Governor Gavin Newsom recently held a press conference at a Home Depot in San Jose to sign new retail crime legislation into law on August 16, 2024. Observers have noted a trend in Newsom’s bill signings: he has been approving significantly fewer bills from state senators compared to those from Assembly members.
Speculation has arisen that Newsom may be leveraging the Senate’s bills to gain cooperation on his special session regarding gas prices. However, his office has denied this assertion. Newsom’s spokesperson, Izzy Gardon, stated, “We generally announce bills in the order in which the Governor reviews them. The timing of his actions is not tied to any broader legislative dynamics.”
Since the conclusion of the regular legislative session on August 31, Newsom has signed 50 Assembly bills and vetoed six, while only one Senate bill has been signed and another vetoed. Recently, he signed Assembly Bill 2867, which focuses on assisting California residents in recovering art and personal property that was stolen during the Holocaust.
The governor called a special session just before lawmakers were set to adjourn, intending to push through an energy bill package that did not pass in the regular session. Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire hesitated to reconvene the Senate, indicating he would only do so if the Assembly reached an agreement on the bills first. The Assembly is expected to vote on related bills on October 1.
When asked about the lack of action on Senate bills, a spokesperson for McGuire suggested directing questions to the Governor’s Office.
Senator Scott Wiener has several key bills awaiting Newsom’s decision. He is actively working to rally support for his legislation aimed at regulating pharmacy benefit managers to curb prescription drug costs. Additionally, Wiener plans to hold an event with various organizations to advocate for his bill on artificial intelligence safety, which has received significant national attention and faces opposition from major tech companies.
As a reminder, Newsom has a deadline of September 30 to make decisions on hundreds of remaining bills.