Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Here's the Answer to Why Newsom Vetoed Many Popular Bills
gvw_calmatters
By CalMatters
Published 4 years ago on
October 12, 2021

Share

Gov. Gavin Newsom has now completed three rounds of the annual ritual of deciding what should become law in California by giving a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to hundreds of bills sent to him by the Legislature.

 

Portrait of Laura Rosenhall

Laurel Rosenhall

Calmatters

Analysis

In year one, he used the routine to demonstrate differences from his predecessor, signing dozens of bills that Jerry Brown had vetoed — but also vetoing a greater proportion of bills than Brown typically did.

In year two, with the Legislature largely sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic, Newsom signed fewer new laws than any governor has in more than 50 years, instead governing through numerous executive orders.

And this year, his third, Newsom used his veto pen at about half the rate as he did in his first year as governor, saying “no” to about 8% of the 836 bills that hit his desk.

In doing so, Newsom largely demonstrated a traditional governing philosophy, using his veto power to block bills that cost more than the state budgeted for, clashed with work already underway in his administration, or were repeats of ideas he’d already nixed. Essentially, Newsom’s vetoes in 2021 proved more about what he has in common with his predecessors than how he is unique.

“He is similar to other governors in that there are some consistent themes or bases for governors to veto legislation,” said Chris Micheli, a lobbyist and attorney who teaches law school courses on the legislative process.

“His first year in office was very different.”

While Newsom held celebratory public events with legislators to sign their bills, he announced vetoes by listing them at the end of press releases. So many of them flew under the radar. It required reading his veto messages to get explanations or justifications of why he didn’t believe the proposals should become law in California. On some bills, he cited multiple reasons.

Here are some key themes that emerged from Newsom’s 66 vetoes this year:

Not in the Budget

Some bills advancing causes that Newsom has championed in the past got his thumbs-down nonetheless. Why? Because, he argued in many veto messages, the proposal would cost money the state had not budgeted for, despite an unprecedented windfall of state revenue and federal aid.

That’s what Newsom said in nixing a bill to raise the amount of salary that workers can receive while taking paid family leave — even though he signed two expansions of the family leave program in years past. A spokesperson from Newsom’s finance department told CalMatters that the bill would have hiked the cost for both employees and the state, including millions in computer upgrades and public outreach.

Newsom also made the cost argument in vetoing a huge expansion of college financial aid. Just months ago, he signed a budget that includes an additional $3.3 billion for colleges and universities, including $1.5 billion in increases for student grants and work-study opportunities. “Expanding access to financial aid has been a priority for my Administration,” he wrote in his veto. But, he told lawmakers, massive changes to the system need to be considered as part of the regular budget process.

I Already Told You ‘No’!

As he’s becoming more seasoned as governor, a new theme is emerging in Newsom’s vetoes: Calling out the repeats.

Former Gov. Jerry Brown — who saw plenty of repeats as California’s longest-serving governor — also had a habit of using his veto messages to highlight the rationale behind his prior vetoes. 

“As I stated in a veto message on similar legislation in 2019,” Newsom wrote in nixing a bill that would prohibit paying petition circulators per signature gathered, “I appreciate the intent of this bill to incentivize grassroots support for the initiative, referendum, and recall process.”

But, he said, changing the way workers are paid to gather signatures could make the process more costly, giving wealthy interests even more influence over the initiative process.

Similarly, he vetoed legislation to let supervisors in state government settle disputes through binding arbitration by saying it could add costs and create conflicts with existing procedures, “the same concerns I had with a previous, nearly-identical bill… which I also vetoed.”

Former Gov. Brown — who saw plenty of repeats as California’s longest-serving governor — also had a habit of using his veto messages to highlight the rationale behind his prior vetoes.

 

Overwhelming Support Guarantees Nothing 

Newsom blocked bills that were not controversial as they moved through the Legislature, making his veto a surprise after proposals advanced for months drama-free.

An attempt to crack down on the use of “bots” to scoop up camping reservations at state parks, for example, passed the Legislature with sweeping bipartisan support and had no formal opposition. Newsom, however, said the bill is unnecessary because the state has added security measures on its camping reservation website.

A measure requiring police officers to be trained in “interpersonal communication skills and ethical science-based interviewing” similarly sailed through the Capitol without a single “no” vote. Newsom said he likes the idea but doesn’t want to create a mandatory cost for police departments. In vetoing the bill, he said he’ll direct the commission that trains police to create the training course and leave it up to departments to decide if their officers take it.

Caution in Assessing New Ideas

On two bills meant to address the scourge of drug addiction, Newsom just said no.

Similarly, he blocked two proposals aimed at changing rules of the road for walkers and bicyclists. One would have decriminalized jaywalking and the other would have let bicyclists ride through stop signs. 

A bill allowing Yolo County to create a rehab program for drug addicts who commit certain crimes earned bipartisan support from lawmakers in both houses, but Newsom vetoed it saying it would lead to “forced treatment” which could hinder “participants’ long-term recovery from their substance use disorder.” Many progressive criminal justice reform groups opposed the bill, including the Drug Policy Alliance, whose board member George Soros donated $1 million to help Newsom fight last month’s recall.

At the same time, Newsom vetoed another bill that the Drug Policy Alliance supported, a measure to pay money to people recovering from drug addiction as incentives to stay sober. He wrote that the state is trying to launch a similar pilot project, the results of which he wants to evaluate before agreeing to any expansion. That bill cleared the Legislature with overwhelming bipartisan support but was opposed by Newsom’s finance department.

Similarly, he blocked two proposals aimed at changing rules of the road for walkers and bicyclists. One would have decriminalized jaywalking and the other would have let bicyclists ride through stop signs.

Supporters of the jaywalking bill said people of color are unfairly targeted. Newsom agreed, but pointed out California’s high rate of pedestrian deaths and warned that the bill “will unintentionally reduce pedestrian safety and potentially increase fatalities or serious injuries.”

Likewise, Newsom said the bicyclist bill could backfire and increase collisions and deaths, especially among “children, who may not know how to judge vehicle speeds or exercise the necessary caution to yield to traffic when appropriate.”

CalMatters reporter Sameea Kamal contributed to this story.

About the Author

Laurel Rosenhall covers California politics for CalMatters, with a focus on power and personalities in the state Capitol. She’s been included in the Washington Post’s list of outstanding state politics reporters.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

Congress Members Split Over US Attack on Iran

DON'T MISS

Investors Brace for Oil Price Spike, Rush to Havens After US Bombs Iran Nuclear Sites

DON'T MISS

Investors React to US Attack on Iran Nuclear Sites

DON'T MISS

Tulare County’s Colvin Fire Ignites With 80 Personnel on Scene

DON'T MISS

US B-2 Bombers Involved in Iran Strikes, U.S. Official Says

DON'T MISS

Trump Says US Forces Bombed Iran Nuclear Sites, Says ‘Fordow Is Gone’

DON'T MISS

LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million to Support Families Impacted by ICE Raids

DON'T MISS

Pakistan to Nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

DON'T MISS

Vance, in Los Angeles, Says Troops Need to Stay, Blasts Newsom Over Immigration

DON'T MISS

Nuclear Diplomacy Stuck, Israel Says It Killed Top Iran Commander

UP NEXT

Investors React to US Attack on Iran Nuclear Sites

UP NEXT

LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million to Support Families Impacted by ICE Raids

UP NEXT

Pakistan to Nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

UP NEXT

Vance, in Los Angeles, Says Troops Need to Stay, Blasts Newsom Over Immigration

UP NEXT

Two Days of Terror: How the Minnesota Shooter Evaded Police and Got Caught

UP NEXT

Trump Administration Says It Is Suspending Enforcement of Biden-Era Farmworker Rule

UP NEXT

Ninth Circuit Strikes Down CA’s ‘One-Gun-Per-Month’ Law

UP NEXT

Trump Says He May Support Israel-Iran Ceasefire ‘Depending on Circumstances’

UP NEXT

Trump Says a Deal With Harvard Is Possible Over Next Week

UP NEXT

Trump Says His Spy Chief Gabbard Wrong on Iran’s Nuclear Program

Tulare County’s Colvin Fire Ignites With 80 Personnel on Scene

2 hours ago

US B-2 Bombers Involved in Iran Strikes, U.S. Official Says

2 hours ago

Trump Says US Forces Bombed Iran Nuclear Sites, Says ‘Fordow Is Gone’

2 hours ago

LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million to Support Families Impacted by ICE Raids

7 hours ago

Pakistan to Nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

7 hours ago

Vance, in Los Angeles, Says Troops Need to Stay, Blasts Newsom Over Immigration

7 hours ago

Nuclear Diplomacy Stuck, Israel Says It Killed Top Iran Commander

7 hours ago

Mahmoud Khalil Vows to Resume Pro-Palestinian Activism After Release From US Jail

7 hours ago

Trump Says He Wants to Fund More Trade Schools. Just Not These.

7 hours ago

Two Days of Terror: How the Minnesota Shooter Evaded Police and Got Caught

7 hours ago

Congress Members Split Over US Attack on Iran

WASHINGTON  – Republican and Democratic members of the U.S. Congress delivered swift reactions to U.S. bombings of Iranian nuclear fac...

15 minutes ago

The U.S. Capitol building is seen in Washington, U.S., December 1, 2023. (Reuters File)
15 minutes ago

Congress Members Split Over US Attack on Iran

Emergency personnel work at an impact site following Iran's missile strike on Israel, amid the Iran-Israel conflict, in Haifa, Israel, June 20, 2025. (Reuters File)
19 minutes ago

Investors Brace for Oil Price Spike, Rush to Havens After US Bombs Iran Nuclear Sites

President Donald Trump gestures next to a new flagpole with the U.S. flag after disembarking Marine One upon arrival at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 21, 2025. (Reuters/Kevin Mohatt)
1 hour ago

Investors React to US Attack on Iran Nuclear Sites

A wildfire dubbed the Colvin Fire broke out Saturday near Woodlake in Tulare County, burning 46 acres with 0% containment and threatening two structures, according to CalFire. (CalFire)
2 hours ago

Tulare County’s Colvin Fire Ignites With 80 Personnel on Scene

2 hours ago

US B-2 Bombers Involved in Iran Strikes, U.S. Official Says

A B-2 Spirit stealth bomber takes off at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, April 30, 2025. U.S. Air Force/Staff Sgt. Joshua Hastings/Handout via REUTERS
2 hours ago

Trump Says US Forces Bombed Iran Nuclear Sites, Says ‘Fordow Is Gone’

Oct 24, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; General view of the centerfield plaza during media prior to game one of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images/File Photo
7 hours ago

LA Dodgers Pledge $1 Million to Support Families Impacted by ICE Raids

President Donald Trump talks to reporters upon his arrival at Morristown Municipal Airport in Morristown, New Jersey, U.S., June 20, 2025. (Reuters File)
7 hours ago

Pakistan to Nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend