March 2026 News Items
March 5, 2026
Solo drivers in the North Bay scored a win this week, as Caltrans scaled back the hours on a 52‑mile carpool lane along Highway 101 after heavy public pushback.
California High-Speed Rail Chief set to return to work following investigation – KCRA 3 (Sacramento)
California High Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri is set to return to work on Thursday after an investigation into his conduct.
State governments are starting to pursue agentic AI – Statescoop
Agentic AI—systems that enable digital agents to carry out multistep tasks without human sign‑off—is still uncommon in state government. A new report suggests that may be changing as states grant their AI tools greater autonomy.
March 2, 2026
Sacramento-area rivers and reservoirs run high as the Sierra Nevada struggles for snow – Abridged
Even as Sacramento’s rivers are full with winter rain, the region faces a bleak reality: the Sierra snowpack measured just 47% of normal on Friday, a warning sign that has state and federal officials projecting sharply reduced water deliveries later this year.
California Sets August 2026 Deadline for First Corporate Climate Reports – ESG Today
The California Air Resources Board announced that August 10, 2026, is the first deadline for thousands of companies to disclose their greenhouse gas emissions and climate‑related financial risks, following CARB’s approval of sweeping new reporting rules under SB 253 and SB 261.
The Mojave Desert Land Trust has launched planning for two wildlife overpasses on State Route 62, backed by a $5.5 million state grant and a partnership with Caltrans and other public entities to help curb collisions and give desert animals a safer way to cross.
February 2026 News Items
February 26, 2026
California Water Reaches ‘New Era’ as Officials Issue Warning – Newsweek
California water officials say the state is entering a “new era” of water management as climate extremes force an overhaul of how water is stored and delivered. This week, leaders launched the first phase of the California Water Plan 2028, which sets the state’s first-ever water‑supply target: nine million acre‑feet by 2040.
Budget watchdog urges CA lawmakers to reject Newsom’s $200M in clean car rebates – KPBS (San Diego)
The California Legislative Analyst’s Office is urging lawmakers to reject Governor Gavin Newsom’s proposed $200 million zero-emission vehicle rebate program, citing an $18 billion budget shortfall and more pressing fiscal needs. Newsom’s plan is meant to replace an expired federal EV tax credit, but it’s unclear how many rebates the one-time funding would cover or how large they would be.
Caltrans working to remove landslide on Highway 1 near Elk – The Mendocino Beacon
Crews have made progress removing debris from Highway 1 near Elk Wednesday night after a landslide closed the main roadway along the Mendocino Coast, the California Department of Transportation reported.
February 23, 2026
California’s Winter Storms Do Little to Ease Climate Change Worries – KQED (San Francisco)
The string of storms that have swept through California has brought much-needed water and snow across the state, but climate scientists say levels may still fall short of what’s needed in the coming warm-weather months.
A nearly 7-mile stretch near Regent’s Slide has been closed on Highway 1 since heavy rains began last week. However, that hasn’t stopped travelers from trying to get around it.
California’s highest-paid state workers see salaries grow even larger – The Sacramento Bee via MSN
The most well-compensated state workers – apart from the football and basketball coaches of University of California teams – are the investment managers and executives of the Golden State’s public pension funds. And as of last year, those highly paid civil servants are making even more.
February 19, 2026
Bad news is, Hwy. 1 is closed again. Good news is it was expected. Here’s why – The San Luis Obispo Tribune (free read)
Caltrans crews are back at Big Sur’s Regent’s Slide — not because the slope-stabilizing work failed, but because it worked. A catchment basin did its job and filled up with mud and debris that now need clearing, temporarily closing the freshly reopened stretch of Highway 1.
How California Reservoir Water Levels Changed After Winter Storm – Newsweek
Water levels at California’s two largest reservoirs have been steadily changing over the past few days amid back-to-back winter storms walloping the Golden State this week.
California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri voluntarily went on leave Tuesday, a day after it was revealed that he and his fianc?e were arrested earlier this month following a domestic dispute in Folsom. Prosecutors declined to file charges, and Choudri’s attorney said the case is “over.” The rail authority’s parent agency is investigating, according to a memo obtained by The Sacramento Bee.
February 17, 2026
California’s highways are getting a bold new look — and a safety upgrade — as the California Department of Transportation rolls out bright orange lane stripes in a pioneering effort to reduce accidents and sharpen driver awareness. Years in the making, the initiative draws on advanced visual science: the vivid orange markings provide “enhanced visual guidance,” standing out more effectively in drivers’ peripheral vision than traditional white lines.
High-Speed Rail CEO arrested on suspicion of domestic violence – Los Angeles Times via Yahoo News
Ian Choudri, the CEO of California’s High-Speed Rail Authority, was arrested on suspicion of domestic battery earlier this month at his Folsom home, officials said.
Powerful labor unions are urging lawmakers to make telework permanent for tens of thousands of state workers, drawing fire from business leaders who say the move will set back efforts to revive an already struggling Downtown Sacramento.
February 12, 2026
California union pushes work-from-home bill as Newsom calls state employees back to the office – Sacramento Today
The California union PECG is backing legislation requiring state agencies to maximize telework options and report cost savings from remote work, setting up a clash with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate for most state employees to return to the office at least four days a week starting in July.
State workers back telework bill ahead of return-to-office deadline – Fox 40 News (Sacramento)
Professional Engineers in California Government, which represents about 15,000 state-employed engineers and related workers, on Friday announced the introduction of Assembly Bill 1729, which aims to promote telework as state employees are set to return to the office later this year.
“Flexible telework saves hundreds of millions of dollars, takes thousands of cars off the road, helps clean the air and allows the state to hire and retain state staff during a period of ongoing wage freezes,” PECG Executive Director Ted Toppin said in a news release. “These are undeniable benefits and the shared goals of every Californian. We should all embrace telework, and this bill will see that it continues as a viable option for state employees.”
Sacramento telework showdown, new bill tries to lock state workers out of the office – Hoodline
Assemblymember Alex Lee (D‑San Jose) is trying to make state telework more than a pandemic fling by introducing a bill last week that would require agencies to formalize remote-work plans and justify in writing why employees must work in-person — a move supporters say protects workers while documenting the cost of return-to-office mandates. The Sacramento Bee noted the measure was championed by the Professional Engineers in California Government, which previously secured a one-year delay to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2025 four-day return‑to‑office mandate.
February 9, 2026
California union pushes work-from-home bill as Newsom calls state employees back to the office – Sacramento Today
The California union PECG is backing legislation requiring state agencies to maximize telework options and report cost savings from remote work, setting up a clash with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate for most state employees to return to the office at least four days a week starting in July.
State workers back telework bill ahead of return-to-office deadline – Fox 40 News (Sacramento)
Professional Engineers in California Government, which represents about 15,000 state-employed engineers and related workers, on Friday announced the introduction of Assembly Bill 1729, which aims to promote telework as state employees are set to return to the office later this year.
“Flexible telework saves hundreds of millions of dollars, takes thousands of cars off the road, helps clean the air and allows the state to hire and retain state staff during a period of ongoing wage freezes,” PECG Executive Director Ted Toppin said in a news release. “These are undeniable benefits and the shared goals of every Californian. We should all embrace telework, and this bill will see that it continues as a viable option for state employees.”
Sacramento telework showdown, new bill tries to lock state workers out of the office – Hoodline
Assemblymember Alex Lee (D‑San Jose) is trying to make state telework more than a pandemic fling by introducing a bill last week that would require agencies to formalize remote-work plans and justify in writing why employees must work in-person — a move supporters say protects workers while documenting the cost of return-to-office mandates. The Sacramento Bee noted the measure was championed by the Professional Engineers in California Government, which previously secured a one-year delay to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2025 four-day return‑to‑office mandate.
February 5, 2026
The highway bill could be Congress’s next big climate fight – Politico
Five years after Democrats passed the largest climate-friendly infrastructure investments in U.S. history, Republicans are preparing to strip emissions-reducing and clean-energy language from the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization bill.
California approves nearly $1B for transportation projects – KTLA News (Los Angeles)
The California Transportation Commission has approved almost $1 billion for statewide transportation projects, including highway safety improvements and transit upgrades, with funding from federal infrastructure programs and state sources reaching more than 20 counties.
Snowpack vanishes, brown patches mount after Sierra Nevada’s dry January – SFGate.com
After some much-needed holiday storm carryover kicked off the year in Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada, the region slogged through its own version of dry January
February 2, 2026
California officials are considering relocating a half-mile stretch of Highway 1 inland to combat coastal erosion, a move that would bisect a planned 6-acre park in a Bay Area neighborhood north of Half Moon Bay and has caught local officials off guard.
California officials are meeting with Detroit automakers this week to shape the next phase of vehicle emissions rules, as the state battles the Trump administration’s efforts to rollback federal standards, said Lauren Sanchez, chair of the California Air Resources Board.
California’s latest snow survey found the Sierra snowpack at just 46% of average for this time of year after a dry January, state water officials said Friday, marking the second “below average” reading this season and raising concerns about spring water supplies
January 2026 News Items
January 29, 2026
California’s largest new reservoir in decades secures federal approval – SFGate
The Interior Department has approved a major California water project, clearing the way for the massive 1.5-million-acre-foot Sites Reservoir to store Sacramento River water for drought distribution statewide.
Federal EPA dings California over emissions inspections rule for out-of-state trucks – Politico
The Trump administration said Tuesday that California’s heavy-duty emissions requirements for out-of-state trucks are unlawful and won’t count toward pollution reduction goals. The decision marks another environmental clash between California and the White House, which has overturned several state waiver approvals.
State officials are facing heated debate at Sacramento hearings over a plan to protect fish and rivers that feed California’s largest estuary. The State Water Resources Control Board’s three-day hearings will determine water quality rules affecting how much Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta water can be diverted to farms and cities.
January 26, 2026
California state departments lacked workplace accommodations for returning employees ahead of Gov. Newsom’s return-to-office directive last spring, according to internal documents that contained estimates sought, unsuccessfully, by lawmakers and the State Auditor.
To the 300,000 drivers who pass through Agoura Hills on the 101 Freeway each day, the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing may appear largely unchanged, but behind the scenes, progress continues on what is billed as the world’s largest wildlife crossing.
Federal EV incentives ended, California’s ZEV sales grew anyway – Electrek
California has surpassed 2.5 million cumulative zero‑emission vehicle sales, a milestone the state energy commission says reflects more than 300% growth in its plug‑in market since 2019, fueled by policies, incentives, and rising consumer demand.
January 22, 2026
California officials are considering relocating a half-mile stretch of Highway 1 inland to combat coastal erosion, a move that would bisect a planned 6-acre park in a Bay Area neighborhood north of Half Moon Bay and has caught local officials off guard.
California officials are meeting with Detroit automakers this week to shape the next phase of vehicle emissions rules, as the state battles the Trump administration’s efforts to rollback federal standards, said Lauren Sanchez, chair of the California Air Resources Board.
California’s latest snow survey found the Sierra snowpack at just 46% of average for this time of year after a dry January, state water officials said Friday, marking the second “below average” reading this season and raising concerns about spring water supplies.
January 22, 2026
More than two years removed from the pandemic, only half of state workers are back downtown compared to 2019 levels, and state office buildings are sitting in limbo. Scott Kingston, a downtown Sacramento commercial real estate agent, is selling the area to clients with the idea that state workers will not return to in-person work “for a variety of reasons.”
Water use in California was lower than officials estimated it would be between 2000 and 2020, according to a new report. The findings raise questions about the accuracy of long-term water-demand projections and pricing, but overall, the news that water demand is lower than projected is positive for the state.
While more than 80% of retired state government employees still live in California, the number of people receiving pension checks from the public employees’ retirement system who live outside the Golden State has slowly but steadily increased in recent years.
January 20, 2026
A state report issued last week warns that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to close a projected $2.9 billion budget shortfall fails to confront what it calls “alarming” multibillion-dollar deficits looming in the years ahead.
House Transportation Panel Signals Optimism on Highway Bill – Transport Topics
House Transportation Committee Chairman Sam Graves said he expects to schedule consideration of a bipartisan surface transportation bill, which would include funds for modernizing the nation’s highway system, in a couple of months.
California’s Brightline West High Speed Rail Line Gets New Completion Date – Newsweek
The company building a high-speed rail line in Southern California recently said it would miss its goal of having the project operational in time for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Instead, Brightline West now estimates that the Las Vegas-to-Rancho Cucamonga system will begin passenger service in 2029.
January 15, 2026
After 3 years of repairs, Highway 1 through Big Sur fully reopens – Los Angeles Times via MSN
First, drenching rainstorms triggered a troublesome landslide in January 2023, which split the world-famous Highway 1 along Big Sur’s iconic coastline. The following year, atmospheric rivers set off two more slides, including one that completely buried another section of the scenic thoroughfare under 300,000 cubic yards of dirt, rock and debris. But now, for the first time in three years, the roadway is completely open for an uninterrupted drive of the roughly 100 miles between Carmel and Cambria.
DWR monitors ‘natural landslide area’ at Pyramid Lake following recent rains – KTLA News
The California Department of Water Resources is monitoring a natural landslide area at Pyramid Lake in northern Los Angeles County after recent rainfall, officials said Tuesday.
The Newsom administration said Friday that it does not plan to use state employee compensation costs as a means to shore up the state’s budget as it did last year when California faced a larger-than-expected deficit.
January 12, 2026
Highway 1 near Big Sur nears reopening after two-year closure – KSBW News
Caltrans is nearing the completion of repairs on Highway 1 south of Big Sur, which has been closed for nearly two years due to a landslide, potentially allowing the road to reopen earlier than the scheduled end-of-March date.
The Trump administration has released an outline of four new options for dealing with the Colorado River’s deepening water shortages, and they could dramatically cut the amount of water available for Southern California.
California governor proposes $200 million in new state EV tax rebates – Reuters
California Governor Gavin Newsom is proposing $200 million in new state electric-vehicle tax rebates after Congress earlier this year ended a federal $7,500 state tax deduction on new EVs, the state said on Friday.
January 8, 2026
Where California’s reservoirs stand now, after series of storms – KVPR (Fresno)
With months still left of winter, California’s major reservoirs are holding about 129 percent of historical water levels for this time of year. Officials with the state’s Department of Water Resources say that’s welcome news after years of drought, but it doesn’t mean California’s water challenges are completely over.
Caltrans sued over traffic barriers and deadly crash on Highway 50 in Sacramento – Abridged
A group of 36 motorcyclists and their families are suing Caltrans and its contractors over a deadly pileup near a Highway 50 construction zone in Sacramento. The case is the latest of several multiple-injury or wrongful-death lawsuits filed against the department and contractor Flatiron Dragados over the course of the “Fix50” project.
Last year, the State of California clawed back $8.5 million that departments had accidentally paid out to employees and overpaid a sum in 2025 that the State Controller’s Office could not provide by publication time. Here’s why that happens and how the state plans to fix it.
January 5, 2026
California’s plan to build a 45-mile tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to carry water from north to south ran into financial trouble last week when an appeals court ruled that the state lacked authority to issue billions of dollars in bonds to finance the project.
California highways are among the deadliest in the US, study says – The Fresno Bee (free read)
Stretches of Interstates 5, 10, 15 and 80 in California are among the 30 most dangerous roadways in the national highway system, according to a new study of fatal automobile accidents from 2019 to 2023.
Despite Calif. rains, America’s largest reservoir remains in peril – SFGate
Federal data show the water elevation at Lake Mead’s Hoover Dam was 1,062.24 feet at the end of December, the lowest level at this time of the year since 2022. Before that, the reservoir had not held less water since 1936, during a severe drought. Lake Mead supplies water to millions of people in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Mexico.
December 2025 News Items
December 29, 2025
Despite Gov. Gavin Newsom’s unyielding attitude, state workers and their unions are gearing up to fight his pending requirement that employees return to in-person work four days per week beginning July 2026.
California gives up on federal high-speed rail funding – Politico via MSN
California has ended a lawsuit challenging the termination of $4 billion in federal grants for its controversial high-speed rail project, ceding its claim to federal funding that the Trump administration has repeatedly tried to withdraw.
New report paints grim picture of water use problems with Colorado River – CBS News
A new report warns that threats to the Colorado River’s water supply are now so severe that they pose a significant risk to the water supply in seven Western states and tribal areas, potentially impacting California’s power draw from the Hoover Dam and irrigation for Imperial Valley crops.
December 23, 2025
Caltrans to adjust Highway 101 HOV lanes in Marin, Sonoma counties – SFGate
Caltrans plans to revise high-occupancy vehicle lane hours on Highway 101 in Marin and Sonoma counties after months of complaints from commuters and pressure from local and state officials, transportation agencies announced Friday.
California on Track to Break 75-Year Lake Mead Record – Newsweek
California is poised to see its lowest use of Lake Mead water in 75 years this year, a milestone achieved through sweeping conservation efforts and amid negotiations over the future of the drought-stricken Colorado River system.
December 18, 2025
Hwy. 1 to Big Sur could reopen early after 3-year closure – The Tribune (San Luis Obispo) free read
After being closed for nearly three years, Caltrans says Regent’s Slide on Highway 1 could reopen by New Year’s Eve, months ahead of the project’s March 30, 2026, estimate for completion.
In the aftermath of the Los Angeles wildfires, California is trying a new approach to crafting the recovery: a first-of-its-kind attempt, leaders say, to involve the public in policymaking. A second project, already underway, is enlisting state employees to help make California’s government more effective and efficient.
Deferred maintenance of the nation’s vast public infrastructure – the roads, bridges, drinking water systems, sewers, government buildings, and other publicly owned assets that Americans rely on every day – represents an enormous fiscal burden for every level of government. Policymakers can take three practical steps to manage the estimated $1 trillion backlog.
December 15, 2025
As more electric cars driving in California, transportation officials are paving the way for a new approach to potentially replace the gas tax. Caltrans has completed a mileage-based-fee pilot program and is expected to release the findings by the end of this year.
A federal judge in Massachusetts on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to restore billions of dollars in canceled FEMA disaster mitigation funding, siding with California, 21 other states, and the District of Columbia, which sued over the canceled grants this summer.
California state officials recently held public meetings across San Diego County to discuss public health and wastewater infrastructure. A recurring topic: the so-called “hot spot” where raw sewage and industrial waste flowing from Tijuana through four concrete culverts create a toxic waterfall that aerosolizes pollutants and spreads them by wind into Imperial Beach, Nestor and San Ysidro.
December 11, 2025
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday announced a significant investment of $1.1 billion to enhance the state’s transportation system. The funding, approved by the California Transportation Commission, aims to expand zero-emission transit, repair storm-damaged highways, and improve road safety.
Findings from new California reservoir study: ‘Incredible’ – The Cool Down
California’s major reservoirs have surged to their highest levels in years, with all key water storage facilities now holding at or above 100% of historical averages for this time of year, according to new state data.
Trump Suffers Legal Loss Over California High-Speed Rail – Newsweek
President Donald Trump has suffered a legal setback in his administration’s push to cancel more than $4 billion in federal grants for California’s high-speed rail project. On Wednesday, a U.S. District judge rejected a bid by the Justice Department to throw out a July state lawsuit alleging that the administration’s funding cut was an “arbitrary and capricious abuse of authority.”
December 8, 2025
Plans to raise Vincent Thomas Bridge rejected – Los Angeles Times via MSN
Construction on the Vincent Thomas Bridge near the Port of Los Angeles is slated to begin next month, but the project will not include port officials’ wish to raise the bridge deck 26 feet to accommodate taller ships. The California State Transportation Agency, which oversees Caltrans, nixed the suggestion, saying the design change would keep the project from completion in time for the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Trump administration is pressing forward with its pledge to send more Northern California water south to farms, even as state officials warn that the move could cut vital supplies for cities and fish.
CHSRA drafts environmental statement for LA-Anaheim segment – Progressive Railroading
The California High-Speed Rail Authority is seeking public comments on its draft environmental impact statement for the forthcoming 30-mile segment between Los Angeles and Anaheim.
December 4, 2025
How rejected concrete fueled months of delays on Highway 50 – Abridged (Sacramento)
Caltrans’ large-scale project on Highway 50 has gone two years over its initial timeline, causing thousands of hours of traffic snags for local drivers. While the department has blamed the delay on weather and aging infrastructure, an investigation of 2,000 pages of reports and emails obtained by Abridged, in addition to pending lawsuits involving contractors and concrete suppliers, found that rejected concrete also contributed to problems.
California Completes and Advances Eight Water Infrastructure Projects Statewide – InfraUS
This year, California has completed or advanced eight state-funded water projects that will add an estimated 2.9 billion gallons of drinking water annually. The projects received about $590 million in grants and low-interest loans through the State Water Board’s Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds.
The number of state employees taking their pensions each year has fallen since peaking when the COVID-19 pandemic upended workplaces across the county, according to numbers from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, but the data so far this year indicates 2025 could break that trend.
December 1, 2025
State transportation officials are continuing their decades-long effort to fix Highway 101 in the North Bay by installing metering lights that will operate during peak traffic times. Caltrans recently widened the road by adding high-occupancy vehicle lanes for carpools during rush hour, to the exasperation of drivers who say there aren’t enough carpools to fill them.
There’s a concerning trend in the Sierra Nevada, where snowmelt runoff has been declining for over a century. The fraction of total snowmelt runoff that reaches the Sacramento River during spring has declined by about eight percentage points, according to the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, and the story with the San Joaquin River is similar.
California hits brakes on carpool access for low-emission vehicles – Times of San Diego
A two-month grace period for electric vehicle drivers is coming to an end after a new state law took away HOV privileges on Oct. 1.
November 2025 News Items
November 24, 2025
In one of the most important state environmental decisions this year, California Air Resources Board members voted 12-0 to adopt statewide rules intended to reduce methane leaks and better respond to disastrous underground fires at landfills.
California’s Orange Highway Stripes Have A Purpose – And It’s Actually Working – Jalopnik
Transportation officials in Southern California say a program that uses orange and white lane striping in highway construction zones is working as hoped to increase motorists’ awareness and enhance safety for drivers and road crews.
California high-speed rail about to issue RFQ for private partner – Source Media / Fidelity
The California High-Speed Rail Authority is set to issue a request for qualifications in December from private firms as the authority considers bringing onboard a “co-development partner” by mid-2026, CHSRA CEO Ian Choudri said at last Thursday’s board meeting.
November 20, 2025
A U.S. appeals court has paused a new California law requiring large businesses to biannually report how climate change could financially harm them, while upholding another new law requiring major companies to annually disclose their carbon emissions. A spokesperson for the California Air Resources Board, which is charged with writing the rules to implement the laws, declined to comment.
California’s state government hopes that recent hiring reforms and changes to job classifications will speed up the process and make applying for a state job easier. For example, hiring managers will no longer score every application; instead, they will outline ideal candidate criteria and then sort applications based on those metrics to screen out unqualified applicants more easily.
Transit advocates blast proposal to eliminate some sources of federal funding – Trains Pro
Public transportation advocacy groups are sharply criticizing a plan detailed in internal White House memos that would increase federal highway funding at the expense of mass transit.
November 17, 2025
For more than a century, Del Norte County residents have called it Last Chance Grade, a three-mile stretch of Highway 101 that is a never-ending battle for Caltrans to keep open. Finally, this summer, the state announced a proposed solution: Dig the longest tunnel in California’s history.
A new report estimates that California’s data centers are driving increases in electricity use, water demand and pollution even as lawmakers stall on oversight.
California’s Methane Satellite Helps Stop 10 Large Leaks – SCV News
The California Air Resources Board announced that data from a specialized satellite has helped resolve 10 large methane leaks at oil and gas facilities across California since May.
November 10, 2025
The California Transportation Commission has signed off on $4.9 billion in funding for infrastructure projects, including the upcoming repair of the Los Angeles Vincent Thomas Bridge. Roughly $470 million will come from California’s 2017 Road Repair and Accountability Act and $4.2 billion from the 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
California greenhouse gas emissions dropped 3% in 2023 – Green Wire
California’s greenhouse gas emissions declined by 3 percent in 2023, according to new data that state air quality regulators released Thursday.
State marks historic low in Colorado River water use – The Desert Review
The Colorado River Board of California announced last week that California’s 2025 use of Colorado River water is projected to hit its lowest level since 1949, marking a historic milestone for the state and the Basin. The achievement reflects decades of collaboration by California’s water agencies, farmers, cities, and tribes to conserve water.
November 6, 2025
$1 billion Golden Gate refurb – Global Highways
California’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge is slated to receive $1 billion worth of improvements intended to improve the historic structure’s seismic durability. State and federal money will fund the project, including a $400 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation via the Federal Highway Administration.
Fresno State will open a Trimble Technology Lab on campus in 2026 as a place for students to get hands-on experience and training in surveying. The university has long been a hub for training the geospatial professionals who power land surveying companies throughout the Western US, including entities like Caltrans and PG&E.
California High-Speed Rail Considers Route Change – Newsweek
California’s high-speed rail project, one of the state’s most ambitious infrastructure initiatives, faces a pivotal moment as officials consider altering its route through Kern County. A spokesman for the California High-Speed Rail Authority said that project designers hope to reduce the number of property acquisitions needed for the rail line.
November 3, 2025
Drivers in the North Bay waited 30 years for a new lane to alleviate congestion on Highway 101, but now some wish the 30-year project had never finished. The reason: new carpool hours that some drivers say defeats the widened road’s goal to ease traffic because the diamond lane is woefully underused.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority says it wants a sales tax exemption on in-state purchases, a first-ever move for the project that could tighten timelines, save money, and shrink revenue the project sends back to the government.
California hits back as CARB takes legal action against truck brands – Electrek
The California Air Resources Board is suing four major heavy truck manufacturers, alleging that they violated a 2023 agreement to sell cleaner vehicles. In August, those same companies – Daimler Truck North America, International Motors, Paccar, and Volvo Group North America – sued CARB over California’s emissions requirements.
October 2025 News Items
October 30, 2025
California water officials can move ahead with enforcement of the state’s landmark groundwater regulation after an appellate court ruled Wednesday that a state crackdown on pumping in Kings County is likely, in large part, legal.
California Expands and Strengthens Long-Term Water Strategic Plan – The National Law Review
California law requires the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to create, promulgate, and update every five years the California Water Plan (Plan). The Plan is intended to provide a comprehensive strategy for the sustainable management and stewardship of California’s water resources. However, the Plan has not had significant revisions responsive to increasing climate unpredictability. On October 1, 2025, Governor Newsom signed Senate Bill (SB) 72 into law, significantly expanding the requirements of the Plan to provide a more forward-looking, actionable roadmap to secure water resources across the state.
State air quality regulators are warning of heavy financial consequences for California if the Trump administration continues to reject their efforts to set emissions standards for vehicles and other mobile sources blamed for 80% of air pollution.
The California Air Resources Board issued a news release Thursday saying the state could lose out on federal highway funding — potentially costing it billions of dollars per year — because of “unprecedented federal interference” jeopardizing the state’s compliance with the Clean Air Act.
October 27, 2025
Governor Gavin Newsom has announced two recent key victories to advance the Delta Conveyance Project — a critical infrastructure project to safeguard California’s water supplies amid a hotter, drier future. The administration secured a court decision reversing a preliminary injunction that was previously blocking pre-construction geotechnical work. Additionally, the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has submitted a certification of consistency for the broader project to the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC). These victories help the Delta Conveyance Project move forward in compliance with the Delta Reform Act — the state law that creates a regulatory framework to protect both the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta ecosystem and a reliable statewide water supply.
Exxon sues California over new laws requiring corporate climate disclosures – Los Angeles Times
Exxon Mobil has filed suit in federal court challenging two California laws that would require the oil giant to report the greenhouse emissions resulting from the use of its products globally.
The 30-page complaint, filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, argues that the laws violate the company’s free speech rights by requiring it to “trumpet California’s preferred message even though ExxonMobil believes the speech is misleading and misguided.”
October 23, 2025
A California retirees group has launched an independent investigation into CalPERS over concerns with the fund’s investment practices and commitment to transparency. Through a fundraising campaign, the Retired Public Employees Association has raised more than $181,000 to investigate the pension fund’s use of private equity and the fees paid to money managers. While some individuals have contributed, most of that money has come from RPEA to hire longtime a well-known pension writer and financial investigator whose audits of other retirement systems have led to controversy between state pension-fund managers and retiree groups. Meanwhile, a spokesperson said that CalPERS is “regarded as one of the most transparent pension systems in the world” and that when surveyed, members rank the fund’s management and providing information in “the 80th and 90th percentile.”
Rancho Palos Verdes won’t pursue toll road feasibility study – The Daily Breeze (Hermosa Beach)
Palos Verdes Drive South is in continual need of repairs because of land movement in Rancho Palos Verdes. The city has looked into multiple ways to help fund the costly upkeep, but for the time being, a toll road won’t be an option. The City Council cited concerns about the cost of studies, the likely impact of shifting traffic to nearby non-toll roads and highways, and the unlikelihood that multiple governmental agencies – including Caltrans and the Transportation Commission – will approve the project. “I have my doubts on the viability of it actually being a cash-generating entity,” Mayor David Bradley said during Tuesday’s council meeting. “I am very concerned about the unintended consequence of driving massive amounts of traffic on to Palos Verdes Drive North and (Pacific Coast Highway).”
On Tuesday, state water regulators unveiled the results of a two-year effort to better identify who has claims on California’s water and better measure consumption. The new state product is called CalWATRS, and it’s a massive data platform that holds thousands of water-rights records and makes it easier for water-rights holders to report what they use.
October 20, 2025
The California Transportation Commission approved $4.9 billion on Thursday to enhance safety and mobility on local streets and state highways. The funding will also support new alternative transportation options and zero-emission projects across the state.
As the Trump administration ramps up efforts to torpedo California’s high-speed rail project, state leaders are fighting back in court. The state’s High-Speed Rail Authority filed a motion for a preliminary injunction to prevent the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Railroad Administration from reallocating $4 billion in grant funds that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had frozen from high-speed rail. A hearing on the matter is set for Nov. 17 at a federal courthouse in Sacramento.
California Resources Corp. on Thursday held a groundbreaking ceremony in Kern County for what’s set to be the state’s first commercial carbon capture and storage project at the Elk Hills oil field near Bakersfield. Meanwhile, environmental groups are fighting the project in court because, they say, the company violated several provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act
October 16, 2025
California State Transportation Agency Secretary Toks Omishakin announced a new initiative aimed at reducing severe traffic crashes in high-risk areas across the state. The program aims to cut deadly and serious injury crashes by 30% by 2035, starting with two dangerous corridors: Avalon Boulevard in Los Angeles and Highway 91 in southeast Los Angeles County.
CARB preparing to issue draft rules for carbon management – Bakersfield.com
State regulators are gearing up to release a draft regulatory framework early next year that will guide development of carbon management projects in California. The California Air Resources Board said this week it will have a role in evaluating technology and adopting regulations for any projects proposing to pull carbon dioxide directly out of the air. It also expects to have an oversight role in developments that would remove CO2 from the exhaust streams of industrial plants.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday celebrated Californians’ purchase of more than 124,700 zero-emission vehicles in the third quarter of 2025. The announcement comes as California fights the federal government in court over its clean-car authority and as the One Big, Beautiful Act ends federal EV tax credits, reshaping state electric vehicle goals across the country.
October 13, 2025
California’s top transportation official is still bullish on climate policy – Politico
California’s sprawling network of roads and rails is at the core of the state’s ambitious climate goals, and Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin is holding the steering wheel. Omishakin spoke with POLITICO about Climate Week, declining gas taxes spurred by the rise of electric vehicles, and the state’s struggling public transit systems.
The data-center economy is booming in California, and Gov. Gavin Newsom doesn’t want to slow it down. The governor vetoed a bill on Saturday that would have provided more transparency around the water usage of data centers, which regularly require millions of gallons of fresh water to cool their computers.
Drinking water map shows states with most contaminants – Newsweek
The Environmental Working Group (EWG)’s Tap Water Database reveals the states with the highest numbers of contaminants across their drinking water systems, with some states having more than 150 contaminants in the water residents consume, including Texas with 207, New York (197), and California (175).
October 9, 2025
Federal oversight is disappearing as multiple refineries explode. Who’s in charge now? – CalMatters
An El Segundo refinery fire has renewed questions about who is investigating the state’s oil industry after serious accidents. With the U.S. Chemical Safety Board defunded, California has yet to fill the gap.
Newsom signs bill that expedites Highway 37 project – The Mercury News
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law a bill that relaxes environmental constraints to speed up a traffic and flood reduction project on Highway 37. The legislation signed Tuesday sets up Caltrans, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and partners in Marin, Sonoma, Napa, and Solano counties to begin construction in 2026 on the $500 million, three-phase project.
California Makes Diwali an Official Statewide Holiday – ABC 7 / Associated Press
California has become the third U.S. state to designate Diwali – the Hindu “Festival of Lights” – as an official statewide holiday. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law on Tuesday to go into effect on Jan. 1. As with the Lunar New Year, Genocide Remembrance Day, Juneteenth, and Native American Day, state employees can elect to take Diwali off in lieu of receiving eight hours of personal holiday credit. The new law recognizes the day is also celebrated by Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists.
October 6, 2025
The California Department of Transportation is considering raising the Vincent Thomas Bridge by 26 feet as it plans major renovations to the more than 60-year-old span.
CalEPA to carry on inspections as federal EPA furloughs 90% of staff – The Sacramento Bee via MSN
While the federal government shutdown has furloughed about 90% of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency employees and halted the agency’s inspection operations, the California Environmental Protection Agency told The Sacramento Bee on Thursday it will proceed with its inspections “as planned.”
California Water Level Update as Officials Issue New Warning – Newsweek
California water officials are warning that the state “must be prepared for extreme weather events of all kinds,” even as water levels for the state’s reservoirs remain near or above average as the new water year began Oct. 1.
October 2, 2025
CalPERS members voted in an expensive board election. Here’s who won – The Sacramento Bee (free read)
Two-time incumbent David Miller defended his seat on the CalPERS Board of Administration from two challengers, Santa Monica fire Captain Dominick Bei and former Pasadena city manager Steve Mermell, according to CalPERS election results released Thursday. The other incumbent running, Jose Luis Pacheco, lost his board seat to challenger Troy Johnson, a senior administrative assistant for a Southern California school district. PECG endorsed both winning candidates.
California moves to expand fuel options in bid to lower gas prices – KTLA (Los Angeles)
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed legislation allowing another gasoline blend to be sold in California, a move aimed at lowering fuel prices. The measure, Assembly Bill 30, authorizes the sale of E15 fuel, a gasoline blended with 15% ethanol, while the California Air Resources Board reviews whether it meets the state’s air-quality standards.
California-to-Vegas high-speed rail costs jump $5.5 billion – Bloomberg
The price tag for Brightline West’s private high-speed passenger railroad from Southern California to Las Vegas has swelled by nearly 35% to $21.5 billion, according to the US Department of Transportation. The higher cost has led the Fortress Investment Group-backed company to seek a $6 billion loan from the Trump administration, according to the USDOT’s website. Brightline’s Chief Executive Officer Mike Reininger blamed the increase on rising labor and material costs, in part caused by high demand due to the proliferation of data centers, power plants and transportation projects.
September 2025 News Items
September 29, 2025
California’s solar experiment is working – here’s what that could mean for everyone else – Slashgear
California’s $20 million solar gamble called Project Nexus is paying off. The venture, the first of its kind in the United States, is installing solar panel canopies over sections of irrigation canals and will generate 1.6 megawatts of renewable power when completed. Although the project isn’t completed, the Turlock Irrigation District – one of the entities collaborating with the Department of Water Resources on the project – already reports the panels have improved water quality and reduced aquatic growth. If successful, Project Nexus could be duplicated across the U.S. and around the world.
California weakens zero-emission mandate for government vehicles – Politico E&E News
California air quality regulators on Thursday repealed the state’s zero-emission mandate for private vehicle fleets and delayed purchasing rules for publicly owned fleets amid concerns they could hamper emergency response efforts.
The U.S. Dept. of Transportation’s Federal Railroad Administration issued a notice of funding opportunity for the National Railroad Partnership Program Sept. 22. The notice makes more than $5 billion available for grant awards—including $2.4 billion the agency says was de-obligated from the California High-Speed Rail Authority grants that the state agency is suing to recover.
September 25, 2025
Major Southern California mountain route wiped out by tropical storm remnants – KTLA 5 (Los Angeles)
A portion of Highway 38, which connects Redlands and Big Bear, is closed indefinitely after crumbling under the heavy rain and flooding brought on by the remnants of a tropical storm that passed through Southern California last week. “The combination of Tropical Storm Mario, and the El Dorado Fire burn scar has left a trail of destruction in its wake, and one of the most dramatic impacts is the severe washout of SR-38,” Caltrans District 8 posted on Monday, along with drone video of the damage.
Companies that run data centers are facing increasing scrutiny for guzzling water as the rise of artificial intelligence and massive investment in cloud computing drive a construction boom. The centers, which generate lots of heat, can require huge amounts of water to cool their servers and interiors. California legislators are taking an initial step toward tackling the water problem by requiring data centers to report their water use annually. The legislation, approved this month, is now awaiting Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature.
Costs rising on high-speed train from California to Las Vegas – LAist / National Public Radio
Brightline West broke ground last year on what would be the first true high-speed rail line in the U.S., with trains that can make a 218-mile trip from Rancho Cucamonga to Las Vegas in just over two hours. The project is expected to cost at least $12 billion dollars, and the company has raised about $6.5 billion so far in private financing and federal grants. Now it’s warning investors that construction costs are rising.
September 22, 2025
Newsom signs slate of climate, energy bills in California – The Hill
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Friday signed a slate of bills regarding climate and clean energy in an effort to “lower electricity costs, stabilize the petroleum market and slash air pollution.”
Caltrans needs funding for Coronado Bridge suicide deterrent barrier – Times of San Diego
The Coronado Bridge, with a history of deaths by suicide, is set to see new safety barriers built under a fast-track state construction process. But the plan remains largely unfunded, and local leaders say they’re worried that without public support, the life-saving effort could still end up stalled.
Newsom taps climate ‘architect’ to lead California air board as Trump fights heat up – CalMatters
The California Air Resources Board is getting a new leader at a pivotal moment, as it battles the Trump administration in court and contends with growing scrutiny from Democrats and voters questioning the price of the state’s climate principles. Liane Randolph has chaired the board of the state’s top air and climate regulator since 2020. She oversaw a range of policies including landmark clean-car and truck rules, a fuel standard with implications for gas prices, and the state’s signature carbon trading program, cap-and-trade.
September 18, 2025
Completion of suicide deterrent on Coronado Bridge slated for 2028 – The Coronado Times
Construction on a barrier designed to prevent people from jumping from the San Diego-Coronado Bridge is expected to begin this year, with completion projected in 2028.
The appellate panel didn’t indicate how it might rule on the key question of whether preliminary, geotechnical work on the tunnel is an “action” that can proceed separately from the entire project, which is tangled in legal disputes.
Let’s Not Be So Hasty to End Remote Work in Government – Governing
There are advantages to allowing more workplace flexibility. It’s particularly helpful for recruiting and retention, according to a recent Government Accountability Office report. Meanwhile, an August 2025 audit from the state of California seems to point to the notion that at least in that state (and we suspect others) the decisions to reduce the amount of allowable time to work from home aren’t based on reasonable evidence.
September 15, 2025
Democratic lawmakers in California approved a sweeping slate of climate and environmental bills Saturday – a package that would double-down on climate commitments like cap-and-trade and high-speed rail, while also permitting additional oil drilling in the state.
California Legislature Sends Landmark Water Bill to Governor’s Desk – Contractor Magazine
If signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, Senate Bill 72 would direct the state to move beyond ad hoc planning by establishing measurable water supply goals to capture and produce sufficient water for all uses – from communities and farms to ecosystems and industry. It also mandates comprehensive, long-term planning across agencies and stakeholders.
Hahn Pushes for Cell Towers on Vincent Thomas Bridge for Safety – KOST / I Heart Radio
Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn wants improved cellular service on the Vincent Thomas Bridge in San Pedro to aid individuals in crisis. In a letter to California Secretary of Transportation Toks Omishakin, Hahn emphasized the need for better cell reception on the bridge, which has a history of deaths by suicide. Her concern is that the current poor cell service could prevent someone in crisis from reaching out for help. Work replacing the bridge’s deck, railings, fences, and median barrier, presents an opportunity to collaborate with cellular providers to improve connectivity, she says.
September 11, 2025
Ramos Bill Requiring State Action to Prevent Bridge Suicides Heads to Governor – Native News Online
A measure requiring the California Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Health to identify best practices for deterring suicide attempts on bridges and overpasses was approved Wednesday by the Assembly with strong bipartisan support and sent to the governor.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and some of California’s major water agencies hit a setback this week when a proposal to fast-track plans for a 45-mile water tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta died in the state Legislature. Newsom has been trying to streamline legal and environmental review of the proposed water tunnel through budget measures that also would give the state authority to issue bonds to pay for the project.
California High-Speed Rail Secures $1 Billion Annual Funding – Newsweek
California’s high-speed rail project has won a financial lifeline, with the state committing $1 billion annually from cap-and-trade revenues through 2045. The steady funding agreement, formalized under new legislation signed this week, gives the California High-Speed Rail Authority the long-term stability it says is essential to completing the project’s initial Merced-to-Bakersfield segment by 2033.
September 8, 2025
Six candidates vying for two board seats that oversee the country’s largest public pension system outlined their visions for the organization during the election’s only forum last week. Issues addressed by the group seeking to lead the California Public Employees’ Retirement System ranged from whether cryptocurrencies had a place in CalPERS’ investment portfolio to their stances on divesting from Tesla.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order directing state agencies to fast-track energy projects so they can take advantage of federal tax credits before the credits expire at the end of the year. The state’s Infrastructure Strike Team will identify projects that are eligible for Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits that might be lost in the wake of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) passed in July.
Caltrans reopens southbound I-5 near Pacific Beach 15 hours early – The Times of San Diego via MSN
A stretch of southbound Interstate 5 between State Route 52 and Mission Bay Drive that was closed since 9 p.m. Friday opened Sunday afternoon, almost 15 hours ahead of schedule, Caltrans reported.
September 4, 2025
For decades, residents of California’s remote northwest corner have pleaded with government officials to do something about Last Chance Grade, an eroding, three-mile stretch of highway hugging the fog-shrouded cliffs between the redwood forest and the Pacific Ocean. Now, after decades of patching holes and building retaining walls — temporary repairs that have cost more than $125 million since 1997 — Caltrans has settled on a long-term solution: a 6,000-foot tunnel that would bypass Last Chance Grade’s fast-eroding cliffs.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s controversial push to fast-track the Delta Conveyance Project received a formal endorsement this week from the Imperial Irrigation District (IID), the largest irrigation district in the nation. Though it does not rely on water from the State Water Project, the IID’s Board of Directors adopted a resolution supporting the project, calling it essential to addressing statewide water scarcity and a necessary step for improving California’s water systems.
California High-Speed Rail Authority board members heard from frustrated and disappointed Merced officials Thursday – nearly a week after a report from the agency suggested it might cut the city from the bullet train’s initial operating segment. Frank Quintero, Merced’s deputy city manager, said they were given no advance notice before the authority released its 2025 Supplemental Project Update Report on Friday, Aug. 22.
September 2, 2025
California Lawmakers Slam Cal/OSHA Over Audit Showing Weak Worker Protections – KQED
California lawmakers put top state officials tasked with protecting worker health and safety under intense fire on Wednesday for falling short of their mission, as highlighted by a recent state audit.
Jay Leno’s star power wasn’t enough to persuade a California legislative committee to pass a measure to allow owners of classic cars like him to be exempted from the state’s rigorous smog-check requirements.
Opinion – Civil Minded: I-5 Bike Bridge Engineers Never Lost Their Cool – Inside Sacramento
I finally have something nice to say about the Land Park Interstate 5 bicycle bridge fiasco. The mess proves civil engineers are civilized people. Some of the engineers are city employees. Others are affiliated with private firms working for the city. Some work for the contractor who built the bridge. Others work for Caltrans, the state agency with authority over the project. At least a dozen engineers were involved.
California High-Speed Rail Project Accelerates Timeline for 2026 – Newsweek
California’s high-speed rail project is moving forward with a tighter timeline, as state officials prepare to install electrified tracks by 2026, marking a significant milestone for the nation’s first bullet train system.
August 2025 News Items
August 28, 2025
Caltrans Engineers Assessing Highway 247 Flood Damage – Pain in the Pass
Caltrans has closed Highway 247 from Northside Road to Veteran Homes Parkway after heavy rains flooded the road. State engineers determined that several areas have experienced undermining and some shoulders will need to be reestablished. More thunderstorms are in the forecast next week that may hamper repair work.
California Gets $219M Boost for Sites Reservoir Water Storage Project – Santa Monica Daily Press
Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that California’s Sites Reservoir project has received nearly $219 million in additional state funding to accelerate building what will become the nation’s second-largest off-stream reservoir. The California Water Commission approved the funding increase to cover rising costs from anticipated delays to the project, which is designed to hold up to 1.5 million acre-feet of water — enough to supply more than 4.5 million homes for a year.
EPA Moves to Block California’s Roadside Emissions Checks – Transport Topics
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking aim at a California emissions law specific to the trucking industry, the latest move in a crusade the federal agency has launched against the state’s long-standing efforts to establish and enforce its own clean air policies. This time the EPA is targeting the California Air Resources Board’s Clean Truck Check law, also known as the Heavy-Duty Inspection and Maintenance Program.
August 25, 2025
Remote work can deliver savings for taxpayers – The Orange County Register (free read)
The Orange County Register’s editorial board for decades has been a leading critic of California’s public-employee unions and state and local government defined-benefit pensions. But it finds that state telework is a different matter: “It’s not a great time to be invested in commercial real estate. But companies across the Golden State are finding tremendous savings in rent and ownership costs when their employees can work remotely some or all of the time. Why shouldn’t government save the taxpayers money as well?”
Caltrans allocates $4.4 million to study Fernbridge’s future – Times-Standard (Eureka) via MSN
The government body tasked with allocating funds for state road repairs has announced a big influx of cash for projects in Humboldt County. Among the wide list of efforts approved by the California Transportation Commission in their August meeting is an influx of nearly $4.4 million to study the construction of a new Fernbridge along state Route 211.
The effort to build California’s largest new reservoir in decades received a welcome commitment of cash on Wednesday — nearly $220 million — which will help keep the project on track to break ground as soon as next year. Planned for 70 miles northwest of Sacramento, the proposed Sites Reservoir won the bulk of the funding because plans to expand the Los Vaqueros Reservoir in Contra Costa County fell through, freeing up money in the state’s 2014 water bond. The remainder of the money for Sites came from last year’s state climate bond.
August 21, 2025
Two months ago, state workers’ fight to maintain their ability to work remotely seemed doomed. Despite valiant efforts to resist Gov. Gavin Newsom’s four-day in-office policy, the intended July 1 deadline loomed. Then PECG bargained a delay, and soon other unions followed. Those negotiations, and a subsequent state audit that telework efficiencies that can save state government hundreds of millions of dollars, have given unions hope they can gain even more traction in future negotiations about working from home. “It is a huge development that we certainly hope to continue and be able to build upon in the future,” said Ted Toppin, the executive director of the Professional Engineers in California Government. “Obviously, that will depend on this administration and the future administrations being receptive to it.”
As for the audit, Toppin said, “As more evidence like this becomes available, this governor and his administration will recognize the benefits of flexible telework and see that it serves all of the things that they are trying to accomplish, including the savings of potentially hundreds of millions of dollars.”
With federal EV tax credits ending and emissions rules nullified, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state agencies are preparing new subsidies, incentives, and regulations to keep climate goals on track.
As Gov. Gavin Newsom pushes for building a giant water tunnel beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, his administration says it’s the “single most effective” way for California to provide enough water as a warming climate brings deeper droughts and more intense storms. But environmental advocates and political leaders in the Delta, among others, condemned a new state analysis that draws that conclusion, arguing the tunnel construction would harm the environment and several types of fish and push water rates much higher for millions of Californians.
August 18, 2025
Caltrans has started construction on a truck scales facility on I-80 west of Fairfield that “will have the capacity to inspect up to 1000 trucks per hour, 24 hours per day, seven days a week,” the department says. The current station was built in 1958 and accommodates up to 700 trucks per day. Its short on and off ramps often force trucks to line up on the interstate, compelling the facility to close during peak traffic hours. The new scales are scheduled to open by December 2029.
US sues California to block tough emissions standards for trucks – Reuters
The U.S. government said on Friday it sued California to stop the state from enforcing stringent emissions standards for heavy-duty trucks. In complaints filed this week in two federal courts, the U.S. Department of Justice said federal law preempts the California Air Resources Board from enforcing various emissions rules governing heavy-duty trucks and engines. The litigation comes after four major truck manufacturers also sued CARB for enforcing the tougher state regulations after President Donald Trump declared them void in June.
Years of collapsing areas of land in the San Joaquin Valley – caused primarily by the over-pumping of groundwater for farming – has taken a toll on California’s largest water delivery system, which relies on stable land to work well. A state report says the system’s 2023 annual water delivery capability had fallen 3% compared to original-design deliveries. If no action is taken, it could fall to 87% by 2043. If that happens, 21 million Californians would feel the impacts, according to the California Department of Water Resources.
August 14, 2025
Daimler, Volvo, other truckmakers sue California to block emissions rules – Reuters
Four major truckmakers, including Daimler, Volvo, sued California to block the state from enforcing strict emissions standards that U.S. President Donald Trump declared void in June. Daimler, Volvo, Paccar, and International Motors, formerly Navistar, said they have been “caught in the crossfire” after Trump reversed waivers issued during the Biden administration that let California set its own standards.
Crossing times at the U.S.-Mexico border could be on the road to improving as SANDAG and Caltrans are holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to celebrate the opening of the Siempre Viva Bridge in Otay Mesa.
California has reached an agreement with the Federal Railroad Administration to protect $4 billion in federal funding for its high-speed rail project while a lawsuit over the money plays out in court. These funds are now held in a legal trust, ensuring they cannot be redirected until the lawsuit concludes. The Trump Administration moved earlier this summer to cancel the funding, a move state leaders and bullet train supporters fought in court.
August 11, 2025
With the realities of climate change looming ever closer, California transportation officials agreed it was time to try something different: make peace with the sea and move a crumbling coastal highway more than 350 feet inland. Compromise wasn’t easy. In what many described as a major coup in government bureaucracy, the California Department of Transportation, the coastal commission, and county leaders set aside their differences to come up with a new solution together.
The California Air Resources Board recently launched a first-of-its-kind program to gather hyper-local air pollution data that should help in the ongoing effort to improve air quality in the state.
The man leading the California High Speed Rail project is one year into the job – but Ian Choudri says he started figuring out what was plaguing the project long before he was put in charge.
August 7, 2025
When 1,299 California Highway Patrol employees left their jobs in 2024, they collectively pocketed $67 million from unused vacation hours. The average payout from CHP was $52,000 per person. Payouts varied from 55 cents for Los Angeles County public safety dispatcher Jorge Ortiz to Randy England, a CHP captain in Mendocino County, who cashed out just short of $400,000. Last year, the state paid $431 million to those leaving state service.
Local governments are a roadblock to California transit, report says – Axios San Diego
California governments are sometimes a major impediment to state attempts to build transit projects, according to a new report by transportation advocacy group Circulate San Diego. The report, “Powerless Brokers,” argues that local governments can be indifferent or hostile to such projects and often use their authority to demand unrelated public benefits, delaying and increasing the costs of transit expansion. The city of Shafter scored a variety of ancillary infrastructure benefits when it allowed state high-speed rail to expand through its city limits. “It provides this very expensive infrastructure for the city, earlier than when we would’ve been able to accomplish it by ourselves,” City Manager Scott Hurlburt said in 2018 after the rail authority agreed to build local transportation projects for the city.
Brightline West on track while Florida rail hits financial bumps – The High Desert Post
Brightline West, the high-speed rail project connecting Southern California to Las Vegas, is progressing despite financial challenges faced by its Florida counterpart. Brightline announced on July 11 that it would miss interest payments on $1.2 billion in tax-exempt bonds. The company began issuing tax-exempt municipal bonds around 2017 to fund its Miami-Orlando rail line and planned expansions, including a route to Tampa. Bondholders have hired legal counsel after the delayed payment, which is now due August 13, 2025. While both projects share the Brightline brand and parent company, Fortress Investment Group, they operate as separate entities. The financial issues in Florida have not directly impacted the funding or progress of Brightline West.
August 4, 2025
3-day Highway 41 closure canceled by Caltrans. Here’s what to know – San Luis Obispo Tribune via MSN
Days before Caltrans was scheduled to close a 20-mile stretch of Highway 41 in eastern San Luis Obispo County, that closure has been canceled. The California Department of Transportation called off the roadwork due to the Gifford Fire burning along Highway 166 in parts of SLO and Santa Barbara counties, the state road agency said in a news release. Caltrans planned to close part of Highway 41 for three days starting Tuesday, Aug. 5, to complete work on part of a $147 million construction project on the Cholame “Y” interchange, an area of Highway 46 that has been dubbed “Blood Alley.”
But in an interview with The Mercury News, the CEO of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, Ian Choudri, said he is pushing to build the high-speed rail line north to Gilroy and south to Palmdale simultaneously with construction in the Central Valley. The vision: even if the first phase of high speed rail doesn’t extend all the way to San Francisco and Los Angeles, it will at least end at stations with transit connections to those cities’ downtowns. That plan, though, hinges on a major factor — California lawmakers’ approval for over $1 billion each year to fund it.
July 2025 News Items
July 31, 2025
Over the next five years, the California Public Employees Retirement System hopes to save $600 million through a new contract with an intermediary that manages state workers’ and their families’ pharmacy benefits, with the goal of minimizing rising drug prices and stabilizing premium costs.
Days after the Environmental Protection Agency announced plans to revoke a foundational climate finding, state officials and environmental advocates already were plotting their responses, with some touting the galvanizing impact of the controversial move. Following months of speculation, Lee Zeldin, the recently appointed EPA administrator, made official on July 29 the agency’s plan to revoke the endangerment finding, a 2009 declaration that six heat-trapping gases — including carbon dioxide and methane — pose a risk to public health. The endangerment finding underpins the federal government’s entire framework for reining in planet-heating pollution, covering everything from automobiles to factories to power plants. However, as the federal government took a step back from regulating heat-trapping gases, some advocates saw the potential for states like California to step in to fill the void.
New renderings include the rail line’s proposed station in Rancho Cucamonga, a train running near freeways, and a sneak peek at the inside of a premium passenger seats car and a party car with a bar.
July 28, 2025
Inside California’s Return-to-Office Battle – Comstock’s Magazine
Comstock’s editor’s note: At press time, Gov. Gavin Newsom reached an agreement with the 14,000 members of the Professional Engineers in California Government union that would delay his return to office order for a year. We left their comments in so you can see what their argument was.
Earlier this spring, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order mandating that most of California’s 224,000 full-time state workers should return to working in the office four days per week starting July 1. Most state workers have already had to do in-person work at least two days per week. “It’s very hard for morale and retention,” a Caltrans engineer, who doesn’t want her name used, tells Comstock’s. … “(Four days per week in the office) will be a change up to my lifestyle. It’s disappointing that (Newsom is) going ahead with this. It’s a huge change up in the way we were working.”
Newsom has said in-person work enhances collaboration, innovation, accountability, and ultimately improves service delivery for Californians. But “remote work has functioned well,” an engineer with the California Air Resources Board says. “Before COVID, I was doing telework one day a week. After COVID hit, I shifted to 100 percent remote work. It’s been working great, no issues.”
Meanwhile, Michael Ault, executive director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, notes that 60 percent of downtown Sacramento’s office space is either occupied, leased or owned by the state, and without workers in those offices, downtown businesses struggle to stay afloat. He says it needs the “social collisions” that remote work can never provide.
“We’re not going to solve the maladies of downtown Sacramento with a couple thousand more employees there two days a week,” Ted Toppin, executive director of the Professional Engineers in California Government, argued. For Toppin and other union leaders, the benefits of a revitalized downtown are more than countered by the higher costs of commuting for their members, by the parking and gas expenses, by the increased pollution that goes with having thousands of additional cars crowd into downtown and by the difficulties around childcare that kick in when state workers with kids suddenly have to follow a rigid in-office schedule once again. They also estimate that it will cost the state millions of dollars to retrofit buildings left either unoccupied or underoccupied for the past five years. “This is a fight worth having,” Toppin said.
One of California’s most expensive infrastructure projects is inching forward in a tiny city on the north coast, where landslides have long battered the main highway.
The California Public Utilities Commission announced Friday afternoon that it would pause a September return-to-office order for employees until next year. Earlier this month, the agency told employees represented by SEIU Local 1000 and other labor unions that they would be expected to work in person two days a week starting in September. Currently, CPUC staff work remotely full-time.
July 24, 2025
The Great State Government Return-to-Office U-Turn – The Hill
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) banned remote work for state employees in March. By June, he was signing a bill that allowed it again. This stunning reversal in just three months tells you everything you need to know about the new reality of government work. The Texas about-face isn’t an isolated incident. It’s part of a fascinating pattern playing out in state capitals across America, where rigid return-to-office mandates are collapsing under the weight of economic reality and employee resistance. … California Gov. Gavin’s Newsom’s journey from two-day office requirements to a four-day mandate might look like escalation, but the emerging pattern suggests something more strategic. When the Professional Engineers in California Government secured their one-year reprieve from the four-day requirement, they paid for it with salary concessions. Days later, the attorneys’ union struck a remarkably similar deal.
State Transportation Secretary Tours Highway 1 at Regent’s Slide – Monterey Herald
California Transportation Secretary Toks Omishakin visited Regents Slide on Highway 1 last week, reaffirming the state’s commitment to the Big Sur community as repair work continues. Regent’s Slide — at post mile 27.8, and about 40 miles south of Carmel — has stymied unrestricted travel along the famed coast highway through Monterey County since it occurred Feb. 9, 2024. Omishakin met with local leaders, business owners and tourism officials at the slide site and said that the state and Governor Newsom remain fully committed to reopening the highway as quickly and safely as possible.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said he believes the door is closed when it comes to reversing the Trump administration’s decision to claw back nearly $4 billion in federal funding for the California high-speed rail project.
July 21, 2025
A review from the California State Auditor’s office, released on Thursday, stated that the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, has displayed “critical weakness” in its ability to properly conduct inspections and address hazards. The audit attributed understaffing to many of the agency’s problems, with an overall vacancy rate of 32%, or 289 unfilled positions in the last fiscal year — a rate significantly higher in certain district offices. The overstretched agency has closed workplace complaints and accident reports without conducting an on-site inspection or providing a sufficient explanation, the audit found. The audit was based on a review of 60 cases that Cal/OSHA handled over five years ending in 2024.
More than a year of Caltrans repair work on the massive slide blocking Highway 1 along the Big Sur coast has cleared more than 500,000 cubic yards of debris — but officials say it’s still too early to say when the road will be clear to reopen. Since 2023, it’s been impossible to take Highway 1 all the way from San Luis Obispo County to Monterey due to a trio of landslides caused by severe winter weather.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the California High Speed Rail Authority is suing the Trump administration for pulling $4 billion for the state’s high-speed rail project.
July 17, 2025
Most state workers’ health insurance premiums will increase in 2026 following approval of the new rates by the California Public Employees Retirement System’s Board of Administration on Tuesday. Several of the most popular plans will see double digit hikes next year. Basic HMO premium plans will increase an average of 6.5% next year, which CalPERS officials approved during a board meeting in Monterey. Basic PPO premiums will increase by an average of 12%.
Amtrak, high-speed rail, public transit take cuts in House 2026 budget proposal – Smart Cities Dive
Federal spending on Amtrak, high-speed rail and public transportation would be cut by a bill marked up Monday by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. The measure prohibits funding for California’s high-speed rail project to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco, which is under construction, a proposed Texas high-speed rail project between Dallas and Houston, and rescinds $75 million in funding for capital projects, maintenance and new or expanded intercity passenger rail projects.
July 14, 2025
California Pension Fund Posts 11.6% Gain Driven by Stocks, Outpacing Annual Goal – Bloomberg via MSN
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System reported an 11.6% gain for its latest fiscal year, with returns driven by public equity investments. The largest US pension fund’s returns outpaced its 6.8% annual target and pushed its managed assets to $556.2 billion for the fiscal year ended June 30, CalPERS said Monday in a preliminary returns statement. That means the pension can now cover 79% of its future obligations, from 75% at the end of the previous year.
Transportation Panel Embraces ‘Back to Basics’ Highway Plan – Transport Topics
Policymakers in the House of Representatives will prioritize traditional surface transportation projects when they kick off negotiations on a multiyear highway policy bill over the coming months. That was the recent message from Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, who said he plans to direct his colleagues’ attention to big-picture highway projects while maintaining a focus on traditional connectivity corridors.
State officials say federal cuts threaten California’s environment – Los Angeles Times via AOL
Budget cuts, staff reductions and other sweeping changes from the federal government are posing real threats to California’s environment and progress against climate change, state officials said Thursday. State agencies such as the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force, the Department of Water Resources and the Energy Commission are among those struggling to keep up with the rapid pace of federal cutbacks, officials said.
July 10, 2025
In January, leaders from seven unions sat down with the state’s lead negotiator, CalHR, to draft new labor contracts. Labor leaders said at the time that they hoped to net salary increases beyond the typical 2% to 3% adjustments based on California’s improved financial position. By May, Gov. Gavin Newsom had called all 21 of the state’s bargaining units back to the bargaining table – after California’s fiscal outlook soured – to draft agreements that include 3% raises but also imposed leave programs that offset those pay increases in exchange for more vacation time.
“A state budget in multi-billion-dollar deficit makes for a tough bargaining environment,” Ted Toppin, PECG’s executive director, said in a statement. “But the PECG Bargaining Team delivered on what they understood to be most important to members – a halt to the return-to-office order and two pay raises as soon as it is possible.”
Cracks in Sacramento’s Highway 50 forces another major closure for repairs – CBS News Sacramento
Pavement problems are causing a serious setback on the Caltrans Fix-50 project. Caltrans said it has found cracks and broken-off pieces of concrete along the newly paved lanes of westbound Highway 50 in downtown Sacramento. Beginning Friday night, Caltrans plans a three-day closure of three westbound lanes to make the repairs. “Quality inspectors noticed there was some cracking, chippings here, chippings there so it was not something usual for a new paved road,” said Sergio Ochoa Sanchez, Caltrans spokesperson. Caltrans engineers said the new segment was laid down in August 2023, but it was poured too thick and was not properly vibrated during placement. Extensive testing shows it does not meet state specifications.
The insurance giant Blue Shield of California reached a deal on Tuesday with the University of California Health system to extend a contract that covers a large patient group, many of whom are state workers.
July 7, 2025
At a moment when California high-speed rail faces possible abandonment, the project’s new leader sees a tantalizing lifeline: $1 billion annually from the state, supplemented by an infusion of private capital. ““We are looking at state-level commitments so that we can bring private equity partners in,” California High-Speed Rail Authority CEO Ian Choudri said during an interview at the Marriott hotel in San Francisco. He was attending the American Public Transportation Association conference. Appearing on a panel with three executives from global infrastructure firms, Choudri inhabited a unique role: part public steward, part pitchman.
Heading to Big Sur? The drive just got a whole lot easier – The San Francisco Standard
A chunk of road near Rocky Creek Bridge that collapsed in 2024 is now fixed, putting Northern California’s best tide pools within easy reach.
July 3, 2025
The California Transportation Commission (CTC) has allocated $3.5 billion in funding to enhance road resiliency, pedestrian and bicycle travel, and highway safety across the state. Caltrans says the funding includes nearly $993 million from Senate Bill 1 (SB1) and $944 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. Additionally, the CTC has awarded $1.45 billion for new projects receiving Senate Bill 1 funding through 2027. Officials say the investments will support zero and low-emission transportation and infrastructure that strengthens California’s freight network.
Blue Shield of California agreed to extend a contract that covers tens of thousands of state workers, the insurer said Monday, assuring that the University of California Health System will remain in-network for a large group of patients through Aug. 9.