CALIFORNIA, USA — Many California farmworkers have long lacked safe and affordable places to sleep — an issue thrown into sharp relief after last year’s mass shooting in Half Moon Bay, which left seven agricultural workers dead.
To improve farmworker housing, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed two bills on Tuesday at the Fresno headquarters of the nonprofit Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative. The governor said the legislation helps to address the changing nature of California migrant farmworkers — 92% of whom reside in the state. He added that “with humility, grace and deep understanding,” he recognized that more work needed to be done to help these workers.
- Newsom: “No one is denying that, across a spectrum of issues. And that’s why ‘good enough’ never is.”
He signed Assembly Bill 3035, which increases the number of housing sites in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties; and AB 2240, which lifts eligibility requirements for workers and their families to live in farmworker housing and could lead to 24 state migrant housing complexes staying open year-round. Newsom also signed SB 1150, which expands paid sick leave for farmworkers who want to avoid smoke, heat or flooding from a local or state emergency.
Newsom announced a bunch of other bill signings Tuesday:
- Drinking water: With hundreds of thousands of Californians still without safe drinking water, Newsom signed three bills to make water systems more reliable, including one that gives the state’s Water Resources Control Board more power over failing sewer systems. Another measure requires the board to develop technical standards for smaller water systems, and the third mandates rental property owners to test wells.
- Consumer rights: The governor signed 15 bills to strengthen consumer protections, including legislation to exclude medical debt from credit reports; cap overdraft fees credit unions charge customers; extend how long tenants have to respond to an eviction notice; and make it easier for customers to cancel subscription services that automatically renew.
- Gun regulations: California already has some of the nation’s strictest gun laws, but Newsom announced the signing of 24 bills designed to protect children and victims of domestic abuse and prevent gun-related hate crimes. “California won’t wait until the next school shooting or mass shooting to act. In the absence of congressional action, our state is once again leading the way by strengthening our nation-leading gun laws,” he said in a statement.
Hollywood and AI: A high-profile bill regulating AI technology still awaits Newsom’s decision. And while Big Tech is slamming the proposal, another big California industry supports it: Hollywood. On Tuesday, 140 of some of the biggest names in entertainment signed a letter urging Newsom to sign the bill, reports the Los Angeles Times. The measure would require developers to test whether their AI programs can cause catastrophic harm.
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