California’s RTO Policy Stricter Than Texas | Incarcerated Firefighter Hiring Bill | Crocker Jazz Nights
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State workers and city residents walk through downtown Sacramento on the morning of July 15, 2026. Photo by Miguel Gutierrez Jr., CalMatters
California’s RTO Policy Stricter Than Texas
After pushback and a delay, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Return-to-Office executive order is now in effect. As of July 1, roughly 100,000 state workers have returned to office four days a week, after six years of flexible remote policies. California isn’t the first state to reverse pandemic telework, but new reporting took a nationwide look and found Gov. Newsom’s return-to-office rules are stricter than many states, including Texas. Lynn La is a writer for the WhatMatters Newsletter for CalMatters and she joins us today with to share her reporting.
Incarcerated Firefighter Hiring Bill
Incarcerated firefighters form a critical part of California’s wildfire strategy, and give participants the chance to earn money and time off their sentences. But after leaving prison, many face challenges getting employed — despite having experience working on the fire line. Now, a new bill moving through the legislature aims to make it easier for convicted firefighters to be hired. Royal Ramey is a former incarcerated firefighter and co-founder of the nonprofit Forestry and Fire Recruitment Program, which provides career support to formerly incarcerated firefighters. He joins Insight to talk about his experience in the fire service, and how this bill could make the recruiting pipeline easier.
Crocker Jazz Nights
If you're looking for a way to cool down after a hot summer day the Crocker Art Museum has you covered. Jazz Nights, Sacramento’s longest-running summer jazz series, returned last month to the Crocker. Held in the museum’s courtyard, this annual tradition brings a variety of artists to the stage from every style and era of jazz. Bay area jazz vocalist Clairdee will be performing this Thursday. Javier Plasencia, Director of Education at the Crocker Art Museum, tells us more about the return of Jazz Nights.
