Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 484, creating a 10-year pilot program to streamline the coastal development permitting process for 100% affordable infill housing in coastal cities, in an effort to address California’s severe housing shortage while maintaining environmental protections.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom filed an amicus brief in support of Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s request for a temporary restraining order to block President Donald Trump’s attempt to federalize the Illinois National Guard and deploy federalized troops from Texas into Chicago, warning that this represents an unprecedented federal intrusion into state sovereignty and a direct violation of constitutional principles.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 715, a bill to strengthen protections against antisemitism in K-12 schools across California, which establishes a new state Office of Civil Rights and creates an Antisemitism Prevention Coordinator to help develop training, review complaints, advise school districts, and recommend policy changes.
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed AB 1213, the Restitution First Act, into law, which prioritizes restitution to victims of crime ahead of fines, fees, or other debts owed by people convicted of crimes.
A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to deploy 300 California National Guard soldiers to Portland, Oregon, calling it an unlawful effort to circumvent her earlier ruling that Oregon National Guard members could not be federalized or deployed.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has urged Governor Gavin Newsom to use his executive powers to commute the death sentences of all individuals currently on death row in California, citing racial discrimination, mental illness, and wrongful convictions.
The University of California is facing a serious threat from the Trump administration, which is demanding concessions that would cede control of core university functions and compromise academic freedom, leading to a potential loss of significant research and other federal funding.
The Trump administration is building out a national paramilitary policing force that could be used to intimidate people and consolidate power, but states have tools to resist this dangerous abuse of power and protect communities from intimidation.
Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Assembly Bill 255, which would have allowed state funding for abstinence-based recovery housing as part of California’s homelessness response system, citing the need to remain aligned with the evidence-based Housing First policy.
Governor Gavin Newsom has warned that any California university that signs the proposed “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education” will lose state funding, as it requires universities to adopt government definitions of gender, ban consideration of race or sex in admissions and hiring, and freeze tuition for U.S. students.
Senate Bill 634 would hold cities accountable for addressing homelessness by preventing them from banning supportive services and ensuring that those services reach people experiencing homelessness.
A coalition of over 50 advocacy organizations is urging Governor Gavin Newsom to sign AB 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025, to protect children left stranded when immigrant parents are detained or deported.
The YIMBY movement has shifted the narrative in California’s housing debate, pushing for more housing construction and resulting in the passage of SB 79, which allows for taller, denser buildings near major bus stops and transit lines.
President Donald Trump has escalated tensions by publishing a list of Democratic officials and leaders who have criticized ICE, which has been amplified by right-wing platforms and framed as an “enemies list”, causing alarm from state leaders, civil rights advocates, and Democratic officials.
Michele Beckwith was fired from her position as Acting U.S. Attorney in Sacramento after she insisted that Border Patrol agents comply with court-ordered restrictions on immigration raids, highlighting the conflict between the Trump administration and the independence of the Department of Justice.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 627, a law prohibiting California law enforcement officers from covering their faces during public interactions, but legal scholars are divided on whether the state has the power to impose such restrictions on federal immigration agents.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s SAFE Task Force, in partnership with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles County, dismantled a large encampment along the 110 Freeway and connected residents with shelter and supportive services, marking the task force’s first effort in Southern California.
The Department of Homeland Security has refused to comply with California’s new law banning law enforcement from covering their faces during operations, calling it unconstitutional and a political stunt.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill banning masked law enforcement, in contrast to the federal government’s use of masked agents to disperse protests in Chicago, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability in policing.
Women Prison News is urging Gov. Gavin Newsom to grant Marisela Andrade de Zarate a pardon, recognizing her resilience in rebuilding her life after surviving domestic violence and human trafficking, and to protect her from deportation.