He usually doesn’t signal which way he’s leaning, though he did Sunday on two key climate transparency bills. He’s in New York City for Climate Week, and history indicates he’s unlikely to delegate significant legislation to Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, who is acting governor while he’s out of state.
Still, that isn’t stopping advocacy groups from ramping up their lobbying this week:
- Self-driving trucks: Today, Teamsters are set to drive their trucks in a convoy to the state Capitol to urge Newsom to sign Assembly Bill 316, which would regulate self-driving big rigs and require a human backup driver (thus keeping jobs). Newsom’s decision on this bill is seen as a test of his loyalties and priorities — for the political power of unions or the economic potential of artificial intelligence. But his administration has already strongly hinted he’ll veto it.
- Maternal and mental health: Wednesday, children’s, health and labor advocates plan to be at the Capitol to lobby for four bills, including AB 608 to expand Medi-Cal benefits for new mothers and AB 665 to give children 12 years and older more rights to consent to mental health treatment.
- Gun control: Moms Demand Action, Everytown for Gun Safety and other groups want Newsom to sign AB 28, which would levy an 11% retail tax on guns and ammunition that is projected to raise $160 million a year for gun violence prevention programs.
- Abortion: The Legislative Women’s Caucus is pushing for bills sponsored by the Future of Abortion Council to strengthen abortion access. Newsom has already signed SB 385 to allow trained physician assistants to conduct surgical abortions without direct supervision by a physician. The caucus and council want 11 other bills, including SB 487, which would prohibit health insurers and the state from penalizing medical providers who have been sanctioned in other states for performing abortions that are otherwise legal in California.
- Paid leave: The California Chamber of Commerce is urging Newsom to veto six bills on its usually successful “job killer” list, including SB 616 that would increase the number of paid sick days employers must provide to workers from at least three a year to five and SB 799 that would make workers who have been on strike for at least two weeks eligible to collect unemployment benefits. These are key bills on which labor unions defeated business interests in the Legislature this session, so now the chamber and others are looking to Newsom.
- Cannabis: Public health advocates are pushing AB 1207, which seeks to address a surge of child poisonings by barring cannabis products from using packaging similar to candy or soda, or that could otherwise make products attractive to kids.
In all, about 900 bills are on Newsom’s desk for his decisions, with an Oct. 14 deadline.
One potential factor: Last year, in issuing vetoes, the governor repeatedly cited the need for fiscal discipline with lower-than-expected state revenues. And that was before the $30 billion-plus budget deficit this year.
But on Monday, his state Department of Finance reported that revenues came in more than $1.3 billion, or 11%, above projections in August, putting the state on track in the first two months of the fiscal year. While the approved state budget accounts for the tax filing deadline being extended to October for Californians impacted by the winter storms, it’s possible that revenues could surge again in September.
CalMatters is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.
