By JIM SANDERS, Sacramento Bee

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Will Californians lie to save money?

Apparently.

New legislation takes aim at an honor system, of sorts, that allows motorists to lowball their annual mileage and save on their car insurance premiums. Being honest, it turns out, can hurt -- financially.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Voting is as American as mom and apple pie -- the more votes cast, the better for democracy, right?

Not necessarily.

Efforts to gradually increase California's pool of voters by targeting young teenagers are splitting the Capitol along party lines.

Democrats support, Republicans oppose.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- For west

Californians gave Gary Ross the legal right to smoke medicinal marijuana at home.

But that didn't keep the Carmichael resident from being fired for doing so.

Ross is at the epicenter of a fight pitting the rights of more than 250,000 medicinal marijuana users against those of business owners.

No more dogs behind the steering wheel.

Canines don't have to be back-seat drivers, but they'd better stay away from the gas pedal under legislation passed Monday by the California State Assembly.

Lambasted by radio's Rush Limbaugh and ridiculed as the "Paris Hilton Bill" in honor of the celebrity dog lover, the measure now goes to the state Senate.

A push to cut the salaries of California's statewide elected officials shines a light on an obscure fact in the state constitution: Pay was not meant to be tied to performance.

Nor were the salaries of legislators or other top elected officials designed to be swayed by state budget crises, such as this year's projected $10 billion deficit.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- God is disgusted with California legislators -- at least some of them, according to an evangelical chaplain who ruffled feathers this week in the same Capitol where he leads Bible studies for lawmakers.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Here's a new twist to the dating game -- instant background checks.

Asked out? Not so fast.