We’re thrilled to announce the agenda for the CalMatters Ideas Festival. Join us May 21 in downtown Sacramento for a full day of big ideas and bold conversations with the leaders shaping California’s future.
Speakers include Attorney General Rob Bonta, Janet Napolitano, Julian Castro of Latino Community Foundation, Lorena Gonzalez of the California Federation of Labor Unions, Lanhee Chen of the Hoover Institution, George Conway of the Lincoln Project, Cesar Fernandez of Anthropic and more.
See the agenda and the full list of speakers at the link in bio.
@dan.hu.matters is hosting voter guide events all. over. California. That means a car full of merch, grub and a special roadtrip buddy you need to meet 🐻.
Our VotingMatters events are produced in collaboration with on-the-ground partners – local news organizations, colleges, libraries, churches and nonprofit organizations. Together, we bring people together for civil, issue-focused conversations that Californians have called “engaging,” “informative” and “democracy at its best.”
Check out our link in bio for updated tour stops.
Music/audio:
Follow/like notification ding - Official Sound Studio
Dog bark 02 - CanonCable
Wow (Enchanted) - Ney
90s Boom Bap Hip Hop - RockEagle
Photos:
Buc-ee's website
Blue Dog Gourmet Pizza website
#California #vote #election
See where California’s leading candidates for governor stand on homelessness.
Our question: When is it reasonable to arrest someone sleeping outside?
See how candidates from both Democratic and Republican parties responded. And watch each candidate’s entire response on calmatters.org/gov-videos.
California’s primary election runs through June 2.
Breaking: Six people died in California immigration detention centers over the past year as the crowded sites struggled to provide basic medical care, according to a new state investigation detailing conditions inside the facilities.
The 175-page report released Friday offers the most detailed look to date inside the detention centers that are often in remote areas of the state and hard to access for attorneys, families, and advocates.
It documents the highest death toll since the state began conducting inspections of the centers seven years ago. In 2024, there were zero deaths in California detention centers, according to the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s list of Immigration and Customs Enforcement press releases tracking them, and the Attorney General’s office.
📸 Anthony Albright
CalMatters is on the road all of May, bringing our popular 2026 Voter Guide to life during in-person, community conversations hosted by @dan.hu.matters
Across California, our VotingMatters events are produced in collaboration with on-the-ground partners – local news organizations, colleges, libraries, churches and nonprofit organizations. Together, we bring people together for civil, issue-focused conversations that Californians have called “engaging,” “informative” and “democracy at its best.”
Check out our link in bio for updated tour stops.
Breaking: Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing further budget cuts and expanding the state’s reserves despite a recent surge in tax revenue — an attempt to balance the books in anticipation of a looming long-term deficit in the coming years, he said.
In a presentation riddled with criticism of the Trump administration and featuring memes including an image of President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as “Dumb and Dumber,” Newsom released his last budget plan as governor on Thursday.
📸 Miguel Gutierrez Jr.
Do you have questions about the election? Where do the governor candidates stand on the issues? What does the insurance commissioner do?
Please join us on May 22 as we welcome the nonprofit statewide publication CalMatters as they breakdown, analyze and answer your burning questions about this year’s primary election, in a conversation centered around the latest edition of their Voter Guide.
It’s a free event and yes, there’s pizza 🍕
Featured guests include Abridged by PBS KVIE’s Yolo County reporter Daniel Hennessy and Executive Director of Davis Media Access Autumn Labbe-Renault.
RSVP at the link in bio. Hope to see you there!
Join the Latino Media Collaborative at the CalMatters Ideas Festival on Thursday, May 21 in Sacramento!
As part of a special collaboration between CalMatters, the Latino Media Collaborative, Radio Bilingüe, and CALÓ News, we’ll be convening “Trust and Representation: Health News Coverage That Resonates in Latino Communities” from 11:30 AM–1:00 PM PT.
Together, we’ll explore how Latino news coverage and strategic partnerships can help advance health equity in our communities. The session will feature an incredible lineup of panelists, along with a special presentation from Alianza Metropolitan News.
Don’t forget to RSVP — link in bio!
@radiobilingue@ucdavis@calmatters@SierraHealthFoundation@calonewsla@alianzanews
🗓️ Thursday, May 21
🕦 11:30 AM–1:00 PM PT
📍 Sheraton Grand Hotel, Sacramento
See where California’s leading candidates for governor stand on zero-emission new vehicle sales.
Our question: California mandates zero-emission new vehicle sales only by 2035. Is this the right goal or would you change it?
See how candidates from both Democrat and Republican parties responded. And watch each candidate’s entire response on calmatters.org/gov-videos.
California’s primary election runs through June 2.
Join us for respectful in-person conversations about local and state issues that foster civic engagement and voter education.
With the upcoming 2026 California Primary Election approaching, this is an opportunity for you to learn more about the voting process, ask questions, and receive helpful, nonpartisan information about elections, voter participation, and civic engagement. Whether you’ve voted before or are still figuring it out, this event is designed to make voting and civic participation feel more approachable!
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
JFK Library, Joseph Meeting Room
505 Santa Clara St., Vallejo, CA 94590
Open to PLTI alumni, youth participants, and members of the Vallejo community. Food will be provided for attendees, and Spanish interpretation will be available.
Register today!
https://forms.gle/xiZmVYGH15wC7vf56
#California #SolanoCounty #2026PrimaryElection #Vote #VoterEducation #CivicEngagement #PLTI
See where California’s leading candidates for governor stand on net carbon neutrality.
Our question: California mandates net carbon neutrality by 2045. Is this the right goal or would you change it?
See how candidates from both Democrat and Republican parties responded. And watch each candidate’s entire response on calmatters.org/gov-videos.
California’s primary election runs through June 2.
See where California’s leading candidates for governor stand on AI.
Our question: What is your vision for how artificial intelligence changes life in California?
See how candidates from both Democrat and Republican parties responded. And watch each candidate’s entire response on calmatters.org/gov-videos.
California’s primary election runs through June 2.
