Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed 770 new California laws and vetoed 66 from the 2021 session of the California Legislature. Here’s a look at what’s coming in the Golden State.
You’d be forgiven for not knowing Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed the largest expansion of California’s college financial aid system in a generation — he did so during the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants’ first playoff game Friday night.
Hours later, it was all over: Newsom signed his final bills on Saturday, a day ahead of the Oct. 10 deadline to act on the 836 proposals state lawmakers sent to his desk. Of those, he signed 770 (92%) and vetoed 66 (7.9%), according to Sacramento lobbyist Chris Micheli.
Here’s a look at the significant new laws coming to the Golden State — as well as ideas Newsom prevented from becoming law.
Signed into law:
- Making ethnic studies a high school graduation requirement, as CalMatters’ Joe Hong reports. Under a bill Newsom signed last year, California State University students must also take an ethnic studies course to graduate.
- Mandating mental health instruction in middle and high schools that have an existing health education course.
- Requiring public colleges, universities and secondary schools to provide free menstrual products on campus.
- Requiring large department stores to maintain a gender-neutral section of toys and child care items.
- Restricting sentence enhancements for many crimes, as recommended by an obscure committee examining California’s penal code.
- Ensuring police can’t block journalists from covering protests and demonstrations.
- Cracking down on sideshows and illegal street racing by allowing courts to suspend convicted motorists’ licenses for up to six months.
- Giving cities more authority to reduce their speed limits.
- Making it illegal to harass people entering vaccination clinics. First Amendment experts say several aspects of the law — including an exemption for “lawful picketing arising out of a labor dispute” — may be unconstitutional.
- Ending “surprise billing” for COVID-19 tests and vaccinations.
- Extending a phone tax to fund high-speed internet in underserved areas.
- Allowing restaurants to continue selling to-go cocktails, using parking lots for expanded seating, and serving alcohol in parklets.
- Offering year-round fishing licenses.
- Banning the sale of new gas-powered leaf blowers, lawn mowers and other small off-road engines by as soon as 2024.
- Phasing out controversial donor dog facilities to create a new canine blood bank system.
Vetoed:
- Massively expanding Cal Grant, the state’s chief financial aid program. Ironically, the move came a few days after Newsom approved a stack of bills he said would increase college affordability and accessibility.
- Creating non-hospital facilities for young people insured by Medi-Cal who are experiencing mental health crises.
- Paying people struggling with drug addiction to stay sober.
- Permitting cannabis products to be advertised on most freeway billboards.
- Decriminalizing jaywalking, which would have allowed people to cross the street outside of crosswalks without getting a ticket.
- Allowing bicyclists to roll through stop signs.
More ‘feel good’ policies while the Education System FAILS to produce productive & competitive students that are capable of supporting themselves in an increasing high-tech world.
Teaching ‘ethnic studies’ and ‘woke’ bull**** while the countries leading in education Focus on Math, Reading and Science skills.
————– China is a Real Threat for the Future ——————-
China continues to emerge “as our greatest threat and adversary, economically, militarily, and politically.
China threatens freedom not only for its own people but around the world.
But China’s K-12 education system is far more effective than ours, and if it continues, its economy will quickly overtake America’s.”
———— “K-12 Redesign: A Financial Overhaul” (Feb2021 ACTE) ———–
The U.S. Leads the world in K-12 Education Spending yet Lags behind 25 other developed nations in K-12 student achievement.
When it comes to student learning, China leads the world by a significant margin…
Looking at student scores in Reading, Math, and Science, China Dominates, ranking FIRST in the world in all 3 categories.
.. U.S. student achievement Falls Far Behind – 26th overall,
17th in Reading,
23rd in Science, and
33rd in Math –
it’s safe to say that China has lapped the U.S. more than once in the world education race.
…Despite POOR K-12 Public School Student Performance Scores on the world stage, the U.S. continues to Spend More $$$ than almost every other nation on this endeavor –
over $720 Billion annually.
Taxpayer money funds are nearly $15,000 per student per year in U.S. public schools…
well above the global average of $10,759.
…data clearly reveals the current U.S. K-12 funding model is NOT Producing robust, widespread student learning.
In fact, student scores continue to slip.
For example, the U.S. recently moved Farther Down the world rankings in Math, from 31st to 33rd.
“during the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants’ first playoff game Friday night”
Moments like that are precious after the recall for special activities.