Politics

With gas prices soaring, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is urging residents to consider public transit as an affordable and eco-friendly alternative to driving. A single ride on VTA costs $2.50 for adults, $1.25 for students, and $1.00 for seniors. Riders can pay...

The leaders of the state Legislature have a message for voters: We know you’re frustrated with how expensive California is—and we’re going to fix it. After a painful election that sparked recriminations and soul searching among Democrats across the country, state Senate President Pro Tem...

Voting has begun in the Nov. 8 general election, as voters throughout California will receive ballots in the coming days—and can drop them off, completed and signed, at authorized locations now through Election Day. Elections officials in Santa Clara County began sending ballots in the...

Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders reached a nearly $300 million budget agreement on June 21 that closes a $46.8 billion deficit that was projected for the coming fiscal year with across-the-board cuts of nearly 8% to every department.  The $297.5 billion budget is proposed...

Larry Carr, a former longtime elected official who served on the city council for 20 years, announced he is running for Mayor of Morgan Hill in the Nov. 8 election. Carr said as a Morgan Hill native who has been actively involved in the community...

Mark Turner and dozens of his closest friends and supporters—gathered at Sinaloa Cafe for a traditional election night party—let out a collective applause as they watched the first batch of results of the Nov. 8 balloting come in from the Santa Clara County Registrar...

Don Gage—a South County icon of politics and a beloved member of the Gilroy community—died on March 25 at age 79.  Gage’s political career started in 1981 and spanned a range of local offices and specialties. He served as a Gilroy City Council member from...

Lorraine Barke, former mayor and longtime community leader in Morgan Hill, died March 5. She was 87. Born in Illinois to Alexander and Emily Furtek, Barke spent most of her adult life in Morgan Hill with her husband Bernard, where they would grow into outsized...

California workers will be guaranteed five paid sick days a year starting Jan. 1, up from the three days that employers are currently required to provide, thanks to Senate Bill 616.  The bill, authored by Long Beach Democratic Sen. Lena Gonzalez, also extends protections against...

Election officials in Santa Clara County on May 9 began mailing ballots for the June 7 primary to the county’s one million registered voters, who will cast 2022's first ballots in local and state races and on some ballot measures. The vote-by-mail ballots can be...