Gavin Newsom makes his decisions on California bills

Gov. Gavin Newsom took a day off from bills signings and vetoes on Monday. 

But he unleashed such a big flood of bill decisions over the weekend — about 470 — that legislators and advocacy groups, not to mention reporters, are still catching up.

Some key ones signed:

• Cosmetic chemicals: By 2027, California will ban 26 potentially toxic ingredients from personal care products, according to CalMatters’ economic reporter Levi Sumagaysay. The chemicals — found in nail polish, perfume and more — can raise the risk of cancer, birth defects and reproductive problems, and are already banned by the European Union. Read more in Levi’s story.

• Student financial aid: Newsom signed into law a measure to make it easier for community college students to get financial aid by requiring schools to drop requirements that exceed federal mandates for aid eligibility, such as meeting a certain grade point average.

• Firefighters’ mental health: The governor approved extending to 2029 an expansion of workers’ compensation coverage for firefighters struggling with post traumatic stress disorder. For more on this subject, check out CalMatters’ award-winning series published last summer, “Trial by Fire,” by environmental reporter Julie Cart.

• Child sexual abuse on social media: Social media sites, including TikTok and Instagram, will soon be held liable for spreading content depicting child sexual abuse or trafficking, and can be fined as much as $4 million for each act of exploitation on their platforms.

• Lunar New Year: California community colleges can observe Lunar New Year as a state holiday. In a statement, Democratic Assemblymember Phil Ting of San Francisco and author of the bill said the measure will help “strengthen cultural identity” and “create opportunities for people to learn about each other.”

Some consequential vetoes:

• Social Security benefits for foster children: Going against a nationwide trend, the governor vetoed a measure Sunday that would have prohibited county child welfare agencies from reimbursing themselves with money meant for foster youths. As CalMatters’ Jeanne Kuang reports, the move defied children’s advocates who argue that the funds should be accessible to the children when they’re adults. Read more in Jeanne’s story.

• Missing foster children: The governor also vetoed a measure to establish additional notification procedures for social workers and probation officers when a child in the foster care system goes missing. The veto, which came a day before Indigenous Peoples’ Day, is especially acute for Indigenous communities, as California is one of the top five states with the highest caseload of missing and murdered Indigenous people.  

• Undocumented seniors: Newsom struck down a proposal to expand an existing state program — which gave cash assistance elderly, blind or disabled immigrants — to eligible undocumented seniors. In his message, the governor emphasized his current efforts to “support the undocumented community,” but wrote that without providing funding, passing this measure would “not be prudent nor would (the policy) meet its intended purpose.”

• Fare evasion: In agreement with the BART board and other critics, the governor vetoed a measure to decriminalize transit fare evaders, writing that he “cannot take an action… that could, in turn, contribute to an increase in crime on transit.” (Meanwhile, BART continues to roll out its tougher fare gates in an effort to combat fare evaders.)

• Free condoms: Though the governor supported improving “adolescent sexual health,” he ultimately axed a measure to require California high schools to provide students free condoms, again due to costs.

Teacher turnover: From our engagement team: The latest lesson-plan-ready versions of our work focuses on teacher turnover. It’s the latest primer especially made for teachers, libraries and community groups, as part of the CalMatters for Learning initiative. 

Tell us what you think: We’re doing a survey of WhatMatters readers to make it even better and more useful. It’ll only take a few minutes. Fill it out here.

Other Stories You Should Know

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1 Navigating ‘climate distress’

Besides intensifying wildfires, upending local and global economies and disrupting vulnerable agricultural and environmental systems, climate change is the center of yet another troubling matter: mental anguish. 

As CalMatters’ health reporting intern Shreya Agrawal explains, a 2022 Blue Shield of California survey found that 80% of California youths ages 14 to 24 experienced some form of “climate distress” — a range of emotions that include grief, anger, anxiety and hopelessness.

Seeking some form of help and community, 25-year-old Maksim Batuyev co-founded Climate Cafe L.A., a support group where like-minded people can discuss these overwhelming emotions.

• Batuyev: “I was questioning the sheer gravity of it all and how all of it is systemic. None of it has an easy solution. That really started to bring me into some dark places.”

Educators are flagging their concerns as well. One Redondo Beach teacher told Shreya that kids start experiencing climate distress around 5th or 6th grade: “They feel angry… and they feel cheated, because their planet is at risk, other people did it and they have to figure it out.”

In 2021, Newsom approved $6 million for an environmental justice program in San Mateo County schools that includes group activities to build social and emotional resilience against the climate crisis. And the California Association of School Counselors is currently building a curriculum that includes discussions on how to address climate change. 

But mental health advocates say this won’t be enough. They argue that many therapists aren’t trained to deal with climate emotions, and developing strong community-based systems as an alternative to therapy requires funding and resources they don’t have.

For more on climate distress, read Shreya’s story.

2 CA officials voice support for Israel

While hundreds rallied in favor of Palestinian rights in San Francisco, California officialdom is steadfastly in support of Israel after the surprise attack by Hamas over the weekend.

Gov. Newsom ordered the state Capitol lit Monday night in Israel’s national colors of blue and white and issued a statement “unequivocally” condemning the assault. Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and other statewide officials also voiced their shock and support.  

Monday, state Senate Republicans joined a parade of legislative groups backing what they argued as Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorists.

• California Senate Republicans, in a statement: “Not since the Holocaust has this large a number of Jews been killed in a single day. There is no justification for this appalling violence…. Israel has every right to defend itself and must secure the region by all means necessary. Hamas must be defeated and pay for their war crimes. We stand with Israel. California stands with Israel. America stands with Israel.”

Legislative leaders and the various ethnic caucuses within the Legislature shared the initial statement released over the weekend by the 18-member Legislative Jewish Caucus.

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What happens when nurses are hired like Ubers // The Markup

Researchers map ancient tribal villages of Los Angeles // Los Angeles Times

The clock is running out on LA County’s juvenile halls // Los Angeles Daily News

San Diego jail complaint cites sickness, feces, racism // The San Diego Union-Tribune

SF Market Street streetcars to go out of service // The San Francisco Standard

Sacramento closes large cannabis complex for code violations // The Sacramento Bee

Facing ‘Zoombombers,’ some cities are cutting off virtual public comment // The Mercury News