This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom 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
-
For the last decade, the cougar called Griffith Park home and lived a remarkably adventurous life.
-
Madeline wrote to the county in mid-November asking for approval to have a unicorn in her backyard. Now the hunt begins.
-
This museum helps students explore the connections between prejudice, anti-Semitism and the murder of more than six million Jewish people and so many others.
-
Newly-elected Kenneth Mejia joins Councilmember Nithya Raman as some of the city’s most visible Asian American progressives.
-
#Snapback perpetuates unrealistic postpartum expectations.
-
The city’s law regulating vacation rentals is more than three years old, but a new study suggests violations are rampant.