LGBTQ Asian and Pacific Islander Californians are part of a coalition of community groups and state lawmakers pushing to stem a tide of hate crimes against API individuals and others that has been rising since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are focused this week on advancing two bills in the California Legislature collectively called the No Place for Hate Campaign.

Weeks after California approved sweeping legislation meant to drastically curb plastic pollution, some environmental groups and legislators are urging the state to go even further by approving a separate bill that targets waste generated by online shopping.

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The long-desired plan to rehaul Portsmouth Square in San Francisco’s Chinatown just got a boost from the state to help it cross the finish line.

Assembly Member Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, on Friday announced a $4 million state budget investment in the huge project to reconstruct and improve Portsmouth Square, an enterprise in the works since 2013.

For many Bay Area residents, driving across one of the region’s eight bridges is routine. These roadways serve as a crucial connection to the East Bay and elsewhere.

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The new system left many residents confused about how to pay their toll fees, and some of them accumulated debt through toll evasion penalties. In February 2020, a month before the pandemic triggered nationwide shutdowns, BATA saw 201,371 toll violations. In February 2022, there were 880,759 — an increase of over 400%.

A California highway in the San Francisco Bay Area now bears the name of late Filipina civil rights activist Alice Peña Bulos, known as the “godmother of Filipino American politics.” 

California Assembly member Phil Ting, D-San Francisco, joined Inside California Politics co-host Nikki Laurenzo to discuss the signing of AB 1594. WATCH here. 

For nearly a century, jaywalking has been illegal in most states and localities. But several recent reports have shown that police in some areas disproportionately ticket people of color. And critics say citing people for crossing at the wrong place just gives them another reason to drive instead of walk.

Californians will soon be able to sue gun manufacturers if they experience harm from their products, under a law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday. Assembly Bill 1594 specifically authorizes individuals, the California attorney general or city or county attorneys to bring civil actions against firearms manufacturers “for an act or omission in violation of the firearm industry standard of conduct,” according to the legislative digest write-up of the bill. The law goes into effect July 1, 2023.