Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement A state panel granted a 4% pay raise to Gov. Gavin Newsom, legislators and other elected officials Friday, citing the booming California economy and big budget surplus.The raises will bump the base pay of California legislators to $114,877 on Dec. 2, while Newsom’s pay will jump to $209,747. Four-percent raises will also be received by the state attorney general, treasurer, controller, insurance commissioner and other statewide officials.The pay hikes were approved by the state Citizens Compensation Commission, which is appointed by...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement A state panel granted a 4% pay raise to Gov. Gavin Newsom, legislators and other elected officials Friday, citing the booming California economy and big budget surplus.The raises will bump the base pay of California legislators to $114,877 on Dec. 2, while Newsom’s pay will jump to $209,747. Four-percent raises will also be received by the state attorney general, treasurer, controller, insurance commissioner and other statewide officials.The pay hikes were approved by the state Citizens Compensation Commission, which is appointed by...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement As California grapples with a deluge of requests for unemployment benefits amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some state workers processing claims say they are buckling under pressure, hampered by outdated technology, bureaucratic red tape and a shortage of trained, experienced staff.The state Employment Development Department is so overwhelmed that Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged last week that nearly 1 million unpaid claims may be eligible for payment but require more information, with estimates that the backlog won’t be eliminated until...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement As California grapples with a deluge of requests for unemployment benefits amid the COVID-19 pandemic, some state workers processing claims say they are buckling under pressure, hampered by outdated technology, bureaucratic red tape and a shortage of trained, experienced staff.The state Employment Development Department is so overwhelmed that Gov. Gavin Newsom acknowledged last week that nearly 1 million unpaid claims may be eligible for payment but require more information, with estimates that the backlog won’t be eliminated until...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Hospitals filling up. Reopening of schools postponed. Battles over wearing masks in public intensifying. July has brought a month of grim with a state once seen as a model of prevention enduring a new surge in cases as the economy rapidly reopened. But will July end with more bad news or some tentative signs that the efforts to slow infections by closing down some businesses and institutions might be paying off?Health officials are anxious for more signs of the latter, especially amid indications that other hot-spot states may be...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Hospitals filling up. Reopening of schools postponed. Battles over wearing masks in public intensifying. July has brought a month of grim with a state once seen as a model of prevention enduring a new surge in cases as the economy rapidly reopened. But will July end with more bad news or some tentative signs that the efforts to slow infections by closing down some businesses and institutions might be paying off?Health officials are anxious for more signs of the latter, especially amid indications that other hot-spot states may be...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement California sued two gasoline trading firms on Monday, alleging that they took advantage of market disruptions from a 2015 refinery explosion in Torrance by improperly driving up the price that motorists pay at the pump and gaining windfall profits.The lawsuit was filed by state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, who seeks an injunction and monetary damages against Vitol Inc. and SK Energy Americas.“Price gouging, whether it is toilet paper or gasoline, it stinks,” Becerra said during a press call. “It’s the kind of greed that hurts your...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement California sued two gasoline trading firms on Monday, alleging that they took advantage of market disruptions from a 2015 refinery explosion in Torrance by improperly driving up the price that motorists pay at the pump and gaining windfall profits.The lawsuit was filed by state Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, who seeks an injunction and monetary damages against Vitol Inc. and SK Energy Americas.“Price gouging, whether it is toilet paper or gasoline, it stinks,” Becerra said during a press call. “It’s the kind of greed that hurts your...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement With millions of Californians jobless during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the state would face “massive” budget cuts if it carried out President Trump’s plan to have states provide $100 of a $400 supplemental weekly unemployment benefit.Newsom and legislative leaders called on federal officials to overcome a stalemate involving Congress and the president to provide additional funding for states now that a $600 weekly unemployment payment from the federal government has expired. He noted that the plan...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement With millions of Californians jobless during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday that the state would face “massive” budget cuts if it carried out President Trump’s plan to have states provide $100 of a $400 supplemental weekly unemployment benefit.Newsom and legislative leaders called on federal officials to overcome a stalemate involving Congress and the president to provide additional funding for states now that a $600 weekly unemployment payment from the federal government has expired. He noted that the plan...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Alarmed that unlicensed cannabis sellers continue to dominate California’s pot market, state lawmakers are moving toward imposing steep new fines on businesses that provide building space, advertising platforms and other aid to illicit operations.Those who provide assistance to illegal pot sellers would face civil fines of up to $30,000 per day under legislation approved unanimously by the state Assembly that is now pending in the Senate. A final vote on the proposal is expected sometime after lawmakers return to Sacramento this...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Alarmed that unlicensed cannabis sellers continue to dominate California’s pot market, state lawmakers are moving toward imposing steep new fines on businesses that provide building space, advertising platforms and other aid to illicit operations.Those who provide assistance to illegal pot sellers would face civil fines of up to $30,000 per day under legislation approved unanimously by the state Assembly that is now pending in the Senate. A final vote on the proposal is expected sometime after lawmakers return to Sacramento this...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday appointed Democratic Assemblyman Rob Bonta as California attorney general, picking a leading advocate for criminal justice reform who has campaigned to abolish the death penalty and eliminate cash bail for many offenses.If confirmed by the state Legislature, Bonta, a resident of Alameda, will be the first Filipino American to serve as California attorney general, having also set the milestone for the state Assembly when he was elected in 2012, representing a Bay Area district that includes Oakland,...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday appointed Democratic Assemblyman Rob Bonta as California attorney general, picking a leading advocate for criminal justice reform who has campaigned to abolish the death penalty and eliminate cash bail for many offenses.If confirmed by the state Legislature, Bonta, a resident of Alameda, will be the first Filipino American to serve as California attorney general, having also set the milestone for the state Assembly when he was elected in 2012, representing a Bay Area district that includes Oakland,...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Two years after Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a moratorium on executions in California, he is preparing to appoint a state attorney general from a field of potential candidates that includes some of the state’s leading critics of the death penalty.With current Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra up for Senate confirmation as President Biden’s secretary of Health and Human Services, criminal justice reform activists have recommended for the job candidates including a district attorney who has stopped seeking the death penalty in murder cases and...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement Two years after Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered a moratorium on executions in California, he is preparing to appoint a state attorney general from a field of potential candidates that includes some of the state’s leading critics of the death penalty.With current Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra up for Senate confirmation as President Biden’s secretary of Health and Human Services, criminal justice reform activists have recommended for the job candidates including a district attorney who has stopped seeking the death penalty in murder cases and...WW…

Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement The “Golden State stimulus,” an will be expedited for legislative approval next week after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a deal on the plan Wednesday.It’s part of a $9.6-billion economic recovery package. Aside from federal funds for child-care assistance, the rest of the relief package comes from state taxpayer money and is made possible by . Here are the key points:The onetime $600 payment to households, which , would cost about $2.3 billion and go to people including those receiving the California earned income tax credit for 2020,...…Copyright © 2022, Los Angeles Times | | | | Advertisement The “Golden State stimulus,” an will be expedited for legislative approval next week after Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a deal on the plan Wednesday.It’s part of a $9.6-billion economic recovery package. Aside from federal funds for child-care assistance, the rest of the relief package comes from state taxpayer money and is made possible by . Here are the key points:The onetime $600 payment to households, which , would cost about $2.3 billion and go to people including those receiving the California earned income tax credit for 2020,...WW…

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders announced Wednesday that they have agreed to provide low-income Californians a $600 state stimulus payment to help them weather financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic, part of a $9.6 billion economic recovery package that also includes $2.1 billion in grants for small businesses.The "Golden State stimulus" payments provided under the state proposal, which will be expedited for legislative approval next week, are in addition to the $600-per-person stimulus checks already approved by Congress and would be on top of...…SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders announced Wednesday that they have agreed to provide low-income Californians a $600 state stimulus payment to help them weather financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic, part of a $9.6 billion economic recovery package that also includes $2.1 billion in grants for small businesses.The "Golden State stimulus" payments provided under the state proposal, which will be expedited for legislative approval next week, are in addition to the $600-per-person stimulus checks already approved by Congress and would be on top of...WW…