Will new laws improve housing for CA farmworkers?

Many California farmworkers have long lacked safe and affordable places to sleep — an issue thrown into sharp relief after last year’s mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, which left seven agricultural workers dead. 

To improve farmworker housing, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills on Tuesday at the Fresno headquarters of the nonprofit Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative. The governor said the legislation helps to address the changing nature of California migrant farmworkers — 92% of whom reside in the state. He added that “with humility, grace and deep understanding,” he recognized that more work needed to be done to help these workers.

Newsom: “No one is denying that, across a spectrum of issues. And that’s why ‘good enough’ never is.”

He signed Assembly Bill 3035, which increases the number of housing sites in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties; and AB 2240, which lifts eligibility requirements for workers and their families to live in farmworker housing and could lead to 24 state migrant housing complexes staying open year-round. Newsom also signed SB 1150, which expands paid sick leave for farmworkers who want to avoid smoke, heat or flooding from a local or state emergency.

Newsom announced a bunch of other bill signings Tuesday:

Drinking water: With hundreds of thousands of Californians still without safe drinking water, Newsom signed three bills to make water systems more reliable, including one that gives the state’s Water Resources Control Board more power over failing sewer systems. Another measure requires the board to develop technical standards for smaller water systems, and the third mandates rental property owners to test wells.

Consumer rights: The governor signed 15 bills to strengthen consumer protections, including legislation to exclude medical debt from credit reports; cap overdraft fees credit unions charge customers; extend how long tenants have to respond to an eviction notice; and make it easier for customers to cancel subscription services that automatically renew.

Gun regulations: California already has some of the nation’s strictest gun laws, but Newsom announced the signing of 24 bills designed to protect children and victims of domestic abuse and prevent gun-related hate crimes. “California won’t wait until the next school shooting or mass shooting to act. In the absence of congressional action, our state is once again leading the way by strengthening our nation-leading gun laws,” he said in a statement.

Hollywood and AI: A high-profile bill regulating AI technology still awaits Newsom’s decision. And while Big Tech is slamming the proposal, another big California industry supports it: Hollywood. On Tuesday, 140 of some of the biggest names in entertainment signed a letter urging Newsom to sign the bill, reports the Los Angeles Times. The measure would require developers to test whether their AI programs can cause catastrophic harm.

It’s high school football season and for players in the Inland Empire — where temperatures can soar to more than 100 degrees — heat-related illnesses can pose a serious risk. To protect these students, a new law requires the California Interscholastic Federation to develop heat safety rules, reports CalMatters’ Deborah Brennan.

The rules limit sports practice and competition, and get stricter as temperatures rise. Different regions of the state also have different heat thresholds. For the Inland Empire, coaches must provide more frequent water breaks when it reaches 82.2 degrees — at 92.1 degrees, all outdoor practice is forbidden.

Though coaches agree the rules help keep students safe, the stricter standards in the Inland Empire can be a disadvantage.

Estevan Valencia, athletic director at Palm Desert High: “Let’s say we have a couple weeks where it’s extremely hot, and we don’t get to practice during the week but play football on Friday night, versus a school in Orange County that has had a full week of practice.”

Learn more about the heat illness law in Deborah’s story.

As climate change drives dangerous heat waves, thousands of inland residents — not just student athletes — are at risk for heat-related illnesses. CalMatters’ Alejandra Reyes-Velarde and video strategy director Robert Meeks have a video segment on this issue. Watch it here. SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal.

In 2018, Newsom campaigned for governor on adding 3.5 million housing units by 2025 to ease California’s affordable housing crisis. This year, Vice President Kamala Harris is pledging to build 3 million additional affordable homes and rentals in four years across the nation if she’s elected president.

So what lessons can she learn from Newsom and California? 

CalMatters Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff looks at Newsom’s successes — and failures — on his big housing ambitions and highlights three takeaways: Set manageable goals. Clear away regulatory hurdles. And use sticks as well as carrots. 

While California has passed a series of major laws to boost housing production under Newsom, high construction costs, onerous regulations, lack of public funding and community resistance have been roadblocks. Read more on Harris’ plan and Newsom’s record in Alexei’s story.

U.S. House snapshot: A new poll out Tuesday shows Democrats leading in four of six swing California congressional races where voters were surveyed. But the results in all the races (which are among the key races highlighted in our Voter Guide) are within the margin of error. With that big caveat, Adam Gray is ahead in District 13, Rudy Salas in District 22, George Whitesides in District 27 and Derek Tran in District 45, all Democrats. Republican Scott Baugh leads in District 47 and GOP Rep. Ken Calvert is tied with Democrat Will Rollins in District 41.

As in 2022, what happens in California could determine control of the closely divided Congress, point out the pollsters at Cal State Long Beach, Cal Poly Pomona and the University of Southern California.

Let’s dive into some higher education news:

Budget woes: California State University is already working to close an operating deficit of more than $200 million this academic year, but its 2025-26 finances aren’t looking too hot, either, explains CalMatters higher education reporter Mikhail Zinshteyn. On Tuesday, Cal State’s senior finance staff reported that the university system faces a budget hole of $400 million to $800 million (out of a $8.3 billion total budget). By next summer, the deficit could prevent Cal State from enrolling new students, providing raises for employees and improving graduation rates. Read more about the budget crunch in Mikhail’s story.

Transfer rates: A state audit released Tuesday found that only 1 in 5 community college students transfer to a four-year university, writes CalMatters community college reporter Adam Echelman. That’s partly because the transfer system is so complex, according to the audit. Some four-year universities don’t accept certain community college courses, for example, and some community colleges don’t offer the classes students need. The auditors recommend community colleges hire more counselors to provide more support for transfer-bound students. Read more about the transfer audit in Adam’s story.