{"id":450001,"date":"2026-09-01T14:38:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T14:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/450001\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T14:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T14:38:14","slug":"lawmakers-test-newsom-veto-by-passing-measures-he-already-rejected","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/450001\/","title":{"rendered":"Lawmakers test Newsom veto by passing measures he already rejected"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AGov. Gavin Newsom joins local officials to sign legislation during a press conference in Oakland on July 13, 2026. Photo by Manuel Orbegozo for CalMatters<\/p>\n

Gov. Gavin Newsom might get a sense of d\u00e9j\u00e0 vu as bill after bill comes to his desk this week. In a few instances, lawmakers are hoping he changes his mind when he sees proposals he\u2019s rejected in the past.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 2024, for example, Newsom spiked a measure that would have allowed students without legal status to work<\/a> at California\u2019s public colleges and universities. Well, that proposal is back with Democrats sending him a new plan to open college jobs to immigrant students without legal status.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In his earlier veto, Newsom cited concerns shared by the University of California: That the proposal would incur the wrath of the Trump administration and jeopardize federal funding.<\/p>\n

Another pair of bills would require data center developers to disclose<\/a> how much water they really use. One of the measures is nearly identical to one Newsom vetoed last year, amid pressure from the tech industry. At the time, he said he was \u201creluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

But public sentiment against data centers has grown since Newsom\u2019s veto, and efforts to outright ban them or place moratoriums on data center projects are spreading among California cities.<\/p>\n

And California firefighters are trying again to persuade Newsom to sign a bill that\u2019s intended to lift pay at Cal Fire<\/a> just one year after he vetoed a measure that would have created a new formula for their raises. Their bigger ask comes in the form of a bill that would allow first responders to retire earlier and with more money<\/a>. The Senate passed it unanimously Sunday night, putting pressure on Newsom to give police and firefighters a better deal.<\/p>\n

The governor has until Sept. 30 to act on bills.<\/p>\n

Join CalMatters, KALW Public Media and San Francisco Public Press on Sept. 16 in San Francisco for the lowdown on your San Francisco ballot. We\u2019ll break down local races and propositions, why it matters and what you need to know before you vote. Register here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other Stories You Should Know<\/p>\n

Special treatment for San Diego, Bay Area projects<\/p>\n

\"PechangaPechanga Arena in San Diego. Photo by Megan Wood, Voice of San Diego<\/p>\n

Newsom will also consider two bills that aim to redevelop parts of San Diego and the eastside of the Bay Area:<\/p>\n

Sports arena carveout: A last-minute legislative proposal would fast-track construction for a contentious project that includes a billionaire-backed sports arena, thousands of housing units in a long-vacant arena parking lot and nearly 15 acres of public parks. The project would also be shielded from potential environmental lawsuits, drawing criticism from the few lawmakers who did not approve the measure: \u201cTo sit here and say a politically connected developer gets an exemption \u2014 that is an awful message to send,\u201d said GOP Assemblymember Carl DeMaio of San Diego. Read more<\/a> from Nadia Lathan.<\/p>\n

Diverting climate funds: Included in a budget bill that lawmakers are poised to adopt by today, the state would divert $125 million to help buy Golden Gate Fields, a former horse racing track along the East Bay shoreline, and turn it into a public park. The funds will come from Proposition 4, a $10 billion bond for climate projects that voters approved in 2024. Though Newsom supports the project, some legislators raised concerns that the sizable investment could delay other funding priorities. Read more<\/a> from Yue Stella Yu.<\/p>\n

Salton Sea mining projects stutter<\/p>\n

\"RustyThe Salton Sea at Bombay Beach on Feb. 4, 2023. Photo by Ariana Drehsler for CalMatters<\/p>\n

For years California politicians, including Newsom, have been excited over the prospect of extracting the Salton Sea\u2019s rich sources of lithium. But as projects to mine lithium there face legal challenges, the mineral remains untapped<\/a>, writes CalMatters\u2019 Deborah Brennan.<\/p>\n

Lithium is used for electric car batteries, cellphones and other electronics. The Salton Sea has enough lithium to make 375 million EV batteries \u2014 more than the number of cars on the road in the U.S. now.\u00a0<\/p>\n

But one project, which would extract enough lithium a year to power tens of thousands of homes, has been delayed by lawsuits that allege that the company behind it neglected to address its environmental impacts.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One Imperial County supervisor said setbacks aren\u2019t surprising since lithium mining is complex. But community groups, environmental advocates and local tribal representatives are also urging officials to slow down and consider these projects more carefully.<\/p>\n

Carmen Lucas, Kwaaymii tribal elder: \u201cFrom the beginning I have made it clear that I\u2019m not opposed to development. I am asking that it be done in a balanced way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And lastly: 911 calls at ICE detention centers<\/p>\n

\"TwoInmates walk down a hallway at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego on Aug. 23, 2017. Photo by Gregory Bull, AP Photo<\/p>\n

The Legislature passed a bill that would require government agencies to disclose information about 911 calls at immigration detention centers. Sen. Lena Gonzalez, a Long Beach Democrat, submitted the bill after CalMatters reported on rape investigations at Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego County. Read more<\/a> from Wendy Fry.<\/p>\n

California Voices<\/p>\n

CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: Two setbacks involving utilities\u2019 wildfire liability and a Santa Monica real estate project underscore how Newsom has been losing his ability to push legislators in directions they don\u2019t<\/a> want to go<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Other things worth your time:<\/p>\n

Some stories may require a subscription to read.<\/p>\n

Legislature approves anti-corruption crackdown on CA lobbyists \/\/ The Sacramento Bee<\/a> (paywall)<\/p>\n

Meta whistleblower says $17B settlement doesn\u2019t do enough to save kids\u2019 lives \/\/ Politico<\/a> (free)<\/p>\n

Tech\u2019s turn to the political right was a mirage \/\/ San Francisco Chronicle<\/a> (gift link)<\/p>\n

Republican-on-Republican battle for CA\u2019s 40th Congressional District may hinge on message \/\/ The Orange County Register<\/a> (gift link)<\/p>\n

CA\u2019s beaches are being eaten away. El Ni\u00f1o could redraw the coast as we know it \/\/ Los Angeles Times<\/a> (paywall)<\/p>\n

UCLA disciplined a pro-Palestinian protester behind closed doors. Now he\u2019s suing \/\/ Los Angeles Times<\/a> (paywall)<\/p>\n

Legislative leaders decline to intervene in oversight dispute involving State Superintendent Thurmond \/\/ EdSource<\/a> (free)<\/p>\n

Judge rules against Fresno County in transportation measure lawsuit. Measure S will be on the November ballot \/\/ Fresnoland<\/a> (free)<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Avatar\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLynn La is the newsletter writer for CalMatters, focusing on California\u2019s top political, policy and Capitol stories every weekday. She produces and curates WhatMatters, CalMatters\u2019 flagship daily newsletter…\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMore by Lynn La\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gov. Gavin Newsom joins local officials to sign legislation during a press conference in Oakland on July 13,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":450002,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[101,103,102,104,106,105],"class_list":["post-450001","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco","tag-san-francisco-headlines","tag-san-francisco-news","tag-sf","tag-sf-headlines","tag-sf-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450001","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=450001"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/450001\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/450002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=450001"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=450001"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=450001"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}