Political Playback: California Capitol News You Might Have Missed
Bo Tefu | California Black Media
Asm. Akilah Weber Endorses Sen. Toni Atkins for Governor
State Senate Pro Tempore Toni Atkins’s campaign for governor in 2026 announced last week that Assemblymember Akilah Weber (D-San Diego) is a supporter.
Weber endorsed Atkins’s candidacy along with the members of the San Diego Democratic Legislative Delegation. That delegation includes California State Senators Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas) and Steve Padilla (D-Chula Vista), and California Assemblymembers Tasha Boerner (D-Encinitas), Brian Maienschein (D-San Diego), Chris Ward (F-San Diego), and David Alvarez (D-Chula Vista).
As a member of the LGBTQ Legislative Caucus, Atkins, 61, has been at the forefront progressive change in the state as a Democratic leader overseeing the State Senate. Her career began on the San Diego City Council where she served for eight years. In 2010, she was elected to the State Assembly and became the first LGBTQ speaker of the chamber.
In January, Atkins endorsed Weber’s candidacy for California State Senate.
“Dr. Akilah weber has devoted her career to helping people in their most vulnerable moments and her experiences – as both a doctor and policymaker – make her uniquely qualified to lead,” wrote Atkins in her statement endorsing Weber.
Other well-known state leaders who have announced their candidacies for California Governor in 2026 include former State Treasurer and California Democratic Party Vice Chair Betty Yee, California Lieutenant Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
More Cash for Calif. Schools, Local Govs. Thanks to Property Value Increases
California county assessors reported significant increases in the value of properties subject to locally assessed property tax, increasing property tax revenue statewide.
The average increase in the assessment roll data was 5.72% in 20 counties for the 2024-2025 financial year, stated county assessors. Jeffrey Prang, Los Angeles County assessor, published a May report forecasting that the final roll will be approximately 4.75% greater than last year.
The growth in the assessment roll is expected to bring in more property tax for local government, school districts, and special districts. In the past 12 years, many counties have experienced increases in property tax revenue.
San Diego County set a new record with an assessment value of $768 billion, stated county assessor Jordan Marks. The county’s assessment value has increased for the 12th consecutive year.
Marks highlighted that Proposition 13 caps annual increases at 2% without a change in ownership or new construction.
“Thanks to Proposition 13, no homeowner should lose their home due to unaffordable property taxes from the recent skyrocketing home prices,” said Marks.
The official deadline for assessors to complete assessment rolls was July 1, but the State Board of Equalization granted extensions to other counties. Despite the delay, it is projected that a complete assessment from each county will be available by the end of July.
California Invests $3.3 Billion in Prop 1 Homelessness Funding
The State of California has allotted $3.3 billion in funding to build inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment centers to address the state’s mental health and homelessness crisis.
The funds are part of a $6.4 billion bond that Gov. Gavin Newsom authorized after California voters approved Proposition 1 in March this year.
Last week, Newsom touted the mental health measure at a new facility in San Mateo County, highlighting the importance of building facilities to help transform health care.
According to Newsom’s office, Proposition 1 is an important part of the state’s strategy to tackle the growing issue of homelessness. The measure also intends to encourage people dealing with severe mental illness and substance disorders to seek treatment.
Newsom said that his administration is working to approve plans in the next few months to build more housing this summer. The governor urged counties to enroll in the Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment (CARE) Court program that offers mental health patients court-ordered support and care for up to 24 months.
The program is a $14 billion multi-year investment that aims to provide 55,000 housing units statewide. The state has planned to invest an additional $10 billion in community behavioral health services. Counties can sign up for the CARE Court program, early applications are available to eligible individuals. The program is currently available in nine counties: Glenn, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Diego, San Francisco (City and County), San Mateo, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne.
The state will provide an additional $1 billion to support more construction projects and programs next year.
Gov. Newsom Signs Transgender Notification Law Affecting Schools
On July 15, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1955, legislation that protects transgender and other LGBTQ students from being outed to their parents. It forbids school districts from discussing students’ sexual orientation or gender identity without their consent.
The new law will override policies passed by school boards in some parts of the state that require educators to inform the parents of children who show signs of being transgender.
Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman (D-Stockton), the Democratic chair of the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus, supports the newly signed law that also protects teachers from facing disciplinary action for teaching state-mandated sexual education.
“Safe and supportive schools for all our children should be our top priority,” said Eggman in a statement. “And at the end of the day that’s what this bill does, ensures our K-12 campuses remain safe and affirming places for our youth no matter how they identify.”
California courts have blocked at least seven schools from passing rules that required staff to notify parents if their child used a name or pronoun that did correspond with their gender assigned at birth.
After signing AB 1955, Newsom faced backlash from Republican leaders and school boards in conservative parts of the state.
“In the nearly 12 years that I have been in the State Assembly, I have never seen an effort to damage the relationship between children and their parents like this one,” said Assemblymember Jim Patterson (D-Fresno), adding that the bill would create a “government-imposed wall” between parents and their children.
Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) introduced AB 1955 as the SAFETY Act, removing all school policies that required teachers to out students to their parents.
The SAFETY Act, “simply ensures that conversations about gender identity and sexuality happen at home without interference from others outside of the family unit,” said Ward.
School District Sues Gov. Newsom Over New Gender Identity Law
Last week, the Chino Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) and a group of parents were in a legal battle with the state.
The southern California school district sued Gov. Gavin Newsom over Assembly Bill 1955, a law that bans educators from notifying parents about their child’s gender identity. The law aims to protect transgender students against being forced to “come out” to their parents against their will. However, parents and school board members in Chino Valley argue that the law violates the parent’s rights under the United States Constitution.
The lawsuit listed Attorney General Robert Bonta, and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond as defendants.
Emily Rae, a lawyer from the Liberty Justice Center representing the school district, said that parents have the right to protect their children and raise them based on trust.
“School officials do not have the right to keep secrets from parents, but parents do have a constitutional right to know what their minor children are doing at school,” said Rae in a statement defending the school district and concerned parents.
Izzy Gardon, a spokesperson for the governor said that the lawsuit is “deeply unserious” and argued that the new law preserves the relationship children have with their parents.
“We’re confident the state will swiftly prevail in this case,” she added.
President of the council Jonathan Keller said that the law violates the rights of parents and disrupts gender roles in society.
“This bill undermines their fundamental role and places boys and girls in potential jeopardy,” said Keller in a statement supporting the CVUSD.
“Moms and dads have both a constitutional and divine mandate to guide and protect their kids, and AB 1955 egregiously violates this sacred trust,” he stated.
California Economy Is Leading the Nation, Newsom Announces
California has the largest state economy in the United States with a nominal Gross domestic product (GDP) of approximately $3.9 million in 2023, reported the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Last year, the state had a growth rate of 6.1%, making it the fifth-largest economy in the world for the seventh consecutive year, the economic analysts stated. The state experienced increases in the tourism industry, population growth, fast food jobs, and profits for Fortune 500 companies, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week.
“There’s only one state with a dream – the California Dream. Built on opportunity, promise, and ingenuity, California is the nation’s economic driver and the place people across the globe look to see what’s possible,” said Newsom in a statement his office released on July 15.
“That’s why we continue to grow businesses, expand our economy, break records, and create thousands of jobs across the state,” he said.
The governor’s office released state data indicating that California had the largest market share of tourism in the country. In the previous year, tourists spent over $150 billion in the state, a 5.6% increase in travel spending since 2022. Also, the tourism industry created more than 64,000 jobs in 2023.
According to the California Department of Finance, the state’s population increased by 67,000 people due to legal foreign immigration and a higher birth rate.
State and federal employment data indicated that California created over 10,000 jobs in the fast-food industry since Gov. Newsom signed a law that raised fast food minimum wage statewide.
PPIC Releases Report on California Prisons and Reentry Pathways
Despite providing educational and employment programs and reentry pathways, recidivism in California prisons remains high, derailing the rehabilitative mission of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR).
The department launched various programs in 2005 to reduce recidivism and help formerly imprisoned people transition back into the workforce and society.
According to a report by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), the two-year reconviction rate decreased by 7% in 2019. However, 62% of people released from prison between 2015 and 2019 were rearrested and 37% were reconvicted for any crime.
Participation in rehabilitative employment programs increased from 8% in 2015 to 30% in 2019 in prisons statewide, according to the report.
State prisons also hired over 200 new academic and vocational instructors, growing participation in educational programs by 9%. Prisons offered career technical education (CTE) programs to supplement existing primary and secondary education classes. These programs improved the reading and math skills of imprisoned individuals.
“On average, people entering prison tested into primary education with eighth-grade level reading scores and sixth- to seventh-grade level math skills,” the report reads.
A majority of the people reconvicted were charged with a drug offense or possession. More than half of the people who get rearrested participate in rehabilitation programs. However, people with previous prison histories and shorter sentences were less likely to participate in educational and employment programs. Yet, people with longer prison sentences had a higher participation rate in rehabilitative employment and educational programs.
“On another front, substance abuse may pose the greatest obstacle to successful reentry — a threat that has likely grown amid the opioid and fentanyl crisis. Ensuring broader access to substance use disorder treatment should be a priority,” the report stated.
Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs Is Running for Lieutenant Governor
Former Stockton Mayor Michael Tubbs is running to be the next lieutenant governor of California in the 2026 gubernatorial elections, he announced last week.
Tubbs, 33, serves as a special adviser for economic mobility in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration. He plans to replace Eleni Kounalakis as the state’s second-highest executive officer.
A well-known figure in the Democratic Party, Tubbs became the first Black Mayor of Stockton and one of the youngest mayors of a big city when he was elected in 2016. He implemented a universal basic income initiative giving low-income residents a $500 monthly stipend for two years.
Despite his efforts, he lost his reelection bid in 2020 to current Stockton Mayor Kevin Lincoln.
However, Tubbs says he is determined to strive higher and implement generational change in the Democratic Party. His campaign is focused on a policy platform that prioritizes minority and working-class voters. Tubbs says he is pushing to expand education and social programs, address climate change, protect jobs from artificial intelligence, and promote initiatives that provide affordable housing and housing security for renters and homeowners.
“California is at a crossroads. We have to start solving some of these issues,” said Tubbs. “We need a problem-solver with a different mindset — different experience, different background, different outlook — who’s willing to roll up their sleeves and do the work.”
Tubbs is among a group of Democratic leaders running for the office of lieutenant governor. They include Sen. Steven Bradford (D-Inglewood), State Treasurer Fiona Ma, and Sausalito Mayor Janelle Kellman.
