CAPITOL DAYBOOK NEWS

Voters approve Proposition 42, barring new taxes on personal assets

The Associated Press called Proposition 42 late Friday with about 96 percent of ballots counted and just over 51 percent voting yes. The measure bars new state taxes on personal property and was designed to block the rejected Proposition 40 billionaire tax.

• The ban covers personal property including 401(k) accounts, business interests, digital assets, intellectual property and personal belongings, while real estate is excluded.
• Retroactive taxation is barred except during a state declared emergency.
• Any future attempt to tax personal assets would first require voters to overturn Proposition 42.

New York Post Los Angeles Times $ Sacramento Bee $ · 11/13/26

Assembly Republican leader Macedo loses her Central Valley seat to Cerros

Democrat Hipolito Angel Cerros, a 28 year old former mayor of Lindsay, defeated Assembly Republican Leader Alexandra Macedo in the 33rd District. Macedo had beaten Cerros by more than 22 points in the June primary, and the district last elected a Democrat in 1967.

Sacramento Bee $

Insurance Department response reveals a second judge filed misconduct complaints

Responding Friday to former judge Kristin Rosi's lawsuit against Commissioner Ricardo Lara, the Insurance Department disclosed that current administrative judge Karl-Frederic Seligman also filed State Bar complaints about department attorneys. Rosi alleges she was fired in retaliation for rulings on rate increases.

CalMatters · 11/13/26

Lawmakers vow oversight after Chronicle investigation into ICE detention deaths

A San Francisco Chronicle investigation found ICE internal reviews faulted medical care in 23 of 29 deaths in custody between January 2025 and January 2026. Democrats preparing to take charge of Congress vowed to investigate and increase oversight of the agency.

San Francisco Chronicle $

Nationwide FAA ground stop halts flights for hours as officials blame aging equipment

The FAA grounded all departing flights nationwide for about four hours Friday after telecommunications failures disrupted radar and communications data. Officials said overloaded routers in an aging network caused the failure, reported no evidence of a cyberattack, and sought $50 billion for upgrades.

Politico Los Angeles Times $ · 11/13/26

Incoming insurance commissioner Jane Kim proposes a public wildfire insurance pool

Insurance Commissioner elect Jane Kim wants homeowners to pay into a public, nonprofit pool covering up to $400,000 of wildfire rebuilding costs, with private insurers covering amounts above that. She will draft the plan with Governor elect Xavier Becerra and the Legislature in January.

Bloomberg Wall Street Journal $ · 11/12/26

Childcare advocates press Becerra to make universal care a top priority

Advocates hope Governor elect Xavier Becerra will use his experience as U.S. health secretary to expand childcare access and raise provider pay. He inherits a system that remains unaffordable for many families, with low provider reimbursement rates and uncertain federal funding.

EdSource · 11/13/26

Sonoma County lawsuit accuses large brokerage of steering buyers into dual agency deals

Home buyers suing W Real Estate allege the brokerage required them to drop their agents and accept representation by the same firm representing builders. The suit says hundreds of buyers across at least five developments were affected, and a jury trial is set for May.

CalMatters · 11/13/26

Record warm ocean waters fuel debate over how severe California's El Niño winter will be

Scientists said ocean temperatures off the California coast have reached record levels for mid November as a strong El Niño strengthens, raising coastal flooding and surf risks. Experts still debate how stormy the winter will become, with the season's first substantial rain arriving this weekend.

Mercury News $ Los Angeles Times $ · 11/13/26

Vernon, a rare city still welcoming data centers, faces pushback over diesel pollution

The industrial city south of downtown Los Angeles is facing pressure from LAUSD and neighboring communities over diesel pollution from data center backup generators. Vernon's council is scheduled to consider requiring environmental reviews for the projects, with a final vote expected in December.

Los Angeles Times $ · 11/13/26

Conservative school board candidates lose ground in races across California

Unofficial results show four moderate incumbents in Orange Unified fending off conservative challengers, progressive candidates leading in Inland Empire races, and a Moms for Liberty chapter president trailing by 89 points in Davis. Counties have until December 3 to certify results.

EdSource · 11/13/26

Investigation finds instructors earning up to $800,000 teaching dozens of online classes at once

A CalMatters investigation identified more than 70 instructors who taught across at least five California college districts or systems in 2024, mostly online. No rules limit how many colleges an instructor can work for, and districts have no system to track total teaching loads.

New York Post · 11/12/26

San Diego parents, teachers and officials rally for 8 year old boy detained by ICE

Hundreds of parents, teachers and elected officials rallied outside the federal building in San Diego on Thursday demanding the release of an 8 year old Haitian boy taken into federal custody last week after an immigration appointment. California lawmakers have demanded answers from federal officials.

KPBS · 11/12/26

Hollywood's push for a federal production tax credit hits a post election wall in Congress

A proposed federal film and television production tax credit faces an uncertain path in the lame duck session as congressional Republicans regroup from midterm losses. The bipartisan bill would offer a 20 percent base credit for productions filmed mostly in the United States.

Politico · 11/13/26