Catherine Blakespear

State Senator, District 38

Appears in 1 story

Office: Member of the State Senate of California

Born: February 26, 1976, Cardiff-by-the-Sea

Education: Torrey Pines High School, Northwestern University, S.J. Quinney College of Law

Previous offices: Mayor of Encinitas, California

Last updated Nov 1, 2026

Stories

California's regulatory laboratory

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Chair, Senate Environmental Quality Committee

California raised its minimum wage to $16.90 on January 1, 2026, and closed the loophole on its failed 2014 plastic bag ban. These are the latest moves in a decades-long experiment testing whether aggressive regulation can coexist with economic growth.

Updated May 19