THE CAPITOL BRIEF

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Governor Gavin Newsom is commuting all of California's death sentences to life in prison without parole, in a letter to Californians issued on Thursday, November 5. The decision affects 548 people serving death sentences in state prisons.

Newsom wrote that state-sanctioned killing is incompatible with California's values, undermines the foundations of the legal system, and diminishes each person. The action came in his final months as governor.

It bookends the moratorium on executions he instituted in 2019, early in his administration. California has not executed any prisoners since 2006, though lengthy and expensive death penalty appeals cases have persisted.

Source: Politico California

Democratic socialist Nithya Raman will defeat incumbent Karen Bass in the Los Angeles mayor's race, CNN's Decision Desk projects. Raman is a city councilmember, and Bass is a Democratic former congresswoman.

With Raman's victory, the nation's two largest cities, New York and Los Angeles, will be led by democratic socialists next year. Raman has vowed to cut street homelessness in half before Los Angeles hosts the 2028 Olympics.

Raman, 45, prevailed over the Los Angeles political establishment, including most major unions, which had rallied behind Bass. The outcome reflects lingering anger at how Bass managed the fallout from the 2025 wildfires, and voters seeking new approaches on housing costs and homelessness.

Source: CNN

Governor-elect Xavier Becerra will take the reins during a delicate time for California, facing the prospect of deeper federal healthcare cuts, skyrocketing wildfire costs, and a persistent cost-of-living crisis. Many specifics of his policies are still unknown after a quiet race in a safe blue state.

Becerra opposed the billionaire tax ballot proposition and has said he is considering a proposal to tax drivers based on their miles driven to pay for road and highway repairs. He is pushing a program to give low-income households two hours of free electricity each day during daytime hours when solar energy is abundant.

He has said he will seek to reverse restrictions to Medi-Cal that forced tens of thousands of immigrants who are in California illegally off the program, and that he would continue California's moratorium on the death penalty. In Congress, he was a close ally of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Source: CalMatters

Press Conferences and Media Briefings

No press conference or media briefing for Friday, November 6 was publicly announced in the sources checked this morning.

Inside the Legislature

No Senate or Assembly floor sessions are scheduled for Friday, November 6. The Legislature is in final recess, which began upon adjournment on August 31.

The 2026 tentative legislative calendar lists November 30 as adjournment sine die at midnight, and December 7 at 12 noon as the convening of the 2027-28 Regular Session.

Source: California State Senate

The Governor's Office

Sacramento: The State Water Resources Control Board has approved the final water right permit for Sites Reservoir, clearing all regulatory approvals needed to initiate construction. The project is in Glenn and Colusa counties and is designed to capture water from the Sacramento River during eligible high-flow periods.

The reservoir would add 1.5 million acre-feet of water storage capacity, enough to supply more than 4.5 million homes for one year. In June, the Governor announced nearly $269 million in additional funding, bringing total eligible state funding to approximately $1.36 billion.

Supporters quoted in the announcement include Congressman Mike Thompson and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry. The Sites Project Authority and participating water agencies now turn to advancing financing needed to begin construction.

Source: Office of the Governor

Vernon: Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday, November 6 announced major progress in cleaning up lead-contaminated soil in neighborhoods around the former Exide battery recycling facility in Vernon. Since 2016, California has invested more than $700 million in the cleanup.

As of October 23, the Department of Toxic Substances Control has cleaned 6,495 residential parcels, 7,818 parkways, 12 schools, 68 childcare centers, and 5 parks. Cleanup at every school, park, and childcare center identified in the affected area is finished, and residential cleanup remains ongoing.

Source: Office of the Governor

Fundraising

No campaign fundraiser for Friday, November 6 was publicly posted or announced in the sources checked this morning.

New Appointments

Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday, November 5 announced the following appointments.

Colin Brown, of Soquel, has been appointed State Epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $282,000. Brown is not registered to vote.

Jay LaPlante, of Seattle, Washington, has been appointed Tribal Advisor at the California Public Utilities Commission. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $150,324. LaPlante is a Democrat.

Michela Alioto-Pier, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California Citizens Compensation Commission. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Alioto-Pier is a Democrat.

Source: Office of the Governor

People and Moves

No personnel move in California government or campaigns was publicly announced on November 5 in the sources checked this morning.

Boards and Commissions

Sacramento: The California Native American Heritage Commission meets on Friday, November 6, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the East End Complex, 1500 Capitol Ave, Auditorium, Sacramento, CA 95814. The meeting is also available by Zoom and by telephone.

Action items include approval of the September 17, 2026 special meeting minutes, and CSU Systemwide and Campus Repatriation and Oversight Committee nominations for CSU Stanislaus, CSU Monterey Bay, CSU Northridge, and CSU Bakersfield, presented by Mario Pallari, Staff Counsel.

The commission will also consider adopting CalNAGPRA Enforcement Regulations, reopening the tribal comment and consultation period for Draft Contact List Regulations, and adopting Draft Most Likely Descendant Regulations or sending them out for a 90-day tribal comment and consultation period, each presented by Michelle Carr, Chief Counsel.

Source: California Native American Heritage Commission

Sacramento: The Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act Advisory Board meets on Friday, November 6, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at CalEPA Headquarters, Byron Sher Auditorium, 2nd floor, 1001 I St., Sacramento, CA 95814. Attendance is in person or online by Zoom and webcast.

The board, appointed under SB 54, has 13 voting members and 3 nonvoting members. It identifies barriers and solutions to creating a circular economy and advises CalRecycle, producers, and producer responsibility organizations on implementation.

Source: CalRecycle

Reports and Studies

No report or study by a state agency or the Legislative Analyst's Office dated November 5 or November 6 was listed in the sources checked this morning.

Talks and Addresses

No speech or address by a state official for Friday, November 6 was publicly announced in the sources checked this morning.

Conferences and Events

No conference, workshop, or seminar for Friday, November 6 was publicly listed by its sponsor in the sources checked this morning.

Rallies and Protests

No rally or protest for Friday, November 6 was publicly announced in the sources checked this morning.

Odds and Ends

CalRecycle is accepting public comments on Circular Action Alliance's producer responsibility plan through November 13, 2026. CalRecycle received the plan on October 13, 2026. Circular Action Alliance has been approved to serve as the first Producer Responsibility Organization under SB 54.

Source: CalRecycle

Lobbying and Campaign Filings

Lobbying Registration Renewal for the 2027-2028 Legislative Session is taking place from November 1 to December 31, 2026, according to the Secretary of State. Continuing lobbying entities must be renewed at the beginning of each legislative session.

New lobbying entities must register within ten days of qualification during the two-year cycle. If any change occurs in information contained in a registration statement, an amendment must be filed with the Secretary of State within 20 days of the change.

The planned go-live date for the new CAL-ACCESS system is February 16, 2027.

Source: Secretary of State