Really quick: 

The Legislature has planned a number of hearings in the coming days that I thought you might want to know about

• Tomorrow (March 3): The Assembly Public Safety Committee will take up discussion on a bill to tighten punishments for repeat drunk drivers and another bill to close a diversion loophole that allows people charged with vehicular manslaughter to avoid having the case on their driving record.

The meeting starts at 9 a.m. You can attend in person (room 126 of the State Capitol) or remotely. The bills are two of many issues on the agenda.

The bills address two issues we’ve covered in our investigation: the state’s weak DUI laws and how the diversion program means you can face more consequences for a speeding ticket than a deadly crash.

(The committee is also slated to tackle two more related bills the following week.)

• March 10: The Senate Transportation Committee will hold an informational hearing titled “Examining California's DUI and Traffic Safety Laws.” It’s the first such hearing in well over a decade. 

We don’t yet know who will be speaking, but it will begin at 1:30 pm at 1021 O Street, Room 1200. You can also stream the live video or audio.

If you can’t make these hearings but would love to watch or read what happened after, we’ll also have access to recordings and a transcript. If you’d like me to send those to you when they become available, reply to this email and let me know.

And if you’re only familiar with our work from License to Kill, you should check out a story from our colleague on the CalMatters’ investigative team, Anat Rubin. 

Her piece, The Man Who Unsolved a Murder, flips the true crime narrative on its head, making for a gripping read about a hidden – but incredibly consequential – flaw in California’s criminal justice system.

It was just named a finalist for one of journalism’s most prestigious awards and has shifted the conversation around public defense in the state and nation.