The States
Governors, senators, and city halls are shaping American policy as much as Washington. Select a state to see its leadership, congressional delegation, and the most consequential actions of the past year.
Governor
Gavin Newsom (D)
Legislature
Democratic supermajority
Capital
Sacramento
U.S. Senator
Former California Secretary of State, appointed to fill Kamala Harris's Senate seat in 2021. Focuses on immigration reform, voting rights, and tech regulation.
U.S. Senator (appointed)
Appointed in October 2023 to fill the vacancy left by Dianne Feinstein. First Black woman to represent California in the Senate. Did not run for a full term.
No recent housing bills found for California.
Newsom signed 794 bills into law in 2025. Major provisions included streamlining housing development near transit, capping insulin copays on state-regulated insurance plans, $60 billion in electricity refunds for California households, and statewide school cellphone restrictions starting September 2025. He also signed legislation paying incarcerated firefighters minimum wage.
Newsom signed the RAISE Act requiring large AI developers to implement safety frameworks and transparency protocols for frontier AI models — making California the first state to directly regulate frontier AI. He also signed legislation protecting Hollywood performers from unauthorized AI cloning of their voices and likeness.
Housing and affordability became the dominant focus of Newsom's 2025 legislative agenda. He signed major bills streamlining housing development approvals near transit corridors and continued pushing local governments to meet state housing quotas under the builder's remedy provision. California aims to build 2.5 million new units by 2030.
Newsom signed a bipartisan retail theft package in 2024 increasing penalties for organized retail crime and smash-and-grab robberies, addressing voter frustration that had driven the Proposition 36 ballot initiative. The package tightened felony theft thresholds and targeted large-scale theft rings.
Newsom moved to close four state prisons, projecting approximately $3.4 billion in savings by 2027. The Legislative Analyst's Office assessed the system could absorb closure of five additional facilities. The move is part of a broader decarceration strategy linked to declining incarceration rates.
Newsom signed legislation mandating that insurance companies cover IVF treatments, making California one of the most expansive states for reproductive healthcare access. He also signed the elimination of insulin co-pays for all Californians on state-regulated insurance plans, effective January 2025.
City Council passed a landmark tenant anti-harassment ordinance in 2024 and is advancing a citywide AI procurement transparency ordinance requiring bias audits for any AI used in city services.
Board of Supervisors approved zoning reforms allowing higher density near transit corridors — a significant shift after years of restrictive land use policy.
Pursuing a first-in-the-nation municipal desalination expansion policy to address long-term water security, with state environmental review underway.