PG&E customers get bill for gas rebuild
by Jaxon Van Derbeken, San Francisco Chronicle
PG&E customers will pay nearly two-thirds of the $1.8 billion to upgrade natural-gas pipelines, which were exposed as potentially unsafe by the 2010 explosion in San Bruno. Read More ›
State to sound alarm for straying seniors
by Tony Bizjak, Sacramento Bee
A decade after California launched its Amber Alert program, which enlists citizen help in searching for missing children, the state will add a similar program for another at-risk groups: its elderly. Read More ›
Covered California health benefit exchange wraps up productive year
by Linda Leu, California Progress Report
The board of directors of Covered California, the new Health Benefit Exchange, met yesterday in Sacramento to continue its work implementing a reformed healthcare market in compliance with the federal Affordable Care Act of 2010. Read More ›
CFC supports bill creating oversight and transparency of CPUC giveaways
Senator Jerry Hill, D-San Mateo, was joined by Richard Holober, Consumer Federation of California, and representatives from The Utility Reform Network (TURN), at a press conference today to unveil legislation that would prohibit the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) from giving away millions of dollars in ratepayer money to third parties without oversight and transparency. Read More ›
Have a ‘food-safe’ holiday season!
Consumer Federation of America offers tips to consumers to have a food-safe holiday season this year. Read More ›
New political terrain holds promise for California schools
by Lisa Schiff, California Progress Report
The passage of Props 30 and 39 and a new Democratic supermajority in the legislature mean influxes of revenue for schools and possibly making changes in revenue and how it gets distributed. Read More ›
New battle coming over California’s minimum wage
by Dan Walters, Sacramento Bee
The $8 per hour minimum wage in California has been frozen for five years and a battle is likely in the 2013 legislative session over whether it should be increased and indexed to inflation. Read More ›
Facing deadline, most states say no to running their own insurance exchanges
by Phil Galewitz, Kaiser Health News
The Obama administration will have to build and operate online health insurance markets for more than 30 states, something few expected when the federal health law was approved in 2010. Read More ›
Decision day for states on health insurance marketplaces
by Michael Pearson, CNN
The federal government will run 24 exchanges outright and likely partner with states to run the other six; 19 states will run their own, while Florida and Utah remained undecided as of Friday. Read More ›
Initiative backers must come forward, panel says
by Mark Walker, San Diego Union Tribune
People who pay for petition drives in support of statewide ballot measures can no longer hide their identity, thanks to a regulation adopted by the Fair Political Practices Commission. Read More ›
Blue Shield of California seeks rate hikes up to 20%
by Chad Terhune, Los Angeles Times
In filings with state regulators, Blue Shield is seeking an average rate increase of 12% for more than 300,000 customers. Consumer advocates say the firm should use its reserves to hold down rates. Read More ›
New studies find chemicals in furniture hard to avoid
by Stephanie M. Lee, San Francisco Chronicle
Gov. Jerry Brown wants to reduce toxic flame retardant chemicals permitted in furniture, but experts say damage has been done nationwide. Read More ›
Google ruling shows need for do not track and strong antitrust action
by John Simpson, Consumer Watchdog
A federal judge’s ruling in a key privacy case demonstrates the need to implement tough Do Not Track rules and to take decisive action on the antitrust front against Google. Read More ›