CalMatters, Author at Hey SoCal. Change is our intention.

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California lawmakers have tried and failed five times since 2022 to regulate technology that tracks license plates. Meanwhile, a national backlash against the tech has gained momentum. A protester holds a sign while demonstrating on the corner of Broadway and 14th Street in Oakland on Aug. 20, 2026. Protesters gathered to call for a ban on automated license plate reader technology.

California lawmakers have tried and failed five times since 2022 to regulate technology that tracks license plates. Meanwhile, a national backlash against the tech has gained momentum. A protester holds a sign while demonstrating on the corner of Broadway and 14th Street in Oakland on Aug. 20, 2026. Protesters gathered to call for a ban on automated license plate reader technology.

California kills bill regulating Flock cameras even as public rage grows

September 18, 2026

California high-speed rail consultants flew first-class, visited bars and a nightclub on taxpayers’ money

September 18, 2026

Data for sale.

Data for sale.

Who’s buying your personal data: Disney, GM, your insurer and bank — here’s what they get

September 17, 2026

The Golden Dome is a planned multilayer missile defense system for the United States.

The Golden Dome is a planned multilayer missile defense system for the United States.

Defense tech has unleashed a new weapons boom in Southern California

September 12, 2026

The Department of Motor Vehicles in Fresno on Dec. 13, 2022.

The Department of Motor Vehicles in Fresno on Dec. 13, 2022.

Steve Hilton: Abolish the DMV

September 11, 2026

Medicaid cuts stand to hit everyone (yes, even you). Here’s why

September 9, 2026

Gil Barel in her son’s room in Pasadena on Aug. 2, 2026. Barel and her family are still waiting for their home, a duplex they had rented for eight years before the January 2025 Eaton Fire, to be cleaned up and free of toxic materials before they move back in.

Gil Barel in her son’s room in Pasadena on Aug. 2, 2026. Barel and her family are still waiting for their home, a duplex they had rented for eight years before the January 2025 Eaton Fire, to be cleaned up and free of toxic materials before they move back in.

California could be first in the nation to create smoke-damage standards

September 8, 2026

The Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell.

The Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell.

Band-Aid, not a cure — federal Colorado River plan leaves states guessing every two years

September 3, 2026

Gov. Gavin Newsom joins local officials to sign legislation intended to modernize the financing and delivery of affordable housing in California during a press conference in Oakland on July 13, 2026.

Gov. Gavin Newsom joins local officials to sign legislation intended to modernize the financing and delivery of affordable housing in California during a press conference in Oakland on July 13, 2026.

Why a signature Newsom power move flopped in the last days of the Legislative session

September 2, 2026

Handguns on display at a gun shop in California on July 12, 2022.

Handguns on display at a gun shop in California on July 12, 2022.

In California’s biggest cities, Turner’s Outdoorsman is a top source of crime guns

August 28, 2026

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco observes oral arguments Aug. 24, 2026, in San Francisco as the California Supreme Court considers two lawsuits challenging his investigation into alleged election law violations.

Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco observes oral arguments Aug. 24, 2026, in San Francisco as the California Supreme Court considers two lawsuits challenging his investigation into alleged election law violations.

California justices seem skeptical of Sheriff Chad Bianco’s defense in ballot seizure case

August 26, 2026

A rooftop view of the January 2025 Palisades Fire.

A rooftop view of the January 2025 Palisades Fire.

Forest fires follow roads. The Trump administration wants to build more

August 22, 2026