Playground equipment at Gateway Elementary School, part of the Sierra Sands Unified School District, in Ridgecrest on Feb. 2, 2026. The school does not have funds for playground upgrades. (Jules Hotz/CalMatters via Bay City News)

This was written by staff at the nonprofit newsroom CalMatters. It was republished by The Mendocino Voice in partnership with CalMatters to bring relevant nonpartisan news to Mendocino County readers. Learn more about CalMatters here.

SACREMANETO, CA., 2/23/26 — Since California made it easier for sexual abuse survivors to sue government agencies, victims have brought forth more than $3 billion in claims. But even agencies that haven’t been sued are facing financial hardship as a result of the law — through skyrocketing insurance premiums. 

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Carolyn Jones covers K-12 education at CalMatters. A longtime news reporter, she’s covered education for nearly a decade, focusing on everything from special education to state funding policies to inequities...