CA Legislature wraps up session, starts another

It’s going to take a minute to sift through the avalanche of lawmaking in the long, final days of the Legislature. 

And it isn’t over quite yet: Gov. Gavin Newsom called lawmakers back for a special session focused on gas prices, even though the state Senate isn’t playing along. As CalMatters Capitol reporters Sameea Kamal and Alexei Koseff explain, Senate leader Mike McGuire says he won’t convene the session, but is working with Newsom and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas on the issue. Rivas, however, is fully on board. He told reporters he expects hearings to begin next week. 

Lawmakers voted right up to the stroke of midnight Saturday (the Assembly ran out of time on a few bills) and adjourned after closing remarks, ending their regular session that started in early January. But before wrapping up, some major legislation went to Newsom, other proposals fell by the wayside and some common threads emerged:

Democrats strike back: Democrats in the Legislature passed bills to shut down revolts in some conservative enclaves, Alexei reports. They include bills to block a voter ID requirement in Huntington Beach and another to prohibit library book committees from blocking materials based on race or sexuality. 

Reparations drama: Two key bills to address centuries of discrimination against Black Californians stalled in the final hours, write CalMatters’ Wendy Fry, Alexei and Sameea. One bill would have established a new state agency to help Black residents confirm their eligibility for reparations payments, while the other would have created a fund for reparation policies. Several other reparations bills did make it to the governor’s desk. 

Essayli shut down: First-term Republican Assemblymember Bill Essayli has been a thorn in the side of Democrats. In the final hours, Democratic leaders finally had enough, refusing to let him speak as he repeatedly objected to debate getting cut off at 30 seconds so they could get to as many bills as possible. Essayli shouted and banged on his desk before leaving the chamber. He later complained that he was silenced by an “enemy of democracy.” Assembly GOP leader James Gallagher also accused Democrats of abusing their power.

Mixed bag for energy, environmental regulations: A last-minute bill to give households a one-time rebate on their electric bills is dead, writes CalMatters climate reporter Alejandro Lazo. Lawmakers also delayed for another three years a 2022 law that requires oil companies to monitor oil operations, explains CalMatters environmental reporter Julie Cart. And a bill before Newsom would dramatically increase fines for water rights scofflaws, writes CalMatters water reporter Rachel Becker.

Money for housing: CalMatters housing reporter Ben Christopher examines a bill that would guarantee $500 million annually for affordable housing construction. The bill would also require developers to pay workers union-level wages, which critics argue would lead to fewer affordable units being built.

On Newsom’s desk: The governor has to decide the fate of hundreds of bills by Sept. 30. CalMatters is tracking noteworthy ones on nearly 30 issues. The latest include: 

Ban more plastic bags.

Make undocumented immigrants eligible for homebuyer and jobless aid.

Protect voters from disinformation generated by artificial intelligence.

Allow tribal governments to sue private card rooms.

Protect maternity wards from closing.

With 36% of Californians burdened with medical debt, access to affordable health care is a top concern for voters. Though both Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have acknowledged the high cost of health care on the campaign trail, neither presidential candidate has put forth a comprehensive agenda.

To better understand their different approaches to the country’s major health care concerns, CalMatters health reporter Ana B. Ibarra examines their records on lowering costs and the Affordable Care Act.

While serving as California’s attorney general, Harris targeted large health companies by moving to limit mergers and investigate anti-competitive behavior, which can drive up the cost of care. Health policy experts also expect Harris to promote and build on the current administration’s support of the Affordable Care Act. In June, Harris also proposed rules to remove medical debt from credit reports. A similar bill for Californians is currently awaiting Newsom’s decision. 

Last year, Trump reiterated his intention to repeal “Obamacare” if reelected. But with the law’s growing popularity, Trump now says he wants to “improve” the law and make it “less expensive.” As president, Trump eliminated the law’s penalty against people without health insurance, and he signed a 2020 law to protect consumers from surprise medical billing by out-of-network providers.

Read more about where Harris and Trump’s approach to health care, including their record on prescription drug prices and reproductive health, in Ana’s story.

CalMatters has been looking at Harris’ record, including her career as a prosecutor, her fundraising ties to the state, her stance on abortion and the ways California has shaped her political career. 

In other election news:

Young voters: The Voters of Tomorrow political action committee, self-described as “an organization for Gen Z, by Gen Z,” launched on Monday its voter registration campaign in California’s 27th congressional district, which includes most of northern Los Angeles County. In 2022, the swing district helped the GOP secure the House by electing Republican Rep. Mike Garcia with 53% of the vote. The PAC aims to register at least 2,685 more young people in the district and more than 20,000 total across the U.S.

Proposition 6: Legislators and advocates from prison reform and racial justice groups are scheduled to rally today in support of Prop. 6. The ballot measure would amend the state constitution to ban forced prison labor — considered as one of the last remnants of slavery. Assemblymember Lori Wilson, a Suisun City Democrat and chairperson of the California Legislative Black Caucus, is expected at the event in Sacramento. Assemblymember Tina McKinnor and Sen. Steven Bradford, both Democrats from Inglewood and key legislators in the state’s reparations debate, are scheduled at the rally in Los Angeles. To learn more about Prop. 6, watch a TikTok and an Insta reel from CalMatters criminal justice intern Shaanth Nanguneri.

Major California health insurer Anthem Blue Cross has been hit with $850,000 in fines for illegally denying coverage for gender-affirming care procedures, reports CalMatters’ Shaanth Nanguneri. The fine is the state’s largest-ever penalty for gender-affirming care denials; more than 150 patients who were denied coverage will have their cases reviewed.

Regulators from the state’s Department of Managed Health Care are also requiring the insurer to hire a case manager for patients with gender dysphoria, to ensure that further denials do not violate state law and to provide training to doctors and health care administrators. 

From 2017 to 2020, Anthem classified 22 surgeries such as facial implants, voice therapy and breast augmentation as “not medically necessary.” But Anthem did cover the procedures if they corrected “abnormal” body structures to create a “normal appearance” for “the target gender.”

The conflicting language caused confusion over what procedures were covered, according to the health care department, and the company “did not provide alternate criteria,” to clarify the matter for clinics and hospitals.

Read more about the case in Shaanth’s story.

Speaking of gender-affirming care: A bill to expedite the licensing process for health care providers who intend to practice gender-affirming health care awaits the governor’s decision, writes CalMatters’ Jenna Peterson in our bill tracker. The measure is sponsored by Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and Equality California. But bill critics are raising questions about the safety of children undergoing gender reassignment surgery or hormone therapy.

With the start of the school year, Gov. Newsom is calling on school districts to restrict students’ use of phones. CalMatters technology reporter Khari Johnson and producer Robert Meeks have a video version of his story as part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. Watch it here.

SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal.