The Brief

As Gov. Gavin Newsom’s national profile rises and as he considers a presidential campaign, some LGBTQ+ advocates have questioned the governor’s commitment to queer and transgender constituents.

That’s given statements about transgender people on his podcast, This is Gavin Newsom, and a conversation with the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk, in which Newsom called it “deeply unfair” to allow transgender athletes to participate in girls’ sports.

But Evan Low, former assemblymember and CEO of the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund, a political PAC promoting LGBTQ+ progressives, says Newsom is still a staunch ally of the community, one who helped secure marriage equality in the state as well as civil rights protections for adoption, hospital visitation and the workplace.

“He has that track record and that history and that should not be lost on members of the community,” Low said. “All of these things happened because we were able to build bridges [and] build coalitions versus that of an overly simplistic polarization of infighting.”

So, what was Newsom’s record in this latest legislative update?

What legislation did Newsom sign supporting LGBTQ+ Californians?

1. AB 82: This law expands current privacy protections for reproductive health care providers and patients to also include gender-affirming health care providers and patients. California won’t assist other states in investigating patients or doctors for providing reproductive health care like abortion or gender‑affirming care.
2. AB 678: This new law makes a change to a group that recommends solutions to homelessness to the state government. The Interagency Council on Homelessness now must coordinate with representatives from LGBTQ+ communities to better serve queer people experiencing homelessness.
3. AB 727 An existing law, which went into effect this summer, requires schools to print the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline on student ID cards for grades 7 and up. This law will expand that rule to include the phone number and text line for the LGBTQ+ suicide-prevention hotline from the Trevor Project.
4. AB 822 This new law extends the Commission on the State of Hate for an additional four years. It is intended to help state agencies, law enforcement and the public stay informed about hate crime trends.
5. AB 1084 The law makes the process of changing legal documents (name, gender or sex identifier) faster and less burdensome, especially for adults. For minors who want to change their name or gender marker on their birth certificate or ID, as long as all living parents sign forms, there doesn’t need to be a hearing to approve it.
6. AB 1487 The bill renames a fund that offers grants for programs aimed at improving health care access for gender nonconforming people. It also broadens its scope to serve younger people and immigrants.
7. SB 59 This means that when someone files a legal petition to change their name or their gender marker on an official document in California, the court records are kept confidential. Previously, those protections applied only to minors, but this law immediately extends them, with the goal of minimizing the risk that court records could be used to out someone.
8. SB 278 The bill allows health care providers to share some anonymized HIV test results without written consent. The administrators of Medi-Cal plans say they need the data in order to identify gaps in care. Patients can opt out.
9. SB 450 The law protects adoption rights for LGBTQ+ parents. It means LGBTQ+ adoptive parents who leave California for a state with less inclusive adoption laws won’t lose their parental rights to children born in California.
10. SB 497 The law bans health care providers from disclosing medical records related to gender‑affirming care services in response to civil or criminal actions under other states’ laws.
11. SB 504 aims to improve how quickly HIV cases are tracked and treated in California by allowing health care providers to share identifying information about a person with HIV with local public health agencies — when necessary — to connect the person with care. It still limits who can access this information and specifies when sharing the information is actually necessary.
12. SB 590 expands existing laws around paid family leave to include chosen family members. That means LGBTQ+ people can designate a non-blood-related person to be considered a family member so they can receive benefits while caring for that person.

What bills did Newsom veto?

Newsom vetoed two notable health care access bills, including one — SB 418 — which would have offered an additional safeguard for people who receive hormone therapy to access treatments without disruption, amid federal attacks on gender affirming care.

“At a time when transgender people are being singled out for targeted discrimination, removal of their health care, and denial of their existence, it is heartbreaking that this bill was vetoed,” said state Sen. Caroline Menjivar, D-San Fernando, who wrote the bill, in a statement. “SB 418 was the most tangible and effective legislative tool introduced this year to help [Transgender Gender Diverse, and Intersex] folks weather this political storm.”

In Newsom’s veto statement, he said he supported the intent of protecting access to treatment, but thought the bill risked raising already high health insurance premiums. Craig Pulsipher, legislative director for Equality California, a co-sponsor of both vetoed bills, pushed back against the governor’s answer.

“The data and analysis on this bill show that the impact on health insurance premiums would be negligible,” Pulsipher said.

“The governor’s decision leaves trans Californians and many others who rely on hormone therapy vulnerable to treatment disruptions at a time when they are facing really extreme attacks from the federal government.”

Newsom rejected AB 554 for a similar reason. It would have required most private health plans in California to cover antiretroviral drugs, devices, or products like PrEP without delays in access caused by plans requiring prior authorization, step therapy, or cost‑sharing.

Medi-Cal managed care plans would have been exempt, but in his veto message, Newsom raised concerns about increased costs to health plans under cost-sharing provisions in the Affordable Care Act.

“We have seen many attacks from the Trump administration, including from the U.S. Health Secretary RFK Jr., threatening to fire members of a federal body that makes recommendations around preventive healthcare,” Pulsipher said. “We are extremely concerned about the impact of those actions in California on access to PrEP, which is a really important medication to prevent HIV.”

Pulsipher said he plans to address the governor’s concerns and reintroduce both bills next legislative session.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.