Buffy Wicks

State lawmakers give up on bills to force tech companies to pay media outlets for using news. Instead, they agree with Google on a program to help local newsrooms and to explore artificial intelligence.

A bipartisan bill would create a state ombudsperson to intervene when public records requests are denied. But an advocacy group is concerned that it will encourage state agencies to go to court.

Supporters say a series of bills before the Legislature would improve work-life balance by expanding sick days and family leave. But opponents say the proposals would hurt struggling small businesses.

California voters elected a record 50 women to the state Legislature in November. It has been a long, tough road to more power.

The end of the legislative year is upon us and that can only mean one thing in California: We’re about to have another loud debate about a controversial housing bill. It’s a Sacramento tradition years in the making. Legislators like to wait until the last minute (sometimes literally) to consider the year’s most contentious pieces […]

Most health insurance plans do not cover the cost of infertility treatment, which can total tens of thousands of dollars. Now California legislators are debating whether to mandate coverage and protect another kind of reproductive choice.

A new bill aimed at increasing affordable housing construction has an important backer: California’s carpenters’ unions. The state’s formidable Construction and Building Trades Council, which represents most other construction unions, is opposed. The battle comes down to how stringent labor requirements under the new bill would be.

A bill aims to create new rules for California's mostly unregulated debt settlement industry. AB 1405, expected to pass through Senate committees, comes at a time when the industry expects to see a 75% increase in account enrollment.

After pioneering consumer data privacy protections, the California Legislature has tapped the brakes on proposals to further regulate social media companies.

With a key legislative deadline next week, Newsom's housing adviser speaks about the governor's priorities on affordable housing. The big takeaway: California is millions of housing units short, and cities hold the key.