Daily Business Report: Wednesday, July 2, 2025
Who is Behind the LLC Which Purchased Gov. Gavin Newsom a $9.1 Million Home in Marin?
By Katy Grimes | California Globe
Public Servant Gavin Newsom’s rise in California politics and acquired power since the 1990s has been through the knavery of family and influential friends.
If you ever doubted that politics is made up of the elite class who see themselves as the ruling class, but want the taxpayers to pay for everything, doubt no more: Governor Gavin Newsom and the “First Partner” (his wife) acquired a $9.1 million home in Marin County, I reported in November 2024.
It’s time to revisit this issue because we still don’t have any answers on this home acquisition, or the $3.7 million Fair Oaks home also purchased for them in 2018-2019 by another LLC.
Did the Newsoms buy this home? How? Did someone buy it for them? Who?
One of the biggest obstacles to building new CA housing has now vanished
By Ben Christopher | CalMatters
Welcome to CalMatters, the only nonprofit newsroom devoted solely to covering issues that affect all Californians. Sign up for WhatMatters to receive the latest news and commentary on the most important issues in the Golden State.
A decade-spanning political battle between housing developers and defenders of California’s preeminent environmental law likely came to an end this afternoon with only a smattering of “no” votes.
The forces of housing won.
With the passage of a state budget-related housing bill, the California Environmental Quality Act will be a non-issue for a decisive swath of urban residential development in California.
In practice, that means most new apartment buildings will no longer face the open threat of environmental litigation.
To save money now, Newsom’s new labor deals pause spending on one of California’s biggest debts
By Adam Ashton | CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is making benefit deals with public employee unions that save money today in part by putting off payments that were meant to bring down costs tomorrow.
His office this month negotiated eight agreements with unions that pause state spending for two years toward one of California’s largest long-term debts: the health care benefits civil servants receive in retirement.
Newsom’s pause on the pre-funding payments for current workers has the potential to free up a lot of money. His office in May estimated those payments would cost the state more than $700 million in the new budget year.
