Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a set of criminal justice reform bills that increase fair pay for incarcerated workers, strengthen the rights of those involved in the justice system, and promote economic and social justice throughout California.
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 1261 into law, providing legal counsel to unaccompanied minors and other young immigrants facing federal deportation proceedings in California.
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed multiple bills aimed at accelerating construction and improving affordability, including Senate Bill 79, which fast-tracks housing near major transit systems, in a historic year for housing reform in California.
Governor Gavin Newsom’s signing of SB 79 represents a modest step towards addressing California’s housing crisis, but it is not enough to fix the state’s broken housing system and will not result in the necessary affordable housing being built.
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed two bills by Senator Scott Wiener, SB 59 and SB 497, expanding California’s legal and privacy protections for transgender people and reinforcing the state’s commitment to serve as a refuge for transgender individuals seeking safety, privacy, and access to medical care.
Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 495, the Family Preparedness Plan Act, into law, which aims to help immigrant and mixed-status families stay connected during immigration enforcement actions by ensuring K-12 schools follow updated protection policies.
Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 485, which would have provided job security and due process protections for appointed public defenders in California, citing that decisions about hiring and removal of department heads should be made locally.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed two housing bills, SB 786 and SB 808, aimed at cutting red tape and accelerating housing construction, which will take effect on January 1, 2026.
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed the Better Informed Decisions (BID) Act into law, allowing judges to review evidence as cases develop and make better-informed decisions on whether charges should proceed as misdemeanors or felonies, increasing fairness and efficiency in the justice process.
Governor Gavin Newsom has signed Senate Bill 79, which cuts red tape, holds local governments accountable, and expands access to affordable housing near public transportation stops, in order to reduce costs, strengthen transit systems, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.
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.
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.
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.
The fractured nature of American government has created a major obstacle to solving the nation’s housing crisis, but the ROAD to Housing Act, which introduces a framework for federal incentives for zoning reform, could help to reshape how the federal government influences housing.
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.
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.