In big year for labor, Newsom delivers wins, surprises
SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom again seized the national spotlight this year as he signed some of the most ambitious laws in the country to raise worker wages and to force companies to disclose a wide range of climate emissions, efforts that further cement the state’s — and the governor’s — status as a leader on a host of liberal causes.
But the Democrat disappointed some progressive advocates as he vetoed high-profile bills to give unemployment benefits to striking workers, require courts to weigh a parent’s support of their child’s gender identity in custody proceedings and decriminalize some psychedelic drugs. He also supported a controversial bill to force more people into mental health or addiction treatment, a proposal aimed at addressing the state’s persistent homelessness crisis.
His actions on more than 1,000 pieces of legislation — nearly 15% of which he vetoed — showcase how Newsom plans to govern in his second and final term as leader of the nation’s most populous state. Newsom’s moves are increasingly seen through the lens of a possible presidential bid beyond 2024, though he insists he does not plan to run.
Some observers say his moves are largely consistent with both the views of California voters and the political tone that Newsom struck in his first term.
While Newsom delighted labor advocates with many of his signatures, he also angered them with some vetoes. He even won praise from Republicans for signing a bill to increase penalties for child sex trafficking after criticizing some Democratic lawmakers for initially opposing the bill.
Political consultant Elizabeth Ashford, who advises Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and has worked for former governors Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger, is skeptical of the idea that Newsom’s actions are about appealing to a national audience. If he’s taking more moderate stances on some issues, including crime and homelessness, it’s likely in response to what California voters want, she said.
Indeed, California’s unabated homelessness crisis and the proliferation of fentanyl on the streets have been among the most visible and stubborn issues during Newsom’s tenure.
“I think that it’s very much how you see both Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger move into a more middle posture,” Ashford said. “It’s because that’s what Californians want their governor to be.”
Newsom’s actions reflect that he is “a consistently left-ofcenter Democratic governor,” said Wesley Hussey, a political science professor at California State University, Sacramento. “I think maybe he draws the line where it’s going to cost the state a lot more money.”
Newsom justified many of his vetoes — such as on a bill to make free condoms available to public high school students — by saying there was not enough money in the state budget to cover the cost. It came after he worked with lawmakers this year to try to close a projected $31.5 billion budget deficit.
Californians typically rank the economy and jobs as the most important issues in the state, said Mark Baldassare, the statewide survey director at the Public Policy Institute of California, and Newsom signed key legislation aimed at boosting workers. Health care workers will gradually receive a minimum hourly wage of $25, fast-food workers will be paid at least $20 an hour, workers will get more paid sick leave and lower-level legislative staffers will be able to unionize.
But in a year when hotel workers, Hollywood actors and writers, and health care workers went on strike, Newsom also vetoed a bill that would have given unemployment benefits to striking workers.
Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher, who heads the California Labor Federation, said “it’s almost cruel” that workers who go on strike aren’t guaranteed insurance benefits.
“We have workers who are putting everything on the line right now by going on strike,” she said. “They’re doing this because, quite honestly, this economy has failed them.”
Newsom also vetoed a bill that would have protected domestic workers who get injured or sick on the job and a proposal to save driver jobs while automated semi-trucks are tested for their safety on public roads.
In recent years, Californians have had to cope with wildfires, intense heat waves, and violent winds and rain. So it’s not surprising that many of them also say the environment is one of the state’s most pressing issues, Baldassare said.
Newsom started the year off by pushing a proposal to punish oil companies for profiting from high gas prices. The idea evolved from a tax on oil company profits to a law that makes regulators decide whether to penalize oil companies for price gouging. So far no penalties have been placed on oil companies, and Republicans still fault Newsom for failing to tackle the state’s sky-high gas prices.
He also signed two climate proposals that are the most aggressive mandates of their kind in the country.