How CA is prepping for Trump administration

The incoming Trump administration will likely mean huge changes across a wide range of policies in California. CalMatters reporters are talking to officials, experts and advocates about many of them: 

• Public education: If President-elect Donald Trump’s pledges to deport undocumented immigrants and withhold funds to schools that recognize transgender students come to pass, they could have major impacts on student absenteeism, anxiety and bullying, explains CalMatters K-12 education reporter Carolyn Jones. During the first Trump presidency, for example, attendance and academic performance of Latino students dropped significantly in areas affected by severe immigration enforcement. Trump also wants to shut down the U.S. Department of Education (a move that could mean a $7.9 billion loss of federal funding for California schools), eliminate teacher tenure and implement performance-based pay.

• Housing: CalMatters’ Felicia Mello reports that for some of the state’s most vocal housing advocates, the outlook under Trump appears grim. Mass deportations and higher tariffs could result in fewer workers to build homes and rising costs for imported construction materials, such as steel. Trump will also make it likely harder for immigrants and other low-income Californians to access subsidized housing and secure mortgages. But his fondness for deregulation could also result in easing rules for housing construction.

• Offshore wind: While repeating unsubstantiated claims that wind turbines cause cancer and kill whales, Trump has vowed to undo a bipartisan federal law that provides federal money for states to invest and develop offshore wind farms — potentially curtailing California’s renewable energy goals, writes CalMatters environment reporter Julie Cart.

Reproductive rights advocates and Democratic leaders are also concerned that a Trump presidency will severely restrict abortion access. The Markup, which is part of CalMatters, has a new guide for abortion seekers to protect their privacy and avoid misinformation. 

Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom, wrapping up his D.C. visit, huddled Wednesday with Democratic members of Congress. He told reporters they talked about securing disaster funding and clean air and health care waivers, as well as getting on the same page before the special session he called, including more lawsuits against the Trump administration. 

• Newsom, in a statement: “California is working closely with the White House over the next two months to deliver the critical protections and resources our communities need.”

CalMatters events: We also took part in two events Wednesday on pressing issues facing the state. Reporter Jocelyn Wiener moderated a panel in Long Beach on how well California’s mental health parity law is working.

• Elissa Feld, director of policy at County Behavioral Health Directors Association: “California is embarking on addressing some really bold behavioral health goals, including decreasing deaths by suicide, increasing quality of life, decreasing untreated behavioral health conditions. … However, we don’t have commercial plans at the table and they insure over half of California’s population right now.”

Also, CalMatters columnist Jim Newton interviewed Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass about her efforts on homelessness. The next event is Nov. 19 in San Francisco on workforce training (register here).

If — and that’s a big if — Vice President Kamala Harris decides to run for California governor, she could quickly jump to the front of the crowded field for 2026.

That’s according to a new poll in which 46% of registered voters — and 72% of Democrats — said they would be likely or very likely to support her. Harris, who represented California in the U.S. Senate and was elected attorney general, has the advantage of name recognition.

The poll by the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies, co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times, was conducted last month, before last week’s election in which she lost to Trump.

Without Harris as a choice, the poll found U.S. Rep. Katie Porter leads among other declared or potential candidates, at 13% as either the first or second choice of likely voters. Porter, who is giving up her seat after failing in her U.S. Senate bid this year, said last week that she’s “thinking” about running for governor, but has no timetable to make a decision.

Two Republicans appear next in the survey: Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at 12% and state Sen. Brian Dahle, who ran unsuccessfully against Newsom in 2022, at 11%. Then, three Democrats are bunched at 7%: Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and U.S.Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. 

But more than half of likely voters said they were undecided in the very early poll, with the primary not until June 2026.

Election update: The AP declared Wednesday night that Republicans will keep control of the U.S. House and late wins in toss-up races in California helped put the GOP over the finish line. The party will be in charge of both houses of Congress and the presidency next year.  

If you’re a non-California resident planning to start at the University of California, tuition is likely to get more expensive.

UC regents are expected to vote today on a proposed tuition hike for next fall’s new undergraduate nonresidents, writes CalMatters higher education reporter Mikhail Zinshteyn. Undergraduates pay tuition and a systemwide fee, but out-of-state students also pay a supplemental fee. That fee was already going to be raised by $1,194 next fall, but the proposal bumps that up to a $3,402 increase.

In total, new nonresidents — who make up about 15% of all new UC undergraduates — would pay about $52,500 in tuition next fall, compared to the roughly $48,600 that new nonresident students pay now. 

The university faces a $500 million budget gap next summer, and a multitude of planned construction projects through the end of decade costing an estimated $30 billion. The tuition hike is anticipated to raise $41 million more a year.

Reactions from some student leaders were mixed.

• Eduardo Tapia Jr-Urbieta, executive officer for the UC Student Association, during a UC regents committee meeting Wednesday: “Opportunity to higher education should not face any more barriers. Instead of increasing the salaries of UC administrators, let’s make sure college is more affordable for all.”

Learn more about the UC’s budget plans in Mikhail’s story.

The CEO at California’s largest public pension fund is earning more than $1 million a year, thanks to a big bonus awarded in September. Her counterpart at the state teachers’ fund received a $650,000 bonus last week to also join the million-dollar club. And she’s not the only one: Find out who else from CalMatters deputy editor Adam Ashton.