Which Bills Passed & Which Failed?
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The State Legislature adjourned just after midnight on September 1. As recently introduced gut and amend bills came up for a vote, tempers flared in the Assembly over a procedural decision during the final hour of session to limit the time for each member to speak to 30 seconds per bill, rather than five minutes, sparking a raucous back and forth between a few Republicans and Democrats.
Speaker Rob Rivas (D-Hollister) noted the cantankerous atmosphere as he recognized retiring members in his speech prior to adjournment stating, “I hope you’ll reflect on what I’m sure are many, many memories, like the chaos that occurred tonight that you all helped create.”
Special Session
Meanwhile, on the final day of session, Governor Gavin Newsom called a special session to address gas prices. Assembly Speaker Rivas concurred, and the Assembly moved to open a special session. However, Senate President pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-North Coast) said, “We won’t be convening a special session this fall, but we look forward to continuing conversations with the governor and speaker about this critical issue in the days and weeks to come.” The California Constitution states the Legislature has until November 30 to meet in a special session.
What’s Next?
Legislation approved by both houses moves to Governor Newsom’s desk where he has until September 30 to sign or veto bills. If signed by the governor, bills take effect on January 1, 2025, unless otherwise stated in the bill or if the measure contains an urgency clause.
Measures approved during the final week of session include:
• SB 399 (Wahab), stifles free speech of employers by subjecting them to liability for certain communication with workers, including communication about the impact of legislation and regulations.
• AB 1963 (Friedman) requires the Dept. of Pesticide Regulation to reevaluate the herbicide paraquat by 2029.
• AB 98 (Carrillo, J) warehouse and logistics measure prohibits cities and counties from approving a new or expanded logistics use unless specific standards are met.
• SB 366 (Caballero) creates a water supply planning target of nine million acre-feet of additional water, water conservation, or water storage capacity to be attained by 2040, as part of the 2028 update to the California Water Plan.
For the outcomes of various bills covering a wide range of policy issues, please click HERE.