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Native American Day now a paid holiday for California state workers

Native American Day now a paid holiday for California state workers

California state workers will receive paid time off for Native American Day starting in 2027 under a new law.
Ventura County Star, CamarilloVentura County Star, Camarillo
Affordability is the foundation of a dignified life | Your Turn

Affordability is the foundation of a dignified life | Your Turn

When a family cannot afford housing, it is not simply a housing problem — it is a failure to secure dignity, which also includes essentials such as food and childcare.
USA TodayUSA Today
Newsom signs bills targeting federal immigration in California

Newsom signs bills targeting federal immigration in California

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed over 20 of those bills into law on Sept. 29 to address Californians' concerns about federal immigration enforcement.
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California Governor Newsom Enacts Legislation to Reduce Gas Bills and Promote Clean Energy Transition

California Governor Newsom Enacts Legislation to Reduce Gas Bills and Promote Clean Energy Transition

California Governor Newsom has signed two significant bills into law, SB 1359 and AB 2313, aimed at reducing gas bills for residents and facilitating a transition to a cleaner energy future. SB 1359, known as the Natural Gas Ratepayer Protection Act, enhances transparency regarding gas utilities' investments. It mandates annual reports from gas utilities detailing planned infrastructure spending, the status of replacement and upgrade projects, assessments of stranded asset risks, and the distributional impacts of these assets on remaining gas ratepayers. The bill also requires utilities to describe any implemented or evaluated electrification or non-pipeline alternatives. AB 2313, titled The Home Energy Choice, offers customers whose homes are scheduled for gas service line repair or replacement the option to receive funding to electrify their homes instead of continuing gas service. This option is presented to households where electrification is deemed more cost-effective than maintaining gas service, and...
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California Implements Phased Ban on Potable Water for Non-Functional Turf Irrigation

California Implements Phased Ban on Potable Water for Non-Functional Turf Irrigation

California has enacted Assembly Bill 1572, a state conservation law that phases out the use of potable (drinking) water for irrigating non-functional turf (NFT) at commercial, industrial, and institutional (CII) sites, including homeowner association (HOA) common areas. Non-functional turf is defined as purely decorative mowed grass not used for recreation or community activities. The ban will be implemented in phases, starting January 1, 2027, for public agency and local government sites. Commercial, industrial, and institutional properties will follow on January 1, 2028, and HOA common areas on January 1, 2029. Local government properties in disadvantaged communities will have until January 1, 2031. This legislation does not require the removal or replacement of NFT, only the cessation of potable water irrigation. Functional turf, such as that in recreational areas, athletic facilities, cemeteries, and golf courses, is exempt from this ban. Marin Water, a local agency, has also adopted a local rule prohi...
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California Governor Newsom Signs Community NEWS Act to Incentivize Journalist Hiring

California Governor Newsom Signs Community NEWS Act to Incentivize Journalist Hiring

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed the Community Newsroom Employment and Workforce Sustainability Act (AB 2222), a bill designed to incentivize news organizations to hire and retain journalists. This legislation, supported by SAG-AFTRA, offers a refundable employment tax credit of $20,000 for each of the first five full-time journalists hired and $15,000 for each additional full-time journalist. Part-time journalists also qualify for a $7,500 credit, with an additional stackable $15,000 credit for new hires. SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin praised the act, stating it is crucial for quality journalism and an informed society. The bill aims to address the significant decline in local journalist employment, which has fallen over 80% since 2002, according to the 2026 Local Journalist Index. This initiative follows the 2025 Rescissions Act, which cut $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, impacting local PBS and NPR affiliates nationwide.
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Senators Durbin, Schatz, and Gillibrand Co-Sponsor Federal Bill to Combat Child Marriage

Senators Durbin, Schatz, and Gillibrand Co-Sponsor Federal Bill to Combat Child Marriage

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin, Brian Schatz, and Kirsten Gillibrand, alongside U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, have introduced the Child Marriage Prevention Act, a federal bill aimed at combating child marriage across the United States. This legislative effort comes as states like California are enacting their own laws to ban child marriage, with California recently setting the minimum marriage age at 18 without exceptions. The federal bill seeks to push states towards a nationwide minimum marriage age of 18. According to data compiled by child-marriage advocacy groups from state marriage records, over 314,000 minors were legally married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2021, with some girls as young as 10. A significant portion of these marriages involved underage girls marrying adult men, and in many cases, marital exemptions in state statutory-rape laws shielded the adult spouse from prosecution. The United Nations considers child marriage a human rights violation, citing concerns such as early pregnancy, social isolatio...
Palm Springs Desert SunPalm Springs Desert Sun
After botched Tennessee execution, what Californians should know

After botched Tennessee execution, what Californians should know

After Tennessee's botched execution, here's what Californians should know about the state's death penalty and execution moratorium.
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Glock 43X CA Handgun Returns to California Market Despite State Ban

Glock 43X CA Handgun Returns to California Market Despite State Ban

A new model of Glock handgun, the Glock 43X CA, has been added to California's approved handgun roster, just three months after Assembly Bill 1127 took effect on July 1, banning the sale of new Glock pistols. The Glock 43X CA, a California-specific version of a compact Glock design previously unavailable in the state, appeared on the California Department of Justice roster on September 29. This move occurred without a public announcement from Glock. The original ban targeted Glocks and similar designs due to concerns they could be converted into fully automatic machine guns with a 'Glock switch.' The new 43X CA model reportedly includes safety features required by California law, such as a loaded chamber indicator and a mechanism that engages a safety when the magazine is removed. Retailers like Turners Outdoorsman have already begun accepting pre-orders, with initial shipments anticipated in December.
Savannah Morning NewsSavannah Morning News
Food stamps changed Thursday. What to know about SNAP in Georgia

Food stamps changed Thursday. What to know about SNAP in Georgia

SNAP benefits rose but so did the requirements. What are the new rules? How much do families get? How many Georgia families are on food stamps?
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Illumination Health + Home Seeks Site Attendant for California Facilities

Illumination Health + Home Seeks Site Attendant for California Facilities

Illumination Health + Home, a growing non-profit organization in California, is actively seeking a Site Attendant for day shift positions. This role is crucial for maintaining a safe, clean, and supportive environment across its facilities, which include recuperative care centers, emergency shelters, housing services, and children's and family programs. The Site Attendant's responsibilities encompass enforcing facility rules, assisting clients with their needs, and ensuring the overall cleanliness and safety of the sites. Key duties involve preparing client bed areas, conducting routine wellness checks and facility walk-throughs every two hours, intervening with de-escalation techniques when necessary, and performing scheduled and unscheduled searches of client belongings to prevent prohibited items. Additionally, the attendant will pick up client medications, assist with client move-outs, prepare and serve meals according to food safety standards, and perform daily janitorial duties such as sweeping, mopp...
AP NewsAP News
States and cities sue over Trump's EPA eliminating rule that limits emissions from power plants

States and cities sue over Trump's EPA eliminating rule that limits emissions from power plants

States and cities are suing the Trump administration for repealing rules that limit planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from power plants fueled by coal and natural gas