With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
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
-
After taking a buyout from a major company, an L.A.-born producer is struggling to make ends meet.
-
It’s not “May Gray” or “June Gloom,” but an extended period of high pressure is causing similar conditions.
-
The story of Ted Ngoy and the community of Cambodian refugees behind every donut.
-
A judge ordered the school, along with other tenants on the West L.A. Veterans’ Affairs campus, to increase its commitments to supporting veterans or face eviction.
-
At a recent Dodgers game, Michael Faretta of Santa Clarita caught three balls and gave them all away to kids — including my kids.
-
One LAist reader responded to the latest story in our ongoing Andrew Do investigation by asking, "Which is more disgusting: the [alleged] fraud or the fact that a starter home is costing 1 million these days?"