In abstract
The California Legislature butted heads with Gov. Gavin Newsom and grappled with a price range deficit in 2024.
Towards the backdrop of the election, the Legislature’s 12 months was marked by debates over retail theft insurance policies, an Eleventh-hour particular session known as by the governorand a dramatic shelving of two reparations payments.
On the ultimate night time of the session, Aug. 31, Gov. Gavin Newsom known as a particular session so the Legislature may go payments meant to decrease fuel costs for Californians by requiring oil corporations to improve their reserves. It was, at that time, the second particular session in as a few years, and prompted uncommon resistance from Senate Professional Tem President Mike McGuire, not due to coverage variations, however as a result of McGuire didn’t assume it was mandatory.
That wasn’t the one showdown between the Legislature and the governor this 12 months. After some lawmakers initially resisted Newsom’s push to put a crime measure on the pollthe branches got here collectively to go a slate of retail theft payments.
The Legislature additionally handed 12 payments borne out of the state’s reparations job pressuretogether with a proper apology for California’s position within the perpetuation of slavery. However within the remaining week, the Meeting didn’t take up two payments, to the frustration of supporters, geared toward ultimately disbursing direct money funds to descendants of individuals enslaved in america.
Whereas lawmakers have been, in principle, constrained by the second 12 months of a price range deficitthey nonetheless managed to go some key laws, together with a contentious invoice stopping faculty boards from adopting insurance policies to tell dad and mom if college students use a reputation or pronoun that doesn’t align with their organic intercourse. The Legislature additionally handed payments regulating synthetic intelligencepermitting tribes to sue personal playing halls and banning legacy admission at universities.
The 2024 12 months was the primary full 12 months presided over by new Meeting Speaker Robert Rivasa Democrat from Salinas, and McGuirea Democrat from Santa Rosa..
The Legislature and governor largely noticed eye-to-eye on payments: Lawmakers despatched 1,206 payments to Newsom, of which he vetoed 189 — on par with the state averages over the past decade.
2025 outlook
Legislative leaders in December restricted the variety of payments members may introduce from 50 within the Meeting to 35, and from 40 to 35 within the Senate. The brand new class of legislators represents essentially the most ladies ever elected; for the primary time, half the state senate can be ladies, lastly reflecting the state’s inhabitants. The Republican Caucus additionally grew extra numerous.
After Donald Trump gained the presidential election, Gov. Gavin Newsom known as the third particular session of the final two years to go payments that allocate funding for the state’s Division of Justice to sue the Trump administration as wanted. A recent Trump administration can be spherical two of a showdown between California lawmakers and the federal authorities over its potential insurance policies on atmosphere, immigration and reproductive rights.
