California lawmakers race to pass bills before midnight deadline
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
California lawmakers on Monday are facing a midnight deadline to pass new laws as the state’s legislative session comes to an end, with a few exceptions scheduled for votes on Tuesday morning.
A massive last-minute spending bill and a separate proposal related to wildfire liability will be voted on Tuesday morning.
Among the proposed laws being tracked:
AB 1709, which would prohibit social media companies from using addictive features on children under 16 years old.AB 1896 would ban federal immigration officers from working as California state employees.SB 493 would allow the governor to declare a state of emergency during international conflicts involving the federal government, enabling the state attorney general to crack down on price gouging. The bill specifically targets the oil industry.Two proposals, AB 2383 and SB 886, aim to regulate data centers by creating new rules for their electricity use. These bills would also require the California Public Utilities Commission to set special rates for data centers to ensure costs are not shifted to general electricity customers.
These are just a few of the hundreds of bills California lawmakers have been working on this year.
Vote-by-mail ballot interference law passes
On Sunday, lawmakers sent Gov. Gavin Newsom a bill that would make it a crime for anyone to interfere with the delivery of a vote-by-mail ballot.
SB 259 makes it a felony for anyone who is a supervisor or position of authority to direct anyone to interfere with the delivery of a mail-in ballot whether that’s to the voter or local elections office.
Supporters said the bill protects California’s vote-by-mail system. Opponents said it would criminalize U.S. Postal Service workers.
Newsom has until the end of September to sign or veto the bills sent to his desk.
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