Newsom shot down these proposals. They’re back on his desk

Gov. Gavin Newsom might get a sense of déjà 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’s rejected in the past. 

In 2024, for example, Newsom spiked a measure that would have allowed students without legal status to work at California’s 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. 

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.

Another pair of bills would require data center developers to disclose 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 “reluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements.” 

But public sentiment against data centers has grown since Newsom’s veto, and efforts to outright ban them or place moratoriums on data center projects are spreading among California cities.

And California firefighters are trying again to persuade Newsom to sign a bill that’s intended to lift pay at Cal Fire 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. The Senate passed it unanimously Sunday night, putting pressure on Newsom to give police and firefighters a better deal.

The governor has until Sept. 30 to act on bills.

Newsom will also consider two bills that aim to redevelop parts of San Diego and the eastside of the Bay Area:

• 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: “To sit here and say a politically connected developer gets an exemption — that is an awful message to send,” said GOP Assemblymember Carl DeMaio of San Diego. Read more from Nadia Lathan.

• 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 from Yue Stella Yu.

For years California politicians, including Newsom, have been excited over the prospect of extracting the Salton Sea’s rich sources of lithium. But as projects to mine lithium there face legal challenges, the mineral remains untapped, writes CalMatters’ Deborah Brennan.

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

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. 

One Imperial County supervisor said setbacks aren’t 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.

• Carmen Lucas, Kwaaymii tribal elder: “From the beginning I have made it clear that I’m not opposed to development. I am asking that it be done in a balanced way.”

Read more.

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 from Wendy Fry.