News Archive

Seven years after the Safe and Responsible Drivers Act gave undocumented residents a license to drive, the state is ready to expand its impact, but the law still has detractors.

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Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters

State Government

California reparations task force aims at more than dollars, seeks policies to prevent harm

January 27, 2023

The task force members are discussing monetary and nonmonetary reparations ideas to compensate for slavery and racism. Some say they want policies to prevent future harms against Black Californians.

Race and Equity

‘The Chinese Lady,’ a play about the history of Chinese oppression and Anti-Asian hate, comes to Capital Stage

January 26, 2023 | Sarah Mizes-Tan

The play touches on themes of anti-Asian hate and othering as it follows one of the first Chinese women to immigrate to the United States. It will open at Capital Stage this weekend and run through Feb. 26.

Race and Equity

School funding proposal aims to achieve equity, but does it go far enough?

January 25, 2023

Last year, a bill would have directed more funding to the student group with the lowest standardized test scores, which would have been Black students. Instead, the governor is proposing extra money for high-poverty schools.

Race and Equity

Sacramento’s Asian American community holds a vigil to honor Monterey Park shooting victims

January 23, 2023 | Sarah Mizes-Tan

In the wake of the shooting on the eve of Lunar New Year, state legislators are calling for stricter gun laws.

Race and Equity

Sacramento students of color and parents react to volatility caused by the climate crisis

January 18, 2023 | Srishti Prabha

Following the historic storms, eco-anxiety grips students of color and their families across Sacramento County.

Russell Stiger Jr. / Sacramento Observer

Race and Equity

Black students in Sacramento celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day after a two-year pandemic hiatus

January 17, 2023 | Srishti Prabha

The skies cleared just in time for Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations in Sacramento, the first at Grant Union High School since the start of the pandemic.

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Race and Equity

New report says California’s parole process could lead to inequitable outcomes

January 13, 2023 | Sarah Mizes-Tan

Advocates say the current parole process unfairly denies parole to Black and brown inmates as compared with white inmates; the Board of Parole Hearings disagrees

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