Gov. Gavin Newsom addresses news reporters on May 14, 2026.
HECTOR AMEZCUA
hamezcua@sacbee.com
Padilla takes aim at Trump’s election ‘attacks’
U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., unveiled the SHIELD Our Elections Act on Thursday, a bill that would give state attorneys general and voters new pathways to enforce federal anti-election interference laws and extend the statute of limitations on federal criminal prosecutions from five to nine years. Padilla, ranking member of the Senate Rules Committee, framed the legislation as a proactive response to what he called President Donald Trump’s “escalating attacks” on voting rights ahead of the 2026 midterms. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber voiced support.
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Top Democrats sue over Prop. 39 ballot language
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, and Senate President Pro Tempore Monique Limón, D-Goleta, filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging claims made by backers of Proposition 39, the voter ID measure headed to voters in November. The Democrats argue that assertions like “voter ID makes it easier to vote” and “Prop. 39 saves money” are false and misleading, citing a nonpartisan legislative analysis estimating the measure would cost between tens of millions and low hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The measure’s sponsor, Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, R-San Diego, called the suit “frivolous.”
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An old Newsom scandal resurfaces
Ruby Rippey — who had an affair with Newsom nearly 20 years ago, when he was mayor of San Francisco and she was his appointments secretary — told her story in a first-person Vanity Fair article published Tuesday. A Bee opinion column argued the resurfaced account is more relevant than ever as Newsom gears up for a possible White House run, drawing a comparison between how Newsom and Trump have weathered personal scandals that might have derailed other politicians.
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Newsom releases four years of tax returns
Amid a U.S. Department of Justice probe into First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s nonprofits and taxes — and growing speculation about a 2028 presidential campaign — the governor made four years of joint federal tax returns available for reporters to inspect. The documents show taxable income between $1.3 million and $1.6 million from 2022 through 2024, plus a $4.2 million windfall in 2021 tied to the sale of a Marin County home for $5.9 million. Most of the couple’s wealth comes from passive income linked to Newsom’s PlumpJack-branded wineries, hotels and restaurants, which are held in a blind trust.
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Is California’s top-two primary under threat?
A Bee opinion piece defended California’s top-two primary against a wave of proposed changes, including a return to partisan primaries and a “final five” model that would send five candidates to November. The writer argued the current system worked as intended in the recent gubernatorial primary, where Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton advanced — despite hand-wringing that two Republicans might slip through in the country’s bluest state.
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This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.
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