Capitol Alert

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the Fair Share from Big Corporations Act alongside SEIU California and Health Access on Wednesday, July 8. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Wednesday he signed the Fair Share from Big Corporations Act. But his administration has not indicated if it plans to begin drafting the proposal required under the law before his term ends.

Federal authorities enter an elevator in the John E. Moss federal building in downtown Sacramento on Thursday, June 12, 2025. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has arrested at least 429 people in Sacramento County during the first nearly 15 months of President Donald Trump’s second term. The ICE arrests in the capital region are a more than 260% increase from the same time period under the previous administration, yet significantly less than other counties in the state.

Russ Kinne joins state workers protesting Gov. Gavin Newsom's return-to-office policy during a rally organized by SEIU Local 1000 at the Capitol on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, in Sacramento. State employees reported asbestos, bedbugs, waterborne bacteria and other “hazardous conditions” in government workplaces after returning to offices under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate.

A committee that’s challenging a proposed voter ID law in California has already received a high-profile endorsement. U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, a California Democrat who has been a longtime advocate for the expansion of voting rights, threw his weight behind the group Thursday morning. Californians for Voting Rights, a committee backed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California, opposes Proposition 39.

Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during the signing of Senate Bill 73 in Sacramento on May 27, 2026. The bill bans police officers from inspecting election equipment or allowing people to assist them without a court order. Gov. Gavin Newsom reiterated past remarks that Democrats nationwide need to be more pugnacious as the party casts about for a replacement to Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner, who dropped out Wednesday after an ex-girlfriend accused him of sexual assault.

Inmates walk to a training area to cut logs at the Growlersburg Conservation Camp near Georgetown in 2024. The facility, built in the 1960s, trains and houses non-violent inmates to be deployed to wildfires and other natural disasters. As Cal Fire describes being understaffed and overworked, and local departments grapple with vacancy rates of almost 25%, droves of trained firefighters remain barricaded from the workforce.

As of July 1, 2026, legislative staff members working in the Capitol and across the state can unionize after a 2023 bill went into effect this year. The effort to unionize legislative staff is underway in California’s Capitol — and across the state — after a 2023 bill went into effect last week allowing these public employees to organize.

The Los Rios Board of Trustees voted Wednesday, July 8, 2026, to place a $1.1 billion bond for facilities upgrades on the November ballot. It is now up to the voters in Sacramento and Yolo counties. This November, they will decide if providing the Los Rios Community College District with a billion-dollar pot of money to upgrade its facilities is worth an increase in their property taxes.

Chapter No. 6 members hold their flag at the Disabled American Veterans chapter building in Sacramento County in May. Volunteers at the 106-year-old DAV post provide free hospital rides to veterans, give out petty cash at Christmas to low-income vets to help them buy gifts for their grandchildren, and help fellow disabled vets navigate the Veterans Affairs claims process.

University of California campus police officers talk amongst each other while a San Diego Sheriff's officer holds a weapon behind them during a pro-Palestinian protest at UC San Diego in San Diego on May 6, 2024. This story was originally published by CalMatters. Sign up for their newsletters.