California
Editorial: California Medi-Cal measure locks in special-interest funding
Proposition 35, the Medi-Cal funding measure on the Nov. 5 ballot, presents another example of special-interest ballot-box budgeting that limits the discretion of lawmakers and reduces flexibility to respond to fiscal crises. Voters should reject it.
If we’ve learned anything in the past few years, it’s that multibillion budget surpluses one year can morph into gigantic deficits the next. The governor and state lawmakers need flexibility to responsibly address the shortfalls.
California voters should not lock in funding allocations that favor doctors and hospitals over children and community health workers. Nor should they keep tying the hands of lawmakers, who must already contend with, for example, voter mandates for school funding, which must receive about 40% of the state budget; for prudent budget reserves; and for arts education.
At issue with Proposition 35 is a tax on health plans that provides $7.5 billion of the $161 billion needed to annually fund Medi-Cal — the federal-state health program for low-income people.
The tax is based on the number of people to whom the health plans provide coverage. The state leverages the tax money for matching funds from the federal government.
Medi-Cal, in turn, reimburses the health plans for almost all the tax, with the federal government covering the majority of the cost. In other words, it’s a tax that’s not really a tax but rather a way to pull in more federal money.
Proposition 35 is being sold as a measure that would secure that $7.5 billion in funding by permanently extending the tax on health plans. But this lock-in isn’t needed. State lawmakers, understanding how the tax leverages federal dollars, have generally levied and renewed it for nearly two decades and are incentivized to do so in the future.
Meanwhile, Proposition 35 would not only make the tax permanent, it would also dictate allocation of the spoils. It would pick winners and losers.
Not surprisingly, the winners include doctors, hospitals and emergency ambulance providers, which explains why they are major financial backers of the measure. Their funding would be protected and, in some cases, increased under Proposition 35.
Among the possible losers are community health workers, private nurses and children under age 5, who are currently protected from losing their Medi-Cal coverage.
To provide the additional funding for the winners under Proposition 35 and still preserve other Medi-Cal programs, the state would need to tap the general fund for another $1 billion to $2 billion annually in 2025 and 2026, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office.
The current tax will expire at the end of 2026 unless the Legislature and the federal government extend it. But there’s every reason to believe state lawmakers will do their part, just as they have in the past.
Yet, Proposition 35 backers tout that their measure would make the tax permanent starting in 2027 — and use the notion of going after politically unpopular insurance companies for money as a selling point even though those companies will get their money back.
Backers of the ballot measure also say that the tax revenue has been diverted to bolster the state’s general fund. But the state this fiscal year will provide $62.4 billion to help fund Medi-Cal, including $35 billion from the general fund.
It’s fiscally reckless to keep using ballot measures to earmark unpredictable state revenues. Proposition 35, which is 43 pages long, “hamstrings our ability to have the kind of flexibility that’s required at the moment we’re living in,” says Gov. Gavin Newsom.
He’s right.
More funding for health care for the poor is a laudable goal. So are attempts to raise rates for doctors and other health care providers who serve Medi-Cal patients. Indeed, there are legitimate concerns about Medi-Cal patients not being able to find providers because doctors don’t want to take them on at low payment rates.
But the allocation of limited general fund money should be made when all the competing demands are weighed by state lawmakers. We shouldn’t be locking it in with a ballot measure few voters will ever understand.
A new poll in the race for California Governor shows Democrat Xavier Becerra is leading Republican Steve Hilton by a wide margin — 61% to 36%.
Becerra leads Hilton across several demographics: age, gender, homeownership, income, racial/ethnic groups and across the state’s major regions.
The poll also found 85% of likely voters say that the gubernatorial candidates’ positions on the environment are important — 60% of Democrats call it “very important,” compared to 29% of Republicans.
The poll surveyed 1,578 California adults from June 29 through July 6 and was conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California. The poll was conducted in English and Spanish, and 1,003 of those who were polled were likely voters.
The same poll found that a large majority of Californians do not want new data centers built in their area. Only about a quarter of those surveyed are in favor of the construction of data centers.
The PPIC survey focused on Californians and the environment.
Another key finding was that Californians are most likely to name wildfires as the top environmental issue facing the state today, followed by climate change, government overregulation and water supply. Of those polled, about six in 10 think that the state and local governments are not doing enough to address wildfires.
The California General Election will be held on Nov. 3, 2026.
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LOS ANGELES – A routine internal monitoring sweep by the California Department of Motor Vehicles has flagged thousands of suspicious test results, prompting a massive recall of licensed drivers to testing centers.
The state agency has warned that anyone who fails to comply with the retesting directive will face immediate cancellation of their driving privileges.
What we know:
The California DMV sent letters to about 11,000 licensed drivers last month after identifying suspicious patterns in their written test results.
According to the agency, these irregularities were detected through routine internal monitoring and point to various methods used to circumvent the testing process.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 11,000 CA drivers told to retake written test or lose licenses
The DMV has stated that the issue is entirely “test-taker related” and not the result of an internal technical glitch or the involvement of artificial intelligence.
To address the suspected fraud, several cases have already been referred to county district attorneys for criminal prosecution.
What we don’t know:
The DMV has not revealed the specific cheating methods used by the test-takers, nor have they disclosed the exact locations or dates of the flagged tests.
It’s unclear exactly how many of the 11,000 affected drivers have already completed their retests or how many licenses have been canceled so far.
What they’re saying:
A DMV spokesperson emphasized the importance of exam security in an email to City News Service: “The California DMV has identified irregularities in certain driver knowledge test results that may indicate instances of cheating.”
The spokesperson further explained, “Some individuals may have attempted to circumvent the testing process using various cheating methods.”
Addressing the root cause, the spokesperson added, “Nonetheless, these irregularities are test-taker-related and not the result of an internal DMV technical issue, or the involvement of artificial intelligence. Ensuring the integrity of the knowledge testing process is essential to public safety and to confirm that drivers understand California’s rules of the road.”
Regarding the lack of specific details on how the cheating occurred, the department stated, “DMV is not sharing additional information at this time, so as not to reveal investigative methods and protect the integrity of the investigative process.”
Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach), vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, recently sent a letter to DMV administrators expressing concerns about the situation.
On Tuesday, Strickland released a statement saying the DMV’s own letter to drivers created “confusion and unnecessary anxiety” among new license holders.
“The DMV is a state agency that serves millions of Californians, and they deserve clear communication along with timely information when something like this happens,” Strickland said. “I have heard from Californians who believe this language suggests the DMV is accusing them of cheating or engaging in misconduct during the examination process. Whether that is the Department’s intent or not, the wording of the notice has created confusion and unnecessary anxiety. In my letter, I requested additional information about what happened and the steps the department is taking to address the issue.”
What’s next:
The DMV will continue to monitor test results internally while working alongside county district attorneys on the active criminal referrals.
Drivers who received the letters must schedule and pass their exams before their individual 30-day deadlines expire to avoid losing their driving privileges.
What you can do:
If you received a letter from the DMV regarding testing irregularities, you must visit a local DMV office as soon as possible to retake your knowledge test.
Be sure to complete and pass the exam within the mandated 30-day window to prevent your driver’s license from being canceled.
The Source: This report is based on official statements and email correspondence provided by the California Department of Motor Vehicles to City News Service.
A now 33-year-old Northern California man, who was on the run in Mexico for five nearly five years, has been sentenced for the murder of his estranged wife’s boyfriend while the couple was sleeping in her apartment in 2017.
Arturo Hernandez was 25 when he learned that a man named Anthony Freas was in a relationship with his estranged wife. His calls to her after hearing about the situation went unanswered, according to investigators.
On Nov. 19, livid over the relationship, Hernandez went to the Regency Apartments in the 5900 block of Riza Avenue, where his wife lived. He broke into the apartment where the couple was sleeping, entered her bedroom and stabbed Freas multiple times before fleeing the scene, according to a news release from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office.
Officers with the Sacramento Police Department responded to the apartment and found Freas suffering from at least one stab wound to the upper body. They began life-saving measures until paramedics arrived and rushed him to a hospital, where he later died.
Authorities launched a manhunt for Hernandez, who was considered armed and dangerous, The Sacramento Bee reported.
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Arturo Hernandez, 33, was sentenced for killing Anthony Freas while he was sleeping at his estranged wife’s Sacramento apartment on Nov. 19, 2026.(Justice4Anthony/Facebook) -
Arturo Hernandez broke into his estranged wife’s home at the Regency Apartments and killed her boyfriend while the couple was sleeping on Nov. 19, 2017. (Google)
It was later learned that he fled to Mexico, though it is unclear where he had been hiding or with whom.
Hernandez evaded law enforcement until July 2023, when he was arrested by Mexican authorities and FBI agents. He was later extradited back to Sacramento to stand trial.
On March 24, a jury found Hernandez guilty of second-degree murder and found true the allegation that he personally used a weapon during the attack.
More than three months later, on July 10, Judge Alyson Lewis sentenced him to 16 years to life in state prison.
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