Current law shields tenants from eviction if they’ve paid at least 25% of their rent between Sept. 1, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2021. And tenants cannot be evicted over any rent owed between March 1, 2020, and Aug. 31, 2020 — as long as they respond to their landlord’s eviction notice with a signed declaration of COVID-19-related financial ...Gov. Gavin Newsom has amassed more than $14.2 million in a campaign war chest for his hallmark mental health initiative, which will appear on the March 5 primary ballot, a sum that eclipses the resources of the measure’s opponents. He’s drawing from longtime allies in health care, unions and tribes to fund the campaign for Proposition 1 ...Become a CalMatters member with a tax-deductible donation today to stay informed, bolster our journalism and expand how many people we reach across California. One of the most pressing issues in California is inequality. Sign up for …Newsom and legislators dealt with a $35 billion deficit in the 2023-24 budget enacted in June and expect another $15 billion gap for 2024-25. Sluggish revenues indicate that the shortfall could be worse. The six-month delay in the income tax filing deadline, from April to October, made revenue forecasting more guesswork than usual.As primary looms, California voting made simple. CalMatters has launched an election guide with everything you need to know about California voting for the June 7 primary. CalMatters is dedicated to explaining how state government impacts our lives. Your support helps us produce journalism that makes a difference. Donate now. CalMatters covers how decisions by California politicians and officials shape your lives and the state's future. Find stories, data and tools on topics such as elections, housing, justice, education and more. How college admissions are changing after the end of affirmative action. by Carolyn Jones and Mikhail Zinshteyn November 3, 2023. Maya Murchison at Eastlake High School in Chula Vista on Oct. 23, 2023. Murchison, a high school senior, says the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action has …The five-year climate change strategy, called a scoping plan, outlines in its 297 pages how California could end its reliance on oil and also clean up the nation’s worst air pollution. The staff’s final draft plan adds bolder commitments, reducing oil use by 94% from 2022 levels by 2045 — up from a goal of 91% in the September version of ...The following policies and guidelines govern acceptance of gifts made to CalMatters for the benefit of any of our operations, programs or services. We are committed to full transparency of all sources of funding. We publicly disclose all supporters who have given a total of $1,000 or more and their cumulative giving.Responding to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, California legislators push a bill to restrict concealed carry permits. New numbers show a wide variation among counties in how many permits have been issued. But in publishing the data, the state Department of Justice exposed personal information of permit holders. Over the last decade, Orange …Covered California has a $109 million annual budget for marketing and the bulk is spent during open enrollment to outreach to Californians to sign up or renew coverage. Open enrollment started this week and runs through Jan. 31, 2023. Coverage can begin as early as Jan. 1. In San Jose, this is the change Patricia Moran has been waiting … Capitol. California Senate leader Mike McGuire picks his team. The new top Democrat in the state Senate announces his leadership team and new committee chairpersons. He rewarded some allies who helped him win the post, and filled five of seven leadership posts with women or legislators of color. By Alexei Koseff • February 8, 2024. Wildfires. The report foresees wildfires, exacerbated by climate change, as continuing to have a major impact in California. Of the 50 largest U.S. wildfires in 2020, 22 occurred in California, and the 7 largest wildfires recorded in California have occurred since 2018, the report noted. Three of the five deadliest fires on record in California ...It was intended to be his knockout punch at Newsom on the issue of California’s spiraling homelessness crisis, which he said has gotten so bad that “human feces is now a fact of life” for residents. DeSantis blamed Democrats’ lax attitude. “You have the freedom to defecate in public in California,” DeSantis said.Californians infected with COVID-19 may go about their lives without isolating or testing negative as long as their symptoms are improving, according to new and significantly loosened guidelines from the California Department of Public Health. California’s top public health official, Dr. Tomás Aragón, last week quietly rescinded the state ...Nov 15, 2023 · Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters. In summary. More than 4,000 state scientists have worked under an expired contract for three years. Average wages in 2020 were $83,586, 27% less than state engineers’ pay. The state filed an unfair labor practice charge to stop the strike. Hundreds of scientists working for the state of California to ... Awards. Special Projects. CalMatters has carved out a leadership role as a trusted brand and “go-to” hub for in-depth news and information on statewide issues. Our work has led to changes in policy, new legislation and investigations and discussions at the Capitol, in political groups and beyond — and because of our collaborative …Facing demands from the federal government, California water agencies offered today to cut back the amount of water they import from the Colorado River starting in 2023. After months of negotiations, water agencies wrote to federal agencies today offering to reduce California’s water use by 400,000 acre-feet every year through 2026.CalMatters covers quality of life issues and holds leaders accountable in America's biggest state. Learn about its mission, funding, policies, staff, board and diversity efforts.The scoop. Primary results: Ken Cooley 50.9%, Josh Hoover 34.0%. Races in this part of Sacramento County have been relatively close recently between the two parties: In 2020, about 52% of voters went for Democrat Joe Biden, while … CalMatters events promote non-partisan civic engagement and build awareness about important issues, politics and policies that shape California’s future. From intimate salon sessions at the CalMatters Studio in Sacramento to public events across the state, our events bring interesting and compelling content to Californians in person and online. In summary. Recent polls show many Californians were undecided heading into Election Day on Gov. Newsom’s Proposition 1, which would fund new mental health treatment facilities. Opponents to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s $6.4 billion plan to build mental health treatment beds and housing today conceded that his ballot measure is likely to pass.Dec 18, 2023 · More than 928,000 people had their Medi-Cal terminated between June and October, according to state data. The vast majority of them — close to 90% — lost Medi-Cal coverage because of so-called “procedural reasons,” often meaning problems with paperwork. California has the fourth worst rate of terminations linked to procedural issues in ... Recent maternal deaths in Los Angeles. Earlier this year, the deaths of two Black women, Bridgette Cromer and April Valentine, in childbirth shook Los Angeles. Valentine’s death led to a state investigation and a $75,000 fine levied against Centinela Hospital Medical Center where her daughter was delivered via …Photo via iStock. Rebates ranging from $200 to $1,050 are one step closer to landing in millions of Californians’ pockets after state lawmakers in marathon Wednesday night floor sessions passed a record-breaking $300 billion budget plan for the fiscal year beginning Friday. Though heated and hours-long, the sessions were in many ways ...Dec 10, 2021 · The journalists at CalMatters followed these and many other California state government issues closely this year, listening to experiences from neighborhoods, schools and farms and questioning elected leaders, advocates and experts. CalMatters’ 2021-2022 Primer about state politics and policy is a collection of what we saw and learned. Covered California has a $109 million annual budget for marketing and the bulk is spent during open enrollment to outreach to Californians to sign up or renew coverage. Open enrollment started this week and runs through Jan. 31, 2023. Coverage can begin as early as Jan. 1. In San Jose, this is the change Patricia Moran has been waiting … CalMatters covers how decisions by California politicians and officials shape your lives and the state's future. Find stories, data and tools on topics such as elections, housing, justice, education and more. Dec 31, 2019 · About 8,000 families and 12,000 children were homeless in California last year. In Los Angeles, their number spiked by 45.7%. As a result, family homelessness was the main focus of the 2021-22 state budget; Newsom announced a goal of zero family homelessness in the next five years. According to a CalMatters analysis, the number of nonprofits affiliated with California legislators or caucuses grew from at least three in 2010 to at least 12 last year, with total revenue of about $2.9 million. Much of the money has come from corporations and unions with business before the Legislature, including oil, tobacco and other ...The scoop. Primary results: Ken Cooley 50.9%, Josh Hoover 34.0%. Races in this part of Sacramento County have been relatively close recently between the two parties: In 2020, about 52% of voters went for Democrat Joe Biden, while …That’s what prompted the Republican lawmaker from Bakersfield to introduce, for the third time, a bill to test for three years the Office of the California Public Records Act Ombudsperson. “To expect the average citizen to take the government to court and expend resources was just a nonstarter. It’s not fair,” Fong said.Nov 17, 2023 · Grief, fear, and hopes for peace: California college students describe campus climates during Israel-Palestine conflict. Hillel, a campus religious group, hosts a rally calling for the release of kidnapped Israelis at UCLA's Wilson Plaza in Los Angeles on Nov. 7, 2023. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters. The proposed rules would affect any company making more than $25 million in annual revenue or processing the personal data of more than 100,000 Californians. AI …Sameea Kamal is a reporter at CalMatters covering the state Capitol and California politics. She joined CalMatters in June 2021 from the Los Angeles Times, where she was a News Desk editor. Sameea was... More by Sameea Kamal. New members of the California Legislature count some victories in representing constituents, but criticize the …Decision day for hot-button bills. Assemblymember Adam Gray, a Merced Democrat, takes notes on the Assembly floor during the next-to-last day of the session at the state Capitol in Sacramento on Aug. 30, 2022. Photo by Rahul Lal, CalMatters. California’s legislative session ends tonight at midnight, but the intense lobbying …Sameea Kamal is a reporter at CalMatters covering the state Capitol and California politics. She joined CalMatters in June 2021 from the Los Angeles Times, where she was a News Desk editor. Sameea was... More by Sameea Kamal. With few strict rules, California lawmakers represent their constituents in different ways, but not always that well.websiteBecome a CalMatters member with a tax-deductible donation today to stay informed, bolster our journalism and expand how many people we reach across California. One of the most pressing issues in California is inequality. Sign up for …Rules for thee: How California Legislature skirts its own laws. by Sameea Kamal February 6, 2023. New California legislators stand to take the oath of office in the Senate chambers in the state Capitol on Dec. 5, 2022. Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters.In summary. There won’t be much drama in campaigns for statewide office this year, but voters will face a clutch of high-dollar ballot measures. Last week’s primary election told us that there will be very little drama in November’s general election vis-à-vis California’s statewide offices. With one potential exception, Democrats will ...CalMatters provides a comprehensive overview of the 2022 California election results, including the governor's race, the attorney general's race, and the seven ballot …Gov. Gavin Newsom has amassed more than $14.2 million in a campaign war chest for his hallmark mental health initiative, which will appear on the March 5 primary ballot, a sum that eclipses the resources of the measure’s opponents. He’s drawing from longtime allies in health care, unions and tribes to …Jan 2, 2023 · Not to be outdone, Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature passed this new law that allows private citizens to collect $10,000 by suing those who make or sell illegal “ghost guns” or assault-style weapons. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, could throw out the Texas law and ones like it, including California’s. Over the last three years, taxpayers have given HOPICS, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, about $140 million to house homeless people through its subsidy program called rapid rehousing. An exclusive investigation by CalMatters’ reporters Byrhonda Lyons and Jeanne Kuang found that the nonprofit failed to …Apr 21, 2022 · U.S. abortion rate continues to fall — but California's is a mystery. In the years immediately following Roe v. Wade, the abortion rate skyrocketed across the country, reaching a high of 25 per 1,000 women of childbearing age, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since that time, the rate nationwide has fallen by half. Gov. Gavin Newsom this year signed two union-backed bills that will boost fast-food and health care workers’ minimum wages. California-based fast-food workers for chains with 60 or more locations around the nation will earn at least $20 an hour beginning in April, $4 higher than the overall state minimum wage of $16 that will be effective Jan. 1.California doctors struggle to make payroll one month after ransomware attack. Dermatologist Dr. Margaret Parsons at her practice, Dermatology Consultants of …Lower cost, slower gains: California prepares controversial new climate strategy. by Nadia Lopez April 28, 2022. The state's climate change scoping plan would force use of renewable energy. The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the Mojave Desert is the world's largest solar plant. Photo by Bing Guan, REUTERS.In summary. Though voters soundly rejected an effort to legalize affirmative action in California in 2020, state Democrats are trying again, proposing a limited version that would allow state agencies to consider race if academic research shows evidence those race-based programs could work. Familiar political battle lines are forming.Note: The 2023-24 base grant is $10,951 for grades TK/K-3, $10,069 for grades 4-6, $10,367 for grades 7-8, and $12,327 for grades 9-12. Prior to the funding formula, …Dec 20, 2022 · In summary. CalMatters’ expert journalists around the state created this guide to the state’s efforts to meet the challenges of 2022 and prepare for 2023. Our mission at CalMatters is to help you understand the major issues in this big. state and to learn the how and why and who about the decisions made by our. policy leaders. These new California laws take effect in 2024. by CalMatters December 27, 2023. But a host of new laws will make it more difficult for opponents of proposed housing projects to use the California Environmental Quality Act to delay certain types of housing projects. Oakland Democratic Assemblymember Buffy …Over the last three years, taxpayers have given HOPICS, a Los Angeles-based nonprofit, about $140 million to house homeless people through its subsidy program called rapid rehousing. An exclusive investigation by CalMatters’ reporters Byrhonda Lyons and Jeanne Kuang found that the nonprofit failed to …Prop. 1, the only proposition on California ballots this March, asks voters to green-light a $6.4 billion bond for treatment beds and housing units catering to people with mental illnesses and addictions. It also would restructure some current funding to funnel more mental health money toward housing. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has championed …The fire-insurance premium for Bill King’s home has risen 145% since 2017 — from $399 to $979 — under the California FAIR Plan, the state’s last option for homeowners seeking fire insurance. Add that to the increase in his auto-insurance premium, and King, who lives in Running Springs in the San Bernardino Mountains, is worried.Part 1 All too often, California’s default mental institutions are now jails and prisons; Part 2 For families across California, a desperate struggle to get mental health care; Part 3 Overlooked mental health “catastrophe:” Vanishing board-and-care-homes leave residents with few options; Part 4 Californians aren’t getting the …Update: Democrats Tim Robertson and Marie Alvarado-Gil finished first and second in the June 7 primary and will face off in the Nov. 8 general election. If you need an example of just how befuddling California’s top-two primary system can be, consider the case of the $50,000 mailer sent to voters across 13 California counties in early June.California renters, who are still struggling to pay the rent even as the pandemic wanes, will be shielded from eviction through Sept. 30, under a last-minute deal announced June 25 by Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders. The agreement, which more fully opens up $5.2 billion to pay full back rent and rent …Responding to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, California legislators push a bill to restrict concealed carry permits. New numbers show a wide variation among counties in how many permits have been issued. But in publishing the data, the state Department of Justice exposed personal information of permit holders. Over the last decade, Orange …A bankrupt California hospital left a health care desert. Two medical groups move to reopen it. The closure of Madera Community Hospital created a new health care desert in a community that already had fewer doctors per capita than other parts of the state. UCSF and Adventist have a plan to reopen it. By Ana B. Ibarra • February 8, 2024.In summary. California has one of the nation’s broadest laws to clear criminal records, and it’s about to expand even more. Supporters say expungements give a fresh … Outgunned. Illustration by Anne Wernikoff for CalMatters; iStock. California is struggling to recover illegally owned firearms, despite some of the strictest gun control laws in the country. For more than a decade, the state has tried to recover guns from people who possess a registered firearm even though they have lost their Second Amendment ... Newsom and legislators dealt with a $35 billion deficit in the 2023-24 budget enacted in June and expect another $15 billion gap for 2024-25. Sluggish revenues indicate that the shortfall could be worse. The six-month delay in the income tax filing deadline, from April to October, made revenue forecasting more guesswork than usual.California renters, who are still struggling to pay the rent even as the pandemic wanes, will be shielded from eviction through Sept. 30, under a last-minute deal announced June 25 by Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders. The agreement, which more fully opens up $5.2 billion to pay full back rent and rent …In summary. Though voters soundly rejected an effort to legalize affirmative action in California in 2020, state Democrats are trying again, proposing a limited version that would allow state agencies to consider race if academic research shows evidence those race-based programs could work. Familiar political battle lines are forming.Photo via iStock. Rebates ranging from $200 to $1,050 are one step closer to landing in millions of Californians’ pockets after state lawmakers in marathon Wednesday night floor sessions passed a record-breaking $300 billion budget plan for the fiscal year beginning Friday. Though heated and hours-long, the sessions were in many ways ... 2022 California election, propositions, Gov. Gavin Newsom and everything else about California policy and politics, our newsroom covers it. Our channel is all about explaining California politics ... Dec 20, 2022 · In summary. CalMatters’ expert journalists around the state created this guide to the state’s efforts to meet the challenges of 2022 and prepare for 2023. Our mission at CalMatters is to help you understand the major issues in this big. state and to learn the how and why and who about the decisions made by our. policy leaders. California’s clean-air regulators on Tuesday unveiled a highly anticipated roadmap packed with strategies for tackling the climate crisis. But it falls short on a key component: the role that its signature environmental policy — cap and trade — will have in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The California Air Resources Board’s draft of ...Dec 10, 2021 · The journalists at CalMatters followed these and many other California state government issues closely this year, listening to experiences from neighborhoods, schools and farms and questioning elected leaders, advocates and experts. CalMatters’ 2021-2022 Primer about state politics and policy is a collection of what we saw and learned. Year in review: Climate change and flooding hit home in California. by Rachel Becker and Alejandro Lazo December 20, 2023 Updated December 21, 2023. Sunset above the flood waters in farmland with submerged tractors and farming equipment in Hansen Ranches south of Corcoran on April 26, 2023. Photo by …Jan 18, 2024 · Prop. 1, the only proposition on California ballots this March, asks voters to green-light a $6.4 billion bond for treatment beds and housing units catering to people with mental illnesses and addictions. It also would restructure some current funding to funnel more mental health money toward housing. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has championed the ... A CalMatters analysis shows that California’s offshore wind projects carry a host of implications and uncertainties: Energy companies will need hundreds of millions of dollars in state subsidies or bonds to assist with the extreme costs of construction and operation. Each wind farm could cost about $5 billion to develop, …But today, Newsom proposed scaling climate funding back by about 7% compared to last year’s budget, to $48.3 billion, while spreading that money out over seven years, up from six last year. The cuts, unveiled in the first draft of his new budget, follow last year’s 3% cut to climate programs, and triggered criticism today from environmental ...Tents line up against a fence at a homeless encampment near Highway 180 in west Fresno on Feb. 11, 2022. Photo by Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters. In summary. The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a case that has implications for how much power California officials have over homeless camps. It will rule on current precedent later this …Here are some of the most interesting new laws that take effect Jan. 1 in California: Many California undocumented students are missing out on financial aid. An easier, new application could get them more money. by Mikhail Zinshteyn December 22, 2023. Surprise ambulance bills put these families in debt. A new California law bans the …Feds leave California on the hook for $300 million in COVID homeless spending. Patient Steven Dombrowski “Cowboy” speaking with Physician assistant Brett Feldman in his hotel room at the L.A. Grand Hotel on Feb. 13, 2023. The hotel was turned into an emergency shelter for unhoused people through Project Roomkey.The effort to allow California’s legislative staff to unionize — at least 23 years in the works — is nearly across the finish line. But to win enough support from their bosses, significant changes were made: New lawmakers would be able to dismiss their predecessor’s staffers. In July, the bill was amended to push back when the union ...Californians infected with COVID-19 may go about their lives without isolating or testing negative as long as their symptoms are improving, according to new and significantly loosened guidelines from the California Department of Public Health. California’s top public health official, Dr. Tomás Aragón, last week quietly …Grief, fear, and hopes for peace: California college students describe campus climates during Israel-Palestine conflict. Hillel, a campus religious group, hosts a rally calling for the release of kidnapped Israelis at UCLA's Wilson Plaza in Los Angeles on Nov. 7, 2023. Photo by Lauren Justice for CalMatters.Sep 11, 2023 · The referendum was officially withdrawn on Dec. 29. A two-year battle between labor groups and fast food giants is culminating in a last-minute deal announced today that would give workers a $20 minimum wage starting next April if businesses agree to nix their November 2024 ballot measure to undo a landmark law regulating the industry. Mar 8, 2024 · Dan Walters. California's capital city, Sacramento, has become a startling example of official sneakiness in how it conducts its business. CalMatters columnist Dan Walters writes about California and its politics. Read his column and sign up for his Weekly Walters email newsletter.
Sep 11, 2023 · The referendum was officially withdrawn on Dec. 29. A two-year battle between labor groups and fast food giants is culminating in a last-minute deal announced today that would give workers a $20 minimum wage starting next April if businesses agree to nix their November 2024 ballot measure to undo a landmark law regulating the industry. . Edge hotel clearwater beach
In April, 30% of Black households in California were food insecure. Six months later, the figure was 40% — and nearly half of Black families with children. Anti-poverty advocates had feared a rise in hunger after the end of the aid boost this year, which affected the nearly 3 million California households that receive CalFresh, the federally ...Despite California’s ongoing water woes, even the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office had to give a thumbs down to the state’s proposal to limit urban water use, writes CalMatters’ Rachel Becker.. In August, the California Water Resources Control Board unveiled a proposal for more than 400 cities and water suppliers serving about …The five-year climate change strategy, called a scoping plan, outlines in its 297 pages how California could end its reliance on oil and also clean up the nation’s worst air pollution. The staff’s final draft plan adds bolder commitments, reducing oil use by 94% from 2022 levels by 2045 — up from a goal of 91% in the September version of ...Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters. In summary. The Legislative Analyst’s Office projects the 2024-25 shortfall at $73 billion, putting more pressure on legislators and the governor to find savings. The biggest challenge facing lawmakers and Gov. Gavin Newsom is the state budget deficit — and it just got bigger.Prop. 1 opponents called that strategy “sleazy” and “an attempt to manipulate the final vote count by harvesting the votes of only some partisans in certain areas.”. But the foes said they’re launching a similar effort and refocusing their website to help voters confirm their ballots were counted and to assist voters whose ballots ...Prop. 1 opponents called that strategy “sleazy” and “an attempt to manipulate the final vote count by harvesting the votes of only some partisans in certain areas.”. But the foes said they’re launching a similar effort and refocusing their website to help voters confirm their ballots were counted and to assist voters whose ballots ...In April, 30% of Black households in California were food insecure. Six months later, the figure was 40% — and nearly half of Black families with children. Anti-poverty advocates had feared a rise in hunger after the end of the aid boost this year, which affected the nearly 3 million California households that receive CalFresh, the federally ...Since 2018, the U.S. Department of Labor saw a 69% increase in children being illegally employed. In the last fiscal year, the department found 835 companies it investigated employed more than 3,800 children. In California, the department documented 34 child labor cases, with 103 children employed in …California doctors struggle to make payroll one month after ransomware attack. Dermatologist Dr. Margaret Parsons at her practice, Dermatology Consultants of …California election districts have changed for 2022 and beyond. Type in your address and find out your new legislative and congressional districts. Hundreds of thousands of voters were shifted in the new California election districts drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission. A bushel of state …5 days ago · Prop. 1 opponents called that strategy “sleazy” and “an attempt to manipulate the final vote count by harvesting the votes of only some partisans in certain areas.”. But the foes said they’re launching a similar effort and refocusing their website to help voters confirm their ballots were counted and to assist voters whose ballots ... Cal Fire tracks how many firefighters and civilians have lost their lives in wildfires. Since 1992, at least 268 people have died in a wildfire, and since 2008, 193 civilians and 32 firefighters lost their lives. Half of California's 20 deadliest fires occurred in the 21st century. The deadliest fire in California history was the Camp Fire in ...California’s clean-air regulators on Tuesday unveiled a highly anticipated roadmap packed with strategies for tackling the climate crisis. But it falls short on a key component: the role that its signature environmental policy — cap and trade — will have in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. The California Air Resources Board’s draft of ...WhatMatters. The latest official tally from the Secretary of State’s office shows that more than 5.8 million ballots have been counted from California’s primary, with 1.7 million still to go. Based on today’s updated umbers, the total of 7.5 million votes means a turnout of about 34%, well below the norm for presidential primaries, but ...Feb 14, 2022 · Photo by Martin do Nascimento, CalMatters. In summary. California’s first-of-its-kind Medi-Cal reform aims to help low-income patients navigate problems like homelessness, poverty and substance abuse that can harm health. Lea este artículo en español. At 66, Edward El has a new lease on life — literally. Together, they’ve spent more than $188 million lobbying the state government since 2005, making them the third and first largest spenders on hired advocates since then. Oil companies have had plenty of challenges in California, a state with ambitious climate goals including a ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035.Nov 15, 2023 · Photo by Fred Greaves for CalMatters. In summary. More than 4,000 state scientists have worked under an expired contract for three years. Average wages in 2020 were $83,586, 27% less than state engineers’ pay. The state filed an unfair labor practice charge to stop the strike. Hundreds of scientists working for the state of California to ... .