It's Wednesday. Gov. Gavin Newsom has some big decisions to make. Plus, all outdoor watering will be prohibited for 15 days next month in numerous Southern California communities. |
 | | The Assembly floor at the Capitol in Sacramento this month.Jason Henry for The New York Times |
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Today is the final day of the two-year legislative session in Sacramento, so lawmakers have until midnight to pass hundreds of pending bills that cover issues including criminal justice, abortion and Covid vaccines. It's going to be busy. |
Already on Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk are dozens of proposals that have successfully made it through the Legislature in recent weeks. And many of the bills awaiting his signature — or veto — have drawn both strong support and steadfast opposition. |
Today I'll walk you through some of the other proposals Newsom is probably weighing, including two contentious labor bills and what would be the nation's most sweeping law to seal criminal records. |
The governor has until Sept. 30 to sign or veto these proposals. |
This bill would restrict the use of rap lyrics and other creative works as evidence in criminal proceedings. The issue gained renewed attention recently after the indictments in Georgia of the Atlanta rappers Young Thug and Gunna on gang-related charges for which prosecutors drew on the men's lyrics. |
The California measure would apply broadly to any creative works, including other types of music, poetry, film, dance, performance art, visual art and novels. Read more from The New York Times. |
Farmworkers completed a 355-mile march from the Central Valley to Sacramento this month to show support for this bill, which the Legislature passed on Monday. |
The proposal would give farmworkers the option to vote by mail in union elections instead of through in-person elections that typically take place on a grower's property. Requiring on-premises voting allows for the possibility of voter suppression and retaliation, unions say. |
Newsom vetoed a similar proposal last year and, in recent days, his staff has suggested that he remains opposed to the latest version. But Dolores Huerta, who co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, told The Sacramento Bee that she feels Newsom will sign the bill because "Gavin wants to be president." |
A.B. 257: A tighter rein on fast-food chains |
This measure would transform the way the service sector is regulated by creating a council to set wages and improve working conditions for fast-food workers. The fast-food industry lobbied heavily against the bill, while unions furiously fought for it. |
"In my view, it's one of the most significant pieces of state employment legislation that's passed in a long time," Kate Andrias, a labor law expert at Columbia University, told my colleague Noam Scheiber. |
Newsom hasn't taken an official position on the bill. |
S.B. 951: Boosting family-leave payments |
In 2002, California became the first state in the nation to implement paid family leave. But low-wage workers rarely take advantage of the benefit because the payments are too small, CalMatters reports. |
This proposal would increase the earnings that low-wage workers receive while on family leave, so three years from now workers would receive up to 90 percent of their pay. |
Newsom vetoed a similar bill last fall citing "significant new costs." |
S.B. 834: Nonprofits and the Jan. 6 insurrection |
Under current law, tax-exempt nonprofits are barred from participating in illegal activity. |
This measure would allow the attorney general to strip a nonprofit of its tax-exempt status for participating in treason or insurrection or advocating the overthrow of the government. It would apply to state taxes, not federal taxes. |
"Taxpayers should not be subsidizing nonprofits that engage in or incite insurrection," State Senator Scott Wiener, who wrote the bill, told The San Francisco Chronicle. |
This bill would allow people convicted of a felony to have their records automatically sealed if they complete all terms of their court sentence and remain conviction-free for at least four years. People arrested but not charged with a crime could also have their records sealed. |
State Senator Maria Elena Durazo, a Los Angeles Democrat who wrote the bill, said that people often suffer long after they have paid the price for their crimes because California maintains conviction records for decades. |
 | | A North Hollywood park in June.David Crane/The Orange County Register, via Associated Press |
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- Outdoor watering ban: Water officials announced a ban on all outdoor watering for 15 days next month in multiple Los Angeles County communities, The Associated Press reports.
- Housing and labor: California lawmakers approved two bills that would guarantee livable wages on projects to convert underused commercial buildings into housing developments, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- Abortion: In the two months since the Supreme Court's Dobbs ruling overturned Roe vs. Wade, California Republicans, including three representatives who face highly competitive races in the November midterm elections, have been noticeably quiet on the issue, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- Mental health care plan: Newsom's proposal to steer homeless people with severe mental disorders into treatment cleared the State Assembly on Tuesday, The Associated Press reports.
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- Beach warnings: Los Angeles County public health officials issued warnings for four beaches in the county after recent tests found high bacterial levels in the water, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- College admissions: Professors at the U.C.L.A. School of Dentistry were accused of charging international students from the Middle East extra fees and assuming their wealthy government sponsors would pay for it, The Los Angeles Times reports.
- Mission Viejo Council: Three Mission Viejo City Council members were pulled off the dais by an Orange County Superior Court judge, following a yearslong legal battle in which residents alleged that the council illegally extended their terms of office, The Voice of OC reports.
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- Yosemite: Charlie Barrett, a professional rock climber, has been arrested after being accused of sexual violence in Yosemite, The Fresno Bee reports.
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 | | Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Rebecca Jurkevich. |
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 | | Kayakers going out for a morning paddle at Point Reyes Station.Jim Wilson/The New York Times |
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Today's tip comes from Skip and Karen Hubbard, who live in Connecticut: |
"With a daughter who is San Francisco-based, we have tried to get West at least annually for the last 25 years. It's a rare time that we don't go an hour north to Point Reyes for a day trip or even to rent for a week. For us it has it all … a variety of hikes with vistas, animals and weather that are unpredictable and never get old … can't wait to get back again." |
Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. We'll be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter. |
Californians: Have growing concerns about climate change affected how you live your life? Have you made any changes? If so, we want to hear about them. (Have you adjusted any daily routines, changed your job or made new financial decisions?) |
This is part of a live event that The Times is hosting in San Francisco on Oct. 12 examining our collective response to the climate challenge. Learn more. |
 | | The Hollyhock House, designed by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright.Ann Johansson for The New York Times |
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And before you go, some good news |
Of the 24 creations in California designed by the famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright, the most well-known is arguably the Hollyhock House in Los Angeles. When eight major Wright works were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List a few years ago, this small house in East Hollywood's Barnsdall Art Park was among them. |
After being closed for two years because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hollyhock House reopened to the public this month. The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs used the hiatus to complete restoration and improvement projects at the home, which was commissioned in 1918 by the oil heiress Aline Barnsdall, The Los Angeles Times reports. |
Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Soumya |
Isabella Grullón Paz, Francis Mateo, Briana Scalia and Maia Coleman contributed to California Today. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. |
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