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Which of these 2025 bills will Gavin Newsom sign?
The fate of hundreds of bills recently approved by the Legislature now rests with Gov. Gavin Newsom. He has one month to sign or veto any measures passed in the final days before the session ended Sept. 13.
As his attention turns ever more toward national politics, how might Newsom’s approach change this year? What bill signings will he highlight to the public or bury in a late-night news dump? Could he veto more proposals as he tries to distance himself from contentious liberal policies and chart a more moderate image?
Last year, Newsom vetoed about 18% of nearly 1,000 bills passed in the final days (and nearly 16% of all 1,200 bills passed by the Legislature in 2024). That was already higher than his historical average.
Typically, the governor gives a few reasons for vetoing bills: He deems them bad policy or redundant or calculates that their potential cost threatens to worsen the state’s budget situation. But he also blocks bills because they’re controversial or opposed by powerful special interests.
While the Legislature can override vetoes, it takes a two-thirds vote in both the Assembly and Senate, which rarely happens. Governors can also allow bills to become law without their signature, but that doesn’t occur very often, either.
Here are some noteworthy bills CalMatters reporters are tracking. Bookmark this page for updates.
Immigration
Housing
Education
Law enforcement
Climate and environment
Technology
Reparations
Cannabis
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The L.A. City Council raised the minimum wage for tourism workers ahead of the Olympics, kicking off a huge political fight.
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Metropolitan State Hospital opened as a psychiatric facility back in 1916. But many of the buildings have sat vacant for decades.
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Just blocks away from Boyle Heights schools, immigration agents staged an operation in Little Tokyo, heightening concerns among students and parents.
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Valley Plaza, the once-iconic shopping center, has fallen into disrepair.
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Beyond the restitution payment, Do has been ordered to turn himself in to serve a five-year federal prison term by the end of this week.
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Two decades after being established as an ecological reserve, the Ballona Wetlands on L.A.'s Westside are still far from an envisioned restoration.