Alexei Koseff
CalMatters ReporterAlexei covers Gov. Gavin Newsom, the Legislature and California government from Sacramento. He joined CalMatters in January 2022 after previously reporting on the Capitol for The Sacramento Bee and the San Francisco Chronicle, where he broke the story of Newsom's infamous dinner at The French Laundry restaurant. Alexei is a Bay Area native and attended Stanford University. He speaks fluent Spanish.
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Sen. Mike McGuire of Healdsburg takes over as Democratic leader in the state Senate from Sen. Toni Atkins. He terms out in 2026, so has limited time to push his agenda. -
California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office projects a 2024-25 budget deficit twice as large as 2023-24. It says the state could dip into reserves and cut some one-time spending. -
Despite the agreement that the California insurance market needs fixing, legislators weren’t able to find a compromise this session. -
After weeks of negotiations, the governor and top Democrats in the Legislature say they have a budget deal. Legislators will start voting today on bills related to the agreement. -
A bill to tax Airbnb and other short-term rentals to fund affordable housing projects could be voted on by the Senate soon. The proposal has revived the debate over Airbnb and its role in the housing crisis. -
After years of record California budget surpluses, Gov. Newsom outlines a plan to deal with a deficit he projects at $22.5 billion. -
After leading a “March for Democracy” on the second anniversary of the U.S. Capitol insurrection, Gavin Newsom portrayed himself as a partisan warrior on the national stage, but a unifier in California in his second inaugural speech. -
Religious opponents of abortion, led by the Catholic Church, are mobilizing against Proposition 1 on the Nov. 8 ballot. But the numbers in fundraising and in the polls are against them. -
Gov. Newsom and the Legislature cut a California cannabis tax, but not everyone is convinced it’s enough to stabilize the legal market. Social equity operators say the changes don’t do nearly enough to help them. -
After weeks of talks, Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders announce a tax relief plan that includes refunds of as much as $1,050. It is part of a $300 billion budget deal announced Sunday night.
