Newsom’s Fast Approaching Deadline

From CalMatters:

by Emily Hoeven

Good morning, California.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has just three days left to sign or veto some of the most high-profile and controversial bills of the legislative session — including a spate of proposals to police the police, a bill that would establish a state reparations committee, and a bill that would mandate the racial makeup of corporate boards.

The governor lightened the load of bills on his desk Friday and over the weekend, while also announcing plans to shut down a state prison in Tracy within a year — following through on a promise to close at least one prison while in office.

Here’s a look at some of the key measures Newsom signed into law and what they mean for Californians.

• A bill requiring health insurance plans to dramatically expand mental health and addiction coverage. Supporters say the Golden State is now a national leader; opponents say health care costs will shoot up.
• A bill certifying “peer providers,” or Californians with their own histories of mental illness, to help others with similar challenges.
• A bill that requires state prisons to place transgender, gender nonconforming and intersex inmates in facilities based on their gender identity, rather than their sex assigned at birth.
• A bill that sets up a state consumer financial protection agency.
• A bill to license and regulate debt collectors.
• A bill that creates a student loan bill of rights.

And as Newsom’s Sept. 30 deadline to act on bills approaches, here are a few others I’m keeping an eye on:

• A proposal to create a state Office to End Homelessness, helmed by a new “homelessness czar.” Newsom said the crisis of more than 150,000 Californians living on the street “must be at the top of our agenda,” but said last month he already has a homelessness czar — a title he’s used to refer to six different people, including himself.
• A proposal to expand the role of nurse practitioners. Supporters say it could plug the state’s health provider shortage and opponents say it poses a threat to patient safety.

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The coronavirus bottom line: As of 9 p.m. Sunday night, California had 802,308 confirmed coronavirus cases and 15,587 deaths from the virus, according to a CalMatters tracker.

Also: CalMatters regularly updates this pandemic timeline tracking the state’s daily actions. And we’re tracking the state’s coronavirus hospitalizations by county.

One of the most contentious propositions on California’s November ballot promises to hike property taxes on faceless corporations and wealthy landlords. But some warn the measure contains a glaring hole — and that many mom-and-pop shops are going to fall in. Read more from CalMatters’ Ben Christopher.

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