasted nearly two decades, which took fewer than three years to craft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This round of talks has already taken longer — and, so far, produced nothing so durable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the federal steward for the river under the Department of the Interior, last week \u003ca href=\"https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/reclamation-publishes-final-environmental-impact-statement-future-colorado-river\">released\u003c/a> a \u003ca href=\"https://www.usbr.gov/ColoradoRiverBasin/post2026/final-eis/docs/ES/P26_FEIS_ExecSummary_508.pdf\">10-year framework\u003c/a> that establishes rough parameters for managing the river, but imposes no specific long-term plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11627648\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11627648\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal.jpg\" alt=\"The All American Canal, which carries Colorado River water into the Imperial Valley in Southern California. California uses more Colorado River water than any other state.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1201\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-800x500.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-1020x638.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-1180x738.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-960x601.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-240x150.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-375x235.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-520x325.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The All-American Canal, which carries Colorado River water into the Imperial Valley in Southern California. California uses more Colorado River water than any other state. \u003ccite>(David McNew/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The federal provisions include cuts of up to 40% to the shared supply of California, Arizona and Nevada in the lower basin. They also allow releases from Lake Powell, which collects flows from the upper basin, to dip low enough they risk violating a legally required threshold for water deliveries to downstream states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These dramatic cuts are an upper limit for future operations: The federal government plans to roll out more detailed management plans every two years if the states continue their impasse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency will release the first of those plans any day, imposing cuts in the downstream states of California, Arizona and Nevada — an estimated 10% cut to California’s supply through 2028, or roughly 440,000 acre-feet a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No mandatory cuts are expected in the upper basin states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico, according to those involved in negotiations. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-07-23/colorado-river-cuts\">Los Angeles Times\u003c/a> first reported the split.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It reflects the limits of federal power and political will: The Interior Department can force cuts in the lower basin, but has no comparable authority to impose cuts in the upper basin states — the limits of which the Congressional Research Service said are the subject of \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45546#_Toc230185744\">“ongoing debate\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This isn’t the long-term plan that California’s water suppliers were hoping for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950460\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11950460\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Colorado River\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1780\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-800x556.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-1020x709.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-1536x1068.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-2048x1424.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-1920x1335.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Water in Shadow Mountain Lake continues into the Colorado River and flows into Lake Granby to the south on May 13, 2023 near Granby, Colorado. \u003ccite>(Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Building anything to store, move or make more water typically takes decades and billions of dollars. Without longer-term certainty about how states will share the river’s water supply among 40 million people, millions of acres of agriculture, and two states in Mexico — cities and irrigation providers are struggling to plan how to close the gaps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A cut is never fun, but you can deal with it. But not if you say, ‘Well, we have a cut here, and then maybe a cut in two years, and maybe another cut in two more years,’” said Bill Hasencamp, Metropolitan Water District’s manager of Colorado River resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to plan for our future. And this deal does not let us do that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The future of Southern California’s water\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In California, where the availability of water is never certain, nature-defying engineering keeps dry parts of the state flush with water even when little falls from the sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much of that engineering converges around one Southern California supplier: the Metropolitan Water District. The giant wholesaler imports water from Northern California and the Colorado River to supply cities and other retailers serving 19 million people across six counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Metropolitan’s imports are so central to the region that when its Northern California supplies dropped to a trickle during the most recent drought, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2022/04/southern-california-conserve-water/\">6 million Southern Californians faced unprecedented water restrictions in 2022.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027921\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027921\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of New Bullards Bar Reservoir in the Tahoe National Forest near Camptonville, California, on Aug. 15, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Southern California isn’t facing such serious shortfalls again yet. But uncertainty over the Colorado River compounds the risks the next drought will bring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a good chance it’ll be as bad as it’s been, and there’s a reasonable chance that it’ll be worse,” said Hasencamp’s colleague, Keith Nobriga, whose job as an operations manager at Metropolitan is helping the district prepare for the future amid climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The uncertainty also throws a wrench in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration’s water machinations to the north. Metropolitan’s board will play an outsized role in deciding the fates of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/02/california-sites-reservoir/\">Sites Reservoir\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/05/newsom-california-delta-tunnel-water/\">Delta tunnel\u003c/a> because of the district’s water needs and spending power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both multibillion-dollar projects, decades in the making, aim to send more of Northern California’s water south. Metropolitan is also planning a large-scale water recycling and reuse program, called \u003ca href=\"https://www.mwdh2o.com/press-releases/metropolitan-completes-environmental-review-for-pure-water-southern-california\">Pure Water Southern California\u003c/a>, with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Metropolitan has already committed hundreds of millions of dollars to the Delta tunnel’s planning costs and about $31 million for Sites. The board hasn’t committed to receiving water or contributing to construction for either yet, though board votes on whether to approve the tunnel and recycled water project could come as soon as next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986664\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2255px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986664\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2255\" height=\"1458\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211.jpg 2255w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211-800x517.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211-1020x659.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211-1536x993.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211-2048x1324.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211-1920x1241.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2255px) 100vw, 2255px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A ship moves through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta near Bethel Island, Contra Costa County, March 12, 2008. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration now says it will cost more than $20 billion to build a giant tunnel so the state can catch more water when it rains and store it to better prepare for longer droughts caused by climate change. \u003ccite>(Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Subtracting one part of the equation,such as the Colorado River, could change the calculus for the others. But Metropolitan has to know how much water it stands to lose, and for how long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The consequences of picking the wrong path could leave Southern California thirsty during the next drought, on one hand, or unnecessarily increase water rates, on the other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nobriga compares his job to insurance planning. The costs of nudging these water projects along, he says, are like paying an insurance premium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ll keep these projects alive. We’ll keep looking down the road,” he said. “And if it gets to a point where we really think these droughts are imminent, then we’ll … construct and pay the big money for one or several of these projects. And we don’t know which ones yet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Agriculture in limbo\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California uses the largest share of the Colorado River’s water among the states. And the Imperial Irrigation District uses the largest share of that to supply half a million acres of alfalfa, grasses, winter vegetables and other crops in the southeast corner of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As climate change and a megadrought plunged the Colorado River into its driest decades in over a century, the Biden administration struck a deal with the Imperial Irrigation District, trading more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/LCBConservation&EfficiencyProgram/Phase1_SCIA.pdf\">half a billion federal dollars\u003c/a> for short-term water conservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Growers cut irrigation to their alfalfa and other forage crops for weeks at a time, and the district conserved enough water to add more than 12 feet to Lake Mead on the Colorado River, according to Tina Shields, water manager for the irrigation district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10524572\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10524572\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/05/16469741542_36b2d4c6f4_o-e1431555015254.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1079\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Luis Reservoir, just west of the San Joaquin Valley town of Los Banos, is California’s sixth-largest reservoir and stores water pumped south from the Delta by the federal Central Valley Project and State Water Project. \u003ccite>(Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, those conservation programs are coming to the end of their funding and regulatory lifetimes. Starting new ones would require new plans and approvals to address the environmental impact of reduced irrigation runoff that \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/saltonsea/docs/2024/salton-sea-faq.pdf\">feeds the Salton Sea\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seeking those permits and environmental approvals “needs to be done on a longer term, not on a two-year term,” Shields said. “Because it’ll take us at least a year to negotiate, probably longer, the environmental actions necessary to move forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, negotiations are ongoing with other California water users about how they’ll share the coming cuts, including who is going to pay for it, Shields said. The district has not yet committed to anything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The district’s perspective is: We’ve done a lot. We’re doing a lot. It’s challenging to do more,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Art of the deal\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Though the U.S. Department of the Interior has not yet released its plan for the river’s next two years, those involved in negotiations expect that it will call for reductions and conservation in California, Arizona and Nevada similar to what \u003ca href=\"https://crb.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260501-lower-division-states-proposal-2026-2028.pdf\">the states proposed in May\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The three lower-basin states then must agree among themselves and with the federal government on how to implement it. After that, individual water suppliers in California will seek approvals from their boards for their share of the cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jay Weiner, an attorney representing the \u003ca href=\"https://tentribespartnership.org/tribes/fort-yuma-quechan-indian-tribe/\">Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe\u003c/a>, whose reservation lies on both sides of the Colorado River, compared the plan to a Band-Aid, not a long-term path to sustainability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12094409\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094409\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/073026-Lake-Powell-Colorado-River-GETTY-MG-CM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1347\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/073026-Lake-Powell-Colorado-River-GETTY-MG-CM.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/073026-Lake-Powell-Colorado-River-GETTY-MG-CM-160x108.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/073026-Lake-Powell-Colorado-River-GETTY-MG-CM-1536x1034.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A tall bleached “bathtub ring” is visible on the rocky banks of Lake Powell as boats navigate the waters in Page, Arizona on July 30, 2026. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“To a large extent,” Weiner said, “it leaves us at the mercy of this coming winter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration relied on the states reaching consensus rather than imposing terms — an approach that so far hasn’t broken the deadlock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs called for the federal government to step in and broker a deal. But federal leverage looks different in the upper and lower basins. Lower basin stakeholders say there are other strings the federal government could pull upstream, such as forcing water out of reservoirs, but isn’t. And cloistered negotiations and hardline positions among negotiators have driven an impasse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Arizona negotiator Tom Buschatzke publicly lambasted the upper basin in \u003ca href=\"https://waterbank.az.gov/sites/default/files/2025-09/03b-Director-Buschatzke-Opinion-Denver-Post.pdf\">The Denver Post\u003c/a> for failing to propose “One. Single. Gallon.” of mandatory, verifiable reductions. Colorado negotiator \u003ca href=\"https://cwcb.colorado.gov/colorado-river-commissioners-corner\">Becky Mitchell\u003c/a> wrote in \u003ca href=\"https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/07/opinion-colorado-river-compact-water-sharing/\">The Colorado Sun\u003c/a> that had the lower basin states lived within their means, “the reservoirs would not be in crisis today.”[aside postID=news_12093409 hero='https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/07/20260716_ClimateSolutionsCapTrade_GC-6-KQED.jpg']Elizabeth Koebele, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno said that negotiations have been most productive when participants had strong working relationships. Without clear federal leadership, she said, the same conflicts keep resurfacing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fraying relationships, she said, could stem from turnover. But years of constant crisis have also worn people down. “We have been governing in crisis for a long time, and so every time we meet at the table, there’s this big problem to solve,” she said. “The house is on fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the lower basin \u003ca href=\"https://www.inkstain.net/2025/03/the-march-24-month-study-and-the-myth-of-a-compact-call/\">may sue the upper\u003c/a> over deliveries that dip below a legally required threshold, both sides would risk the uncertain outcomes of litigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In essence, this federal action has 40 million people living from paycheck to paycheck on water supply,” said Mark Gold, an environmental scientist and board member of the Metropolitan Water District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That paycheck comes due again in two years with the same states, and the same asymmetry of power, still in place. Until then, the interior secretary can still force deeper cuts on the lower basin. No one, right now, is willing to force the upper basin to do the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2026/08/california-colorado-river-two-year-plan-chaos/\">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\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "The feds are likely to impose a stopgap plan cutting California’s supply 10% through 2028. Worse than the cuts, though, is the uncertainty. Here’s what that means for California.",
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"title": "Federal Colorado River Plan Leaves States Guessing Every Two Years | KQED",
"description": "The feds are likely to impose a stopgap plan cutting California’s supply 10% through 2028. Worse than the cuts, though, is the uncertainty. Here’s what that means for California.",
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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>Dire water conditions, missed deadlines and uncertainty on the Colorado River are complicating critical water decisions in \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/tag/california\">California\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No single state, water agency or federal official has shown the power, or the will, to break the deadlock among Colorado River basin states over how to share the dwindling supplies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Years of fraught negotiations have failed to yield consensus even as major reservoir storage plummets \u003ca href=\"https://www.colorado.edu/center/gwc/media/832\">to record lows\u003c/a> — ratcheting up the tensions, and the stakes, for the states’ negotiators.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Now, key agreements for managing the river are expiring at the end of this year. These include agreements reached in 2007 that lasted nearly two decades, which took fewer than three years to craft.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This round of talks has already taken longer — and, so far, produced nothing so durable.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the federal steward for the river under the Department of the Interior, last week \u003ca href=\"https://www.doi.gov/pressreleases/reclamation-publishes-final-environmental-impact-statement-future-colorado-river\">released\u003c/a> a \u003ca href=\"https://www.usbr.gov/ColoradoRiverBasin/post2026/final-eis/docs/ES/P26_FEIS_ExecSummary_508.pdf\">10-year framework\u003c/a> that establishes rough parameters for managing the river, but imposes no specific long-term plan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11627648\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11627648\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal.jpg\" alt=\"The All American Canal, which carries Colorado River water into the Imperial Valley in Southern California. California uses more Colorado River water than any other state.\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1201\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-160x100.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-800x500.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-1020x638.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-1180x738.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-960x601.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-240x150.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-375x235.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/11/AACanal-520x325.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The All-American Canal, which carries Colorado River water into the Imperial Valley in Southern California. California uses more Colorado River water than any other state. \u003ccite>(David McNew/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The federal provisions include cuts of up to 40% to the shared supply of California, Arizona and Nevada in the lower basin. They also allow releases from Lake Powell, which collects flows from the upper basin, to dip low enough they risk violating a legally required threshold for water deliveries to downstream states.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These dramatic cuts are an upper limit for future operations: The federal government plans to roll out more detailed management plans every two years if the states continue their impasse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The agency will release the first of those plans any day, imposing cuts in the downstream states of California, Arizona and Nevada — an estimated 10% cut to California’s supply through 2028, or roughly 440,000 acre-feet a year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>No mandatory cuts are expected in the upper basin states of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico, according to those involved in negotiations. The \u003ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2026-07-23/colorado-river-cuts\">Los Angeles Times\u003c/a> first reported the split.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It reflects the limits of federal power and political will: The Interior Department can force cuts in the lower basin, but has no comparable authority to impose cuts in the upper basin states — the limits of which the Congressional Research Service said are the subject of \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45546#_Toc230185744\">“ongoing debate\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This isn’t the long-term plan that California’s water suppliers were hoping for.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11950460\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11950460\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Colorado River\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1780\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-800x556.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-1020x709.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-160x111.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-1536x1068.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-2048x1424.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/GettyImages-1490442478-1920x1335.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Water in Shadow Mountain Lake continues into the Colorado River and flows into Lake Granby to the south on May 13, 2023 near Granby, Colorado. \u003ccite>(Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Building anything to store, move or make more water typically takes decades and billions of dollars. Without longer-term certainty about how states will share the river’s water supply among 40 million people, millions of acres of agriculture, and two states in Mexico — cities and irrigation providers are struggling to plan how to close the gaps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“A cut is never fun, but you can deal with it. But not if you say, ‘Well, we have a cut here, and then maybe a cut in two years, and maybe another cut in two more years,’” said Bill Hasencamp, Metropolitan Water District’s manager of Colorado River resources.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We need to plan for our future. And this deal does not let us do that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The future of Southern California’s water\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>In California, where the availability of water is never certain, nature-defying engineering keeps dry parts of the state flush with water even when little falls from the sky.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Much of that engineering converges around one Southern California supplier: the Metropolitan Water District. The giant wholesaler imports water from Northern California and the Colorado River to supply cities and other retailers serving 19 million people across six counties.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Metropolitan’s imports are so central to the region that when its Northern California supplies dropped to a trickle during the most recent drought, \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2022/04/southern-california-conserve-water/\">6 million Southern Californians faced unprecedented water restrictions in 2022.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12027921\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12027921\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1333\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed.jpg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/02/230815-BlueForestInitiative-24-BL_qed-1920x1280.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A view of New Bullards Bar Reservoir in the Tahoe National Forest near Camptonville, California, on Aug. 15, 2023. \u003ccite>(Beth LaBerge/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Southern California isn’t facing such serious shortfalls again yet. But uncertainty over the Colorado River compounds the risks the next drought will bring.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a good chance it’ll be as bad as it’s been, and there’s a reasonable chance that it’ll be worse,” said Hasencamp’s colleague, Keith Nobriga, whose job as an operations manager at Metropolitan is helping the district prepare for the future amid climate change.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The uncertainty also throws a wrench in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration’s water machinations to the north. Metropolitan’s board will play an outsized role in deciding the fates of \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2023/02/california-sites-reservoir/\">Sites Reservoir\u003c/a> and the \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/2026/05/newsom-california-delta-tunnel-water/\">Delta tunnel\u003c/a> because of the district’s water needs and spending power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Both multibillion-dollar projects, decades in the making, aim to send more of Northern California’s water south. Metropolitan is also planning a large-scale water recycling and reuse program, called \u003ca href=\"https://www.mwdh2o.com/press-releases/metropolitan-completes-environmental-review-for-pure-water-southern-california\">Pure Water Southern California\u003c/a>, with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Metropolitan has already committed hundreds of millions of dollars to the Delta tunnel’s planning costs and about $31 million for Sites. The board hasn’t committed to receiving water or contributing to construction for either yet, though board votes on whether to approve the tunnel and recycled water project could come as soon as next year.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11986664\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2255px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11986664\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2255\" height=\"1458\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211.jpg 2255w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211-800x517.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211-1020x659.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211-160x103.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211-1536x993.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211-2048x1324.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2024/05/AP24137831052211-1920x1241.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2255px) 100vw, 2255px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A ship moves through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta near Bethel Island, Contra Costa County, March 12, 2008. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration now says it will cost more than $20 billion to build a giant tunnel so the state can catch more water when it rains and store it to better prepare for longer droughts caused by climate change. \u003ccite>(Rich Pedroncelli/AP Photo)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Subtracting one part of the equation,such as the Colorado River, could change the calculus for the others. But Metropolitan has to know how much water it stands to lose, and for how long.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The consequences of picking the wrong path could leave Southern California thirsty during the next drought, on one hand, or unnecessarily increase water rates, on the other.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nobriga compares his job to insurance planning. The costs of nudging these water projects along, he says, are like paying an insurance premium.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ll keep these projects alive. We’ll keep looking down the road,” he said. “And if it gets to a point where we really think these droughts are imminent, then we’ll … construct and pay the big money for one or several of these projects. And we don’t know which ones yet.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Agriculture in limbo\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>California uses the largest share of the Colorado River’s water among the states. And the Imperial Irrigation District uses the largest share of that to supply half a million acres of alfalfa, grasses, winter vegetables and other crops in the southeast corner of the state.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As climate change and a megadrought plunged the Colorado River into its driest decades in over a century, the Biden administration struck a deal with the Imperial Irrigation District, trading more than \u003ca href=\"https://www.usbr.gov/lc/region/programs/LCBConservation&EfficiencyProgram/Phase1_SCIA.pdf\">half a billion federal dollars\u003c/a> for short-term water conservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Growers cut irrigation to their alfalfa and other forage crops for weeks at a time, and the district conserved enough water to add more than 12 feet to Lake Mead on the Colorado River, according to Tina Shields, water manager for the irrigation district.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10524572\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10524572\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/05/16469741542_36b2d4c6f4_o-e1431555015254.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1079\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">San Luis Reservoir, just west of the San Joaquin Valley town of Los Banos, is California’s sixth-largest reservoir and stores water pumped south from the Delta by the federal Central Valley Project and State Water Project. \u003ccite>(Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Now, those conservation programs are coming to the end of their funding and regulatory lifetimes. Starting new ones would require new plans and approvals to address the environmental impact of reduced irrigation runoff that \u003ca href=\"https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/saltonsea/docs/2024/salton-sea-faq.pdf\">feeds the Salton Sea\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seeking those permits and environmental approvals “needs to be done on a longer term, not on a two-year term,” Shields said. “Because it’ll take us at least a year to negotiate, probably longer, the environmental actions necessary to move forward.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the meantime, negotiations are ongoing with other California water users about how they’ll share the coming cuts, including who is going to pay for it, Shields said. The district has not yet committed to anything.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The district’s perspective is: We’ve done a lot. We’re doing a lot. It’s challenging to do more,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Art of the deal\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Though the U.S. Department of the Interior has not yet released its plan for the river’s next two years, those involved in negotiations expect that it will call for reductions and conservation in California, Arizona and Nevada similar to what \u003ca href=\"https://crb.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/20260501-lower-division-states-proposal-2026-2028.pdf\">the states proposed in May\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The three lower-basin states then must agree among themselves and with the federal government on how to implement it. After that, individual water suppliers in California will seek approvals from their boards for their share of the cuts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Jay Weiner, an attorney representing the \u003ca href=\"https://tentribespartnership.org/tribes/fort-yuma-quechan-indian-tribe/\">Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe\u003c/a>, whose reservation lies on both sides of the Colorado River, compared the plan to a Band-Aid, not a long-term path to sustainability.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_12094409\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 2000px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-12094409\" src=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/073026-Lake-Powell-Colorado-River-GETTY-MG-CM.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"2000\" height=\"1347\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/073026-Lake-Powell-Colorado-River-GETTY-MG-CM.jpeg 2000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/073026-Lake-Powell-Colorado-River-GETTY-MG-CM-160x108.jpeg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/08/073026-Lake-Powell-Colorado-River-GETTY-MG-CM-1536x1034.jpeg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A tall bleached “bathtub ring” is visible on the rocky banks of Lake Powell as boats navigate the waters in Page, Arizona on July 30, 2026. \u003ccite>(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“To a large extent,” Weiner said, “it leaves us at the mercy of this coming winter.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Trump administration relied on the states reaching consensus rather than imposing terms — an approach that so far hasn’t broken the deadlock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs called for the federal government to step in and broker a deal. But federal leverage looks different in the upper and lower basins. Lower basin stakeholders say there are other strings the federal government could pull upstream, such as forcing water out of reservoirs, but isn’t. And cloistered negotiations and hardline positions among negotiators have driven an impasse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Arizona negotiator Tom Buschatzke publicly lambasted the upper basin in \u003ca href=\"https://waterbank.az.gov/sites/default/files/2025-09/03b-Director-Buschatzke-Opinion-Denver-Post.pdf\">The Denver Post\u003c/a> for failing to propose “One. Single. Gallon.” of mandatory, verifiable reductions. Colorado negotiator \u003ca href=\"https://cwcb.colorado.gov/colorado-river-commissioners-corner\">Becky Mitchell\u003c/a> wrote in \u003ca href=\"https://coloradosun.com/2026/07/07/opinion-colorado-river-compact-water-sharing/\">The Colorado Sun\u003c/a> that had the lower basin states lived within their means, “the reservoirs would not be in crisis today.”\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>Elizabeth Koebele, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno said that negotiations have been most productive when participants had strong working relationships. Without clear federal leadership, she said, the same conflicts keep resurfacing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The fraying relationships, she said, could stem from turnover. But years of constant crisis have also worn people down. “We have been governing in crisis for a long time, and so every time we meet at the table, there’s this big problem to solve,” she said. “The house is on fire.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While the lower basin \u003ca href=\"https://www.inkstain.net/2025/03/the-march-24-month-study-and-the-myth-of-a-compact-call/\">may sue the upper\u003c/a> over deliveries that dip below a legally required threshold, both sides would risk the uncertain outcomes of litigation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In essence, this federal action has 40 million people living from paycheck to paycheck on water supply,” said Mark Gold, an environmental scientist and board member of the Metropolitan Water District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That paycheck comes due again in two years with the same states, and the same asymmetry of power, still in place. Until then, the interior secretary can still force deeper cuts on the lower basin. No one, right now, is willing to force the upper basin to do the same.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was \u003ca href=\"https://calmatters.org/environment/water/2026/08/california-colorado-river-two-year-plan-chaos/\">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\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"id": "baycurious",
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"tagline": "Exploring the Bay Area, one question at a time",
"info": "KQED’s new podcast, Bay Curious, gets to the bottom of the mysteries — both profound and peculiar — that give the Bay Area its unique identity. And we’ll do it with your help! You ask the questions. You decide what Bay Curious investigates. And you join us on the journey to find the answers.",
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},
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},
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"info": "KQED’s statewide radio news program providing daily coverage of issues, trends and public policy decisions.",
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"order": 8
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"tagline": "Your state, your stories",
"info": "Every week, The California Report Magazine takes you on a road trip for the ears: to visit the places and meet the people who make California unique. The in-depth storytelling podcast from the California Report.",
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"source": "City Arts & Lectures"
},
"link": "https://www.cityarts.net",
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"order": 1
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"title": "Code Switch / Life Kit",
"info": "\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em>, which listeners will hear in the first part of the hour, has fearless and much-needed conversations about race. Hosted by journalists of color, the show tackles the subject of race head-on, exploring how it impacts every part of society — from politics and pop culture to history, sports and more.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em>, which will be in the second part of the hour, guides you through spaces and feelings no one prepares you for — from finances to mental health, from workplace microaggressions to imposter syndrome, from relationships to parenting. The show features experts with real world experience and shares their knowledge. Because everyone needs a little help being human.\u003cbr />\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510312/codeswitch\">\u003cem>Code Switch\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />\u003ca href=\"https://www.npr.org/lifekit\">\u003cem>Life Kit\u003c/em> offical site and podcast\u003c/a>\u003cbr />",
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"id": "commonwealth-club",
"title": "Commonwealth Club of California Podcast",
"info": "The Commonwealth Club of California is the nation's oldest and largest public affairs forum. As a non-partisan forum, The Club brings to the public airwaves diverse viewpoints on important topics. The Club's weekly radio broadcast - the oldest in the U.S., dating back to 1924 - is carried across the nation on public radio stations and is now podcasting. Our website archive features audio of our recent programs, as well as selected speeches from our long and distinguished history. This podcast feed is usually updated twice a week and is always un-edited.",
"airtime": "THU 10pm, FRI 1am",
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"source": "Commonwealth Club of California"
},
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"title": "Forum",
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"info": "KQED’s live call-in program discussing local, state, national and international issues, as well as in-depth interviews.",
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"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Forum-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
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"order": 9
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"meta": {
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"source": "WNYC"
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"id": "fresh-air",
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"info": "A live production of NPR and WBUR Boston, in collaboration with stations across the country, Here & Now reflects the fluid world of news as it's happening in the middle of the day, with timely, in-depth news, interviews and conversation. Hosted by Robin Young, Jeremy Hobson and Tonya Mosley.",
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"hidden-brain": {
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"info": "Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7pm-8pm",
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"source": "NPR"
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"how-i-built-this": {
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"info": "Guy Raz dives into the stories behind some of the world's best known companies. How I Built This weaves a narrative journey about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists—and the movements they built.",
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"airtime": "SUN 7:30pm-8pm",
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"hyphenacion": {
"id": "hyphenacion",
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"tagline": "Where conversation and cultura meet",
"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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"jerrybrown": {
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"title": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown",
"tagline": "Lessons from a lifetime in politics",
"info": "The Political Mind of Jerry Brown brings listeners the wisdom of the former Governor, Mayor, and presidential candidate. Scott Shafer interviewed Brown for more than 40 hours, covering the former governor's life and half-century in the political game – and Brown has some lessons he'd like to share. ",
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"order": 18
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},
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"id": "latino-usa",
"title": "Latino USA",
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"info": "Latino USA, the radio journal of news and culture, is the only national, English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.",
"imageSrc": "https://ww2.kqed.org/radio/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/04/latinoUsa.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "http://latinousa.org/",
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},
"link": "/radio/program/latino-usa",
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"apple": "https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?s=143441&mt=2&id=79681317&at=11l79Y&ct=nprdirectory",
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"rss": "https://feeds.npr.org/510016/podcast.xml"
}
},
"marketplace": {
"id": "marketplace",
"title": "Marketplace",
"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.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 4pm-4:30pm, MON-WED 6:30pm-7pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Marketplace-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.marketplace.org/",
"meta": {
"site": "news",
"source": "American Public Media"
},
"link": "/radio/program/marketplace",
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"rss": "https://feeds.publicradio.org/public_feeds/marketplace-pm/rss/rss"
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},
"masters-of-scale": {
"id": "masters-of-scale",
"title": "Masters of Scale",
"info": "Masters of Scale is an original podcast in which LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock Partner Reid Hoffman sets out to describe and prove theories that explain how great entrepreneurs take their companies from zero to a gazillion in ingenious fashion.",
"airtime": "Every other Wednesday June 12 through October 16 at 8pm (repeats Thursdays at 2am)",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://mastersofscale.com/",
"meta": {
"site": "radio",
"source": "WaitWhat"
},
"link": "/radio/program/masters-of-scale",
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"rss": "https://rss.art19.com/masters-of-scale"
}
},
"mindshift": {
"id": "mindshift",
"title": "MindShift",
"tagline": "A podcast about the future of learning and how we raise our kids",
"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>",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Mindshift-Podcast-Tile-703x703-1.jpg",
"imageAlt": "KQED MindShift: How We Will Learn",
"officialWebsiteLink": "/mindshift/",
"meta": {
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"source": "kqed",
"order": 12
},
"link": "/podcasts/mindshift",
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