A new law going into effect Jan. 1, 2026 prevents cities from penalizing outreach workers who provide services such as legal aid or hand out blankets at encampments. bit.ly/4qA2QLY 📸 Larry Valenzuela

Newsom’s rollercoaster year: LA fires, Trump battles and a housing breakthrough Gavin Newsom's year included the aftermath of the LA fires, budget cuts, Trump battles and a Prop 50 win. What's next for California's governor in his final year?

Scared of artificial intelligence? New law forces makers to disclose disaster plans New AI regulation forces Big Tech companies to disclose how they plan to prevent and handle artificial intelligence disasters.

California under a law taking effect Jan. 1 seeks to uphold the labor and unionization rights of private-sector employees, as the federal agency that has held that power for decades is in limbo. But the new law’s future is unclear: bit.ly/4smyWMO 📸 Jungho Kim

Some homeowners in areas of California with high wildfire risk could eventually get money for new roofs or to build fire-resistant zones around their properties under a new state law that goes into effect Jan. 1. bit.ly/49gW4U3 📸 Rich Pedroncelli, AP

Your one-minute guide to California’s budget outlook this year Spoiler alert: California’s deficit grows, uncertainty looms, and state leaders may have fewer options than before to tackle it.

Opinion | New year may entertain political junkies, but California's sluggish economy deserves the spotlight Political intrigue grabs attention during election years, but California voters are also moved by high costs, joblessness and homelessness.

2025: How CalMatters kept our government transparent and our leaders accountable CalMatters’ and The Markup’s reporting prompted lawmakers to introduce eight new bills, seven agencies to take action and more.

2025 in review: Devastating fires, federal pushback, and contentious climate compromises California's climate agenda faced historic wildfires, federal opposition, and economic pressures in 2025. The state made compromises on clean-air rules and passed contentious legislation.

California apartments must have a working stove and refrigerator under new law Landlords will be required to provide all apartments with the appliances under new law starting in 2026

Tech companies that create large, advanced artificial intelligence models will soon have to share more information about how the models can impact society and give their employees ways to warn the rest of us if things go wrong. bit.ly/4qvy5HP 📸 Florence Middleton

Gavin Newsom’s year: LA fires, budget cuts, Trump battles and a Prop 50 win. What’s next for California’s governor in his final year? bit.ly/4qzR5oJ 📸 Larry Valenzuela

Gov. Gavin Newsom opened this year with a rosy forecast: Buoyed by $17 billion more in revenue than previously planned, the state would have a modest surplus of $363 million for fiscal year 2025-26, he told reporters in January. But life turns on a dime. bit.ly/49gZpCS 📸 Fred Greaves

Today is your last chance to have 4x the impact, thanks to three matching funds. bit.ly/4pyQvHg

In 2025, CalMatters’ and The Markup’s reporting prompted lawmakers to introduce eight new bills, agencies to take action, companies to change their practices and constituents to contact their representatives. bit.ly/3YVPkGo 🎨 Gabriel Hongsdusit

Get up to speed fast on the new California laws that might change your life in 2026 New California laws taking effect on Jan. 1, 2026 will expand coverage for in vitro fertilization, regulate artificial intelligence, protect renters and more.

These are the top 10 most talked about bills in the California Legislature this year California lawmakers only spent just a few minutes discussing in public the hundreds of bills they introduced. But these 10 had hours of intense debate.

California will examine whether data centers are increasing electric bills A new law orders regulators to study the cost impacts of fast-growing, energy-hungry AI data centers.

Fridge-less apartments dotting the pricey California rental market will soon be a head-scratching relic. Beginning Jan. 1, landlords will be required to provide all apartments with a working stove and refrigerator thanks to a new state law. bit.ly/4qrNf0H

In 2025, devastating California wildfires in LA became the state’s most destructive. Climate goals faced federal opposition as Trump blocked clean-car mandates. Refineries closed, water conflicts intensified, and legislators passed compromises. bit.ly/4jiXIcH 📸 Ted Soqui

California showed it was serious about regulating Big Tech in 2025 — and Big Tech showed it was serious about coming to the statehouse and fighting back. The upshot was a barrage of laws designed to curb tech harms but often in watered down form. bit.ly/3MWqqE6 📸 Florence Middleton

Most of the hundreds of new California laws that are set to take effect on the first day of the new year won’t change your life. But some of them might have a profound effect on you or a loved one. bit.ly/45pw6N9 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

Trump's immigration crackdown upended life in California. It continues as the new year begins President Trump focused on California as he cracked down on unauthorized immigration, sent the National Guard to L.A. and carried out high profile raids.

Under the original law, only people diagnosed with schizophrenia and other limited psychotic disorders qualified for the program. Now, people who experience psychosis as a result of bipolar disorder can enter the program as well. bit.ly/3YgpVXY 📸 Adriana Heldiz, AP

A new law going into effect Jan. 1, 2026 prevents cities from penalizing outreach workers who provide services such as legal aid or hand out blankets at encampments. bit.ly/4913Rqw 📸 Larry Valenzuela

A handful of controversial proposals broke through the usual rushed process, drawing hours of testimony and intense public lobbying from some of the state’s most powerful organizations that spend millions of dollars to get their way. bit.ly/3N5hnk5 📸 Fred Greaves

California is ending the year in much the same way it started: uncertain about what impact President Donald Trump’s policies and actions will have on its economy. bit.ly/3N3fbJW 📸 Joel Angel Juarez

Tools that power artificial intelligence devour energy. But attempts to shield regular Californians from footing the bill in 2025 ended with a law requiring regulators to write a report about the issue by 2027. bit.ly/4jBSR6F 📸 Brittany Hosea-Small, Reuters

Raids on California streets and lawsuits that followed helped rewrite the ground rules for how agents can operate. What began as before-dawn operations in Golden State farm towns quickly expanded into a broader nationwide strategy. bit.ly/4pZfMLx 📸 Larry Valenzuela

Tortillas sold in California are going to have a new ingredient, one that’s intended to help nurture healthy infants. bit.ly/4pjdSnR 📸 Larry Valenzuela

New California law expands Newsom’s mental health court A new law taking effect on Jan. 1, 2026 expands CARE Court, a mental health program launched by Gov. Gavin Newsom, to include people diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

Cities can’t punish outreach workers for helping homeless Californians under new law A new California law going into effect Jan. 1, 2026 prevents cities from penalizing outreach workers who provide services at homeless encampments.

New California laws will change car buying in 2026 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two laws in 2025 that could change how you get your money back if you buy a defective used or new car. Here’s what to know.

New California law expands Newsom’s mental health court A new law taking effect on Jan. 1, 2026 expands CARE Court, a mental health program launched by Gov. Gavin Newsom, to include people diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

All gifts to CalMatters now have 4x the impact until Dec. 31st thanks to now three matching funds. bit.ly/4pyQvHg

A new California law requires tortillas to include an extra ingredient. Here's why Pasta and bread have to include folic acid, a vitamin that’s important for infant health. Now, California is requiring that tortilla-makers include it, too.

2025 was the year that California’s Democratic lawmakers finally got serious about building. bit.ly/4jclxmg 📸 Camille Cohen

A year of cuts and court orders for California’s colleges and universities: 2025 in review The Trump administration withheld funds to try to force California colleges to comply with its crackdown on DEI and alleged antisemitism.

Proposition 36, approved by voters last year, gave prosecutors the ability to charge people convicted of various third-time drug offenses with a so-called treatment-mandated felony – a choice between behavioral health treatment or up to three years in jail or prison. bit.ly/3NiBX0r 📸 J.W. Hendricks

As federal funding reductions and policy changes rippled through the health care system, California confronted service cuts, coverage losses and growing uncertainty. bit.ly/4piAbdb 📸 Larry Valenzuela

California lawmakers made major changes to the state’s car-buying rules this year, including a controversial rewrite of the state law that allows buyers to get their money back if they are sold a defective vehicle. bit.ly/3MRpot0 📸 Larry Valenzuela

Tortillas sold in California are going to have a new ingredient, one that’s intended to help nurture healthy infants. bit.ly/4sjuTB2 📸 Larry Valenzuela

California K-12 schools brace for another year of uncertainty: 2025 in review California K-12 schools dealt with an immigration crackdown, federal funding cuts and a reduced U.S. Department of Education.

She spent years trying to conceive. Then California changed everything. One round of IVF costs up to $40,000. For millions of Californians, that barrier to parenthood just disappeared thanks to a new mandate.

Opinion | Ending BioMAT in 2025 would undermine investments in bioenergy and leave communities without safe biomass disposal options. bit.ly/4jxFF2F

Opinion | PACE lets seniors stay out of nursing homes and still receive a variety of health and home services. Too few people know about it. bit.ly/4qvmtVw

Even more Cal State campuses will automatically admit eligible students under a new state law A new CA law taking effect on Jan, 1, 2026 makes Cal State admission automatic for students who meet eligibility requirements.

In their approach to higher education, Trump and Newsom shared one thing in common this year: reducing funding for colleges and universities. bit.ly/4jadlD4 📸 Adriana Heldiz

President Donald Trump slashed funding to schools, set about dismantling the U.S. Department of Education and launched an immigration crackdown that left countless families afraid to send their children to school. bit.ly/4pVWiHz 📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.

In an era of ICE raids, a Latino Christmas tradition proceeds with caution The traditional posadas during Christmas time have taken a more cautious feel as ICE raids on Latino communities have increased In San Diego.