Digital Democracy: Lawmakers V. Grieving Parents

One of the hardest-fought political battles in 2024 happened inside California’s Capitol between a group of grieving parents who lost their kids to fentanyl… and a handful of powerful California politicians who were opposed to increasing criminal penalties.

This year-long investigation combines gripping statehouse investigative reporting with groundbreaking AI-assisted data journalism to provide an unprecedented look at how California’s one-party supermajority legislature systematically avoids transparency and accountability by killing controversial legislation without voting on the record.