Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez’s campaign appears to have shunned a U.S. Senate debate in September that was proposed by the Sacramento Bee and other media outlets.

The proposed Sept. 20 debate was one of two in which her rival, California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris, had agreed to participate.

According to the Sacramento Bee, the Sanchez campaign has not responded to the formal debate invitation issued by the newspaper and other sponsors, KUVS-TV Univision 19, KVIE-TV, Capital Public Radio and Sacramento State.

Cap-and-trade produced little revenue this month as demand for greenhouse gas permits remained lower than in the past, according to new figures from the California Air Resources Board, which runs the program. 

The results of the auction have been hotly anticipated in Sacramento, where lawmakers are debating the future of the state's climate policies. 

Although final details won't be available until next month, it's expected that revenue from the sale will be roughly $8 million, even weaker than the previous round in May.

Advocates for California's sweeping climate change law scored a major victory Tuesday when the Assembly approved a measure to extend the state's goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But they're not breathing easy just yet.

Deep in the bill language of SB 32 by Sen. Fran Pavley (D-Agoura Hills) is a sentence that links its fate to another climate bill yet to be approved by the Assembly:

"This act shall become operative only if Assembly Bill 197 of the 2015–16 Regular Session is enacted and becomes effective on or before January 1, 2017."

You’re dancing to the flute of a rich hedge fund billionaire who’s running for governor.

One of the most controversial bills of the year, a measure to extend California's target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, is being debated on the Assembly floor on Tuesday morning.

The legislation, Senate Bill 32, would require slashing emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. The current target is hitting 1990 levels by 2020, a goal the state is on track to meet.

"When it’s all said and done, this is a simple bill, but an extremely significant one," said Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), who introduced the bill on the floor. "It represents a new chapter of the state’s climate policy.”

The voting experience in California could change dramatically under legislation awaiting a vote in the Assembly as soon as Tuesday.

SB 450, already approved by the Senate, seeks to move millions more Californians to casting a ballot by mail, and subsequently would allow counties to eliminate neighborhood polling places.

In their place would be a smaller number of "vote centers," one-stop shopping for everything from late voter registration to some in-person voting booths. Unlike neighborhood polling places, a county resident could choose whichever of these election offices is most convenient.

A California bill that would bar employers from asking job candidates to disclose juvenile crimes has cleared the Senate floor and is headed back to the Assembly for a final vote.

AB 1843, authored by Mark Stone (D-Scotts Valley), would prohibit companies from requiring job candidates to reveal any information about involvement in the juvenile justice system that did not result in a conviction. It also would bar employers from using the information as a condition of employment.

The bill narrowly moved out of the Senate with a 21-14 vote. 

One of two major measures on climate change was approved by the state Senate on Monday.

The legislation, AB 197 from Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella), would crack down on pollution and give lawmakers greater say over how regulators do their jobs.

It was passed 23-13.