The penalty for soliciting and buying sex from minors under 16 will be raised to a felony under a new California law signed by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom.

SB 926 by Dr. Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward) creates a new crime targeting AI-generated sexually explicit deepfake content. The bill makes it illegal to create and distribute sexually explicit images of a real person that appear authentic when intended to cause that person serious emotional distress.

Under the new law, California elementary and secondary schools have until 2026 to implement guidelines to reduce smartphone usage. The rules can be relaxed in case of emergencies or health issues.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed several measures to bolster the state's gun safety laws. The new laws signed by Newsom Tuesday will expand restrictions on who could own firearms, prevent the proliferation of “ghost guns” and increase protections for domestic violence survivors.

Surrounded by elected officials and health advocates, Governor Gavin Newsom signed three bills that will affect the oil industry. The bills will lead to the capping of idle wells, limit the use of low-producing oil and gas wells in a specific area and give local governments more power to restrict oil and gas operations.

Paper or plastic” will no longer be a choice at grocery store checkout lines in California under a new law signed Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom that bans all plastic shopping bags.

We deserve a cleaner future for our communities, our children and our earth,” California Assembly member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, one of the principal coauthors of the bill, said in a statement. “It’s time for us to get rid of these plastic bags and continue to move forward with a more pollution-free environment.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law a plastic bag bill that will ban stores from offering heavyweight 'reusable' plastic bags at the checkout line.

"Paper or plastic" will no longer be a choice at grocery store checkout lines in California under a new law signed Sunday by Gov. Gavin Newsom that bans all plastic shopping bags. California had already banned thin plastic shopping bags at supermarkets and other stores,