SACRAMENTO— In recent days, the Legislature sent Gov. Gavin Newsom some significant legislation — . Of the more than 2,600 introduced, the most in a decade, nearly 220 had been sent to the governor as of Sept. 8. Newsom has already signed some and vetoed a few others.
He has until Oct. 14 to sign or veto the final batch. Last year, he vetoed 169, while signing 997, including some very significant ones. The Legislature can override vetoes, if the bill’s backers can win two-thirds majorities in both the Assembly and Senate. But that doesn’t happen often, and in recent decades almost never.
Some significant measures ought to be to Newsom’s liking: He has become more assertive in pushing his priorities in the Legislature — climate change last year, infrastructure and mental health this year.
Here are some more of the noteworthy bills that CalMatters reporters tracked throughout this legislative session:
Decriminalize psychedelic drugs
WHAT THE BILL WOULD DO
Senate Bill 58, by Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, would ensure that people are not arrested or penalized for using and possessing certain plant-based hallucinogens starting in 2025. The substances include psilocybin and psilocin, the psychoactive ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms; mescaline (except peyote); and dimethyltryptamine, or DMT. A fourth substance, ibogaine, was scratched from the bill in a final round of amendments. This bill applies only to people 21 and older and does not legalize the sale of psychedelics.
The bill takes a more incremental approach for supervised medical use of psychedelics. It would require the state’s health agency to form a working group to make recommendations for governing the future therapeutic use of these substances.
WHO SUPPORTS IT
The bill is sponsored by a veterans’ group, Heroic Hearts Project. Combat veterans and retired first responders have testified in support of the bill, sharing their “transformational” experiences using psychedelics to help relieve suicidal thoughts and PTSD symptoms.
WHO IS OPPOSED
Registered opposition is largely made up of law enforcement groups. Mothers who have lost a child to an adverse reaction after they ingested hallucinogens have also testified about their concerns during hearings. They’ve pushed for the bill to include more safeguards, arguing that while these substances may promise benefits for some people, they also come with risks.
WHY IT MATTERS
If Gov. Newsom signs this bill, California would join Colorado and Oregon in decriminalizing psychedelics. The current movement to make these substances mainstream is one attempt to help alleviate the ballooning mental health crisis. Growing research portrays the drugs as a promising tool in helping people heal from various mental illnesses, including depression and PTSD. But evidence is still limited and no psychedelic treatment has yet been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Ban caste discrimination
WHAT THE BILL WOULD DO
SB 403 adds caste to the state’s fair employment and housing law, and the education code, which currently prohibit discrimination based on race, gender and sexual orientation. Caste is a centuries-old social hierarchy system that, in countries including India and Nepal, has historically defined what jobs people can work or whether they can pursue education. The bill, which drew some vocal opposition, was amended to include caste as a subset of ancestry, which is already protected, instead of adding it as a separate category.
WHO SUPPORTS IT
Groups representing various South Asian communities, such as Equality Labs (which represents some Dalit Hindus, who are considered the lowest caste), Hindus for Caste Equity, the Jakarta Movement, the Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, and the Alphabet Workers Union, as well as the California Employment Lawyers Association, California Environmental Voters and the California Labor Federation. Some activists say they are on a hunger strike until Newsom decides the bill’s fate.
WHO IS OPPOSED
Dozens of Hindu community groups in California and beyond, including three Dalit advocacy groups. The split among the South Asian community spurred Democratic Assemblymembers Evan Low and Alex Lee, who both represent parts of the South Asian-heavy Silicon Valley, to call for a delay of the bill. But they later supported it.
WHY IT MATTERS
It is unclear whether caste discrimination is covered under state laws. Both supporters and opponents cite the state’s investigation at Cisco, the San Jose-based networking and cloud management company. Opponents say the fact that the state can already look into allegations renders the bill unnecessary, while supporters say the case shows that caste discrimination is happening and must be addressed.
If signed by Newsom, California would be the first state in the U.S. with such a law. It could be particularly impactful for the tech industry, where Indian workers with bachelor’s degrees made up 27% of tech workers in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties in 2021. Guha Krishnamurthi, an associate professor of law at the University of Oklahoma who has studied the bill, told CalMatters that the bill serves an important educational purpose — making managers and HR departments more aware of the issue.
Add paid sick days
WHAT THE BILL WOULD DO
SB 616, authored by Long Beach Democrat Lena Gonzalez, increases the number of paid sick days employers must provide to workers from three to five, starting in 2024. Proponents originally sought seven days, but it was reduced in the appropriations suspense file. The bill also extends protections against retaliation to workers who are in a union, but excludes provisions that would have granted railroad employees access to unpaid sick leave.
WHO SUPPORTS IT
Advocacy groups for families and women and dozens of unions. The California Work & Family Coalition calls the bill “a commonsense change…ensuring that California workers do not have to choose between their health and paying the bills.” The California Budget & Policy Center points out that the state’s sick leave is less generous than in several other states. The bill is one of several measures this session aimed at improving work-life balance.
WHO IS OPPOSED
Trade associations representing various industries such as the California Grocers Association and California Hotel & Lodging Association, as well as chamber of commerce groups throughout the state. They argue that many small businesses have not recovered from the pandemic and are now dealing with inflation. The California Chamber of Commerce has the bill on its “job killer” list and is urging the governor to veto it.
WHY IT MATTERS
There’s no federal law that requires employers to give workers paid sick leave. California became the second state in the nation to adopt a paid sick leave policy in 2014, but now provides less time than 15 states and many of its own cities., including San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland and Berkeley.
This isn’t the first time an expansion has been introduced, but the COVID-19 pandemic amplified the need for more paid sick days. In March 2021, a new law required larger employers to provide as many as 10 more days for quarantines or vaccine side effects. But that benefit went away, along with federal tax credits that paid for it, six months later.
