THE CAPITOL BRIEF

The Day Ahead

8:30 a.m. - Sacramento: State Board of Education opens the first day of its November meeting, Room 1101, 1430 N Street.

8:30 a.m. - Sacramento: Fish and Game Commission Marine Resources Committee meets, California Natural Resources Headquarters Building, 715 P Street.

8:40 a.m. - San Diego: California Council for Affordable Housing Fall Conference opens Day 2 sessions, Paradise Point Resort, Sunset Ballroom.

10:00 a.m. - San Diego: Senate Health Committee holds an informational hearing on medical exemptions for immunization requirements, County Administration Center, Room 327, 1600 Pacific Highway.

10:00 a.m. - Antalya: America's Better Pathway Report Launch opens the day at the America Is All In Pavilion, Antalya EXPO Center (time as listed by the organizers).

12:00 p.m. - Virtual: California Public Utilities Commission Energy Division holds a virtual open house for prospective applicants.

1:00 p.m. - Remote: California Energy Commission holds a workshop on its confidentiality process rulemaking, by Zoom.

1:30 p.m. - Antalya: U.S. Climate Mayors hold a session on building resilient communities, America Is All In Pavilion, Antalya EXPO Center (time as listed by the organizers).

2:30 p.m. - Antalya: U.S. state and local leaders hold a press conference at the America Is All In Pavilion, Antalya EXPO Center (time as listed by the organizers).

3:30 p.m. - Antalya: America Is All In hosts a session on local action and global partnerships, America Is All In Pavilion, Antalya EXPO Center (time as listed by the organizers).

4:00 p.m. - Oakland: Assembly Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color meets, Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, 1150 35th Avenue.

6:00 p.m. - Virtual: California Air Resources Board holds a virtual public dialogue session on its draft Equity Lens.

Nothing announced as of 9:21 a.m.: fundraisers, appointments, personnel moves, campaign notes.

Inside the Legislature

The Assembly and Senate are in final recess, with no floor sessions scheduled today. 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

San Diego: The Senate Health Committee, chaired by Senator Akilah Weber Pierson, holds an informational hearing titled Medical Exemptions for Immunization Requirements: What Do the Data Say? on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the County Administration Center, 1600 Pacific Highway, Room 327, San Diego, CA 92101.

The hearing was secured by Senators Brian Jones, Dave Cortese, and Ben Allen with PERK, the sponsor of SB 1377. Sign up to attend through the hearing page carried in the Source line.

Source: California State Senate

Oakland: The Assembly Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color meets on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. at Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice, 1150 35th Avenue, Oakland.

Source: California State Assembly

The Governor's Office

Antalya: Governor Gavin Newsom marked Veterans Day from Antalya, Türkiye, where he is leading the California delegation to COP31, highlighting state work since 2019 for the nearly 1.5 million veterans who call California home.

• More than $10.5 billion has been invested across state government to support servicemembers, veterans, and their families
• Proposition 1 provides a $6.4 billion Behavioral Health Bond for housing, services, and treatment
• The California Veterans Health Initiative is supporting 100,000 free mental health appointments over three years, averaging more than 5,500 no-cost appointments each quarter as of October 2026
• A new 240-bed skilled nursing and memory care facility is advancing at the Veterans Home of California-Yountville
• More than 6,500 housing units have been financed, including 3,418 designated for veterans, and nearly 450,000 veterans have been helped to purchase homes through the CalVet Home Loan Program
• The statewide benefits assistance network helped file more than 317,000 claims in fiscal year 2025-26, generating an estimated $736 million in new or increased federal benefits

Source: Office of the Governor

Sacramento: Governor Newsom on Wednesday, November 11 outlined cost savings, education, and career support delivered for veterans under his administration.

• Veterans receiving military retirement pay and families receiving Survivor Benefit Plan payments get a $20,000 break from state income taxes
• Property tax relief expands for qualifying disabled veterans and surviving spouses from 2027 through 2031
• Tuition fees are waived at California public colleges and universities for children and spouses of qualified veterans
• More than $51 million in apprenticeship grants supported 44 program awards, with 4,320 active veteran apprentices as of September 30, 2026
• A $35 million Credit for Prior Learning initiative has served more than 31,000 veterans, past its goal of 30,000
• The California Office of the Small Business Advocate Technical Assistance Program has supported 1,688 veteran-owned small businesses since the beginning of 2026

Source: Office of the Governor

Sacramento: California is making up to $4 million available for research on psychedelic treatments to improve veterans health, through the California Initiative for Precision Medicine. The funding supports partnerships between nonprofit academic research institutions and veteran communities over three to four years.

Applicants must submit a non-binding Letter of Intent by December 18, 2026, followed by an initial application due February 19, 2027. Contact CIAPM at ciapm@chhs.ca.gov.

Source: Office of the Governor

Top Stories

Governor Gavin Newsom is in Antalya, Türkiye, for the United Nations climate conference, casting California as a climate leader and criticizing President Trump as a no-show for sending no United States delegation.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Governor-elect Xavier Becerra is opening his administration by pledging a partnership with Senate President Pro Tem Monique Limón and Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, a shift from Governor Newsom's late-session approach with the Legislature.

Source: CalMatters

California voters rejected Proposition 40, the proposed one-time 5 percent tax on billionaire wealth, by 52.8 percent to 47.2 percent according to the Associated Press, a result Governor Newsom backed and progressive leaders opposed.

Source: NBC Palm Springs

Press Conferences and Media Briefings

Antalya: U.S. state and local leaders hold a press conference on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. at the America Is All In Pavilion, Antalya EXPO Center, to reaffirm the United States commitment to global climate goals and showcase climate action across the country. The time is as listed by the organizers.

Participants include Gina McCarthy, Chair of America Is All In, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, Mayor Vicki Veenker of Palo Alto, and Mayor Janet Cowell of Raleigh, North Carolina, and others. Events at the pavilion are livestreamed through America Is All In, at the link carried in the Source line.

Source: U.S. Climate Alliance

Boards and Commissions

Sacramento: The Fish and Game Commission Marine Resources Committee meets on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. at the California Natural Resources Headquarters Building, 715 P Street, Second Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814.

The committee takes up the Coastal Fishing Communities Project, commercial coonstripe shrimp fishery management and whale entanglement risk, the California halibut trawl bycatch assessment, and marine aquaculture state water bottom leasing requirements. It also hears a kelp restoration and management plan update and recreational gear restrictions for white shark.

The meeting is available on Zoom, webinar ID 898 3647 7592, and by phone at 408-961-3928 or toll-free 855-758-1310, access code 481000. Contact the Commission at fgc@fgc.ca.gov or (916) 653-4899.

Source: Fish and Game Commission

Sacramento: The State Board of Education meets on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. in Room 1101 at 1430 N Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, with the meeting continuing on Friday, November 13. The meeting is webcast live.

The board takes up Screening Committee recommendations for action, including the 2027-28 Student Member position and appointments to the Advisory Commission on Charter Schools, the California Practitioners Advisory Group, and the Instructional Quality Commission. The agenda also includes revisions to the California School Accounting Manual. Contact the board at SBE@sbe.ca.gov or 916-319-0827.

Source: California Department of Education

Remote: The California Energy Commission holds a workshop on its confidentiality process rulemaking on Thursday, November 12, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., by remote access only. The workshop covers proposed regulations at Title 20, California Code of Regulations, Article 2, sections 2501 to 2509.

Join on Zoom, webinar ID 875 9435 9522, passcode 1126, or by phone at (888) 475-4499 or (669) 219-2599. Contact the Public Advisor at publicadvisor@energy.ca.gov or (916) 269-9595.

Source: California Energy Commission

Virtual: The California Air Resources Board holds a virtual public dialogue session on its draft Equity Lens on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. Written comments on the draft go to equity@arb.ca.gov, with the comment period running from November 2 to December 4 at 11:59 p.m.

Source: California Air Resources Board

Reports and Studies

The Public Policy Institute of California published a report on early progress and next steps for California's Cradle-to-Career Data System, which connects information across education, workforce, healthcare, and social services.

Source: Public Policy Institute of California

Conferences and Events

San Diego: The California Council for Affordable Housing Fall 2026 Conference holds its full program day on Thursday, November 12, 2026, at Paradise Point Resort, Sunset Ballroom, San Diego. Registration and the vendor showcase run from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the Bay View and Sunset Foyer, and welcome and introductions open at 8:40 a.m. in the Sunset Ballroom.

Session 1, State Agency Update, runs from 9:25 a.m. to 10:20 a.m., moderated by Jenna Abbott, Executive Director of CCAH. Speakers are Megan Kirkeby, Chief Deputy Director at the Department of Housing and Community Development, Jonathan Klein, Executive Director of HDFC, Katherine McFadden, Director of Multifamily Programs at CalHFA, and Marina Wiant, Executive Director of CTCAC and CDLAC.

Later sessions cover GP interest sales, the outlook for LIHTC equity markets, debt market outlook, and residential services. Session 6, Federal and State Legislative Update, runs from 3:55 p.m. to 4:50 p.m. with Emily Cadik, Chief Executive Officer of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, and Catherine Charles, Policy Advisor at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP. A closing reception follows from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Tidal.

Source: California Council for Affordable Housing

Antalya: The America Is All In Pavilion at the Antalya EXPO Center hosts a full slate of COP31 sessions on Thursday, November 12, 2026, with times as listed by the organizers. The America's Better Pathway Report Launch is at 10:00 a.m. with the Center for Global Sustainability at the University of Maryland.

U.S. Climate Mayors Building Resilient Communities and Thriving Economies is at 1:30 p.m., hosted by Climate Mayors with ICLEI USA and the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Local Action, Global Partnerships follows at 3:30 p.m. with Gina McCarthy, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico, and Mayor Vicki Veenker of Palo Alto, among others.

Source: U.S. Climate Alliance

Virtual: The California Public Utilities Commission Energy Division holds a virtual open house on Thursday, November 12, 2026, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. The Energy Division is hiring for a variety of positions.

To attend, contact Energy Division Recruiting at EnergyDivisionRecruiting@cpuc.ca.gov for an invitation with the session link.

Source: California Public Utilities Commission

Los Angeles: The California Science Center opens its Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center to the public on Friday, November 13, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at 700 Exposition Park Drive, Los Angeles, after a program and ribbon cutting with approximately 30 astronauts, including all six crew members from Endeavour's final mission, STS-134, commanded by U.S. Senator Mark Kelly.

Astronaut and space talks run from Friday, November 13 at 11:00 a.m. through Sunday, November 15, every half hour through 5:00 p.m., with no timed reservations required for the talks. The center also premieres Endeavour's Long Journey, a photo exhibition, on November 13. General admission is free, and timed reservations for the Air and Space Center are available in advance for a $4 service fee.

Source: California Science Center

Rallies and Protests

San Diego: PERK hosts its Health Freedom Rising rally on Thursday, November 12, 2026, in San Diego, immediately following the Senate Health Committee informational hearing on medical exemptions.

Speakers include Amy Reichart, Dr. Joel Warsh, Amy Bohn, and Aimee Rickabus. PERK is announcing the outdoor location to attendees through its email list and Instagram.

Source: PERK

Odds and Ends

Oakland: Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a legal alert reminding businesses operating in California that it remains illegal to pay bribes or prohibited gratuities to federal officials to obtain or retain business. Contact the Attorney General press office at (916) 210-6000 or agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov.

The alert states that violations remain actionable under California's Unfair Competition Law, and that the statute of limitations for prosecutions extends beyond the current administration.

Source: Office of the Attorney General

Oakland: Attorney General Bonta joined a bipartisan coalition of 48 attorneys general in urging the Federal Communications Commission to strengthen its Robocall Mitigation Database. Contact the Attorney General press office at (916) 210-6000 or agpressoffice@doj.ca.gov.

The coalition asked the FCC to vet filings before providers send call traffic, require added disclosures, certify compliance with traceback requests within 24 hours, and make historical filings public.

Source: Office of the Attorney General

Oakland: Attorney General Bonta issued a consumer alert for Veterans Day warning veterans and their families about scams by unaccredited claim sharks and other predatory actors targeting veterans seeking help with their benefits.

The alert notes that SB 694 caps the fees that can be charged to represent a veteran with a benefits claim at what a VA-accredited attorney or claims agent can legally charge, and that free help is available through county veteran service offices.

Source: Office of the Attorney General

Sacramento: State Senator Jerry McNerney on Wednesday, November 11 condemned Immigration and Customs Enforcement for taking Lodi nurse and professor Ann Lawani from her home and sending her to Louisiana, and called on ICE to return her to California.

McNerney said Lawani was taken without notice to her family, despite holding a valid federal work permit. His district covers San Joaquin County, including Lodi, and the Tri-Valley in Alameda County.

Source: Office of State Senator Jerry McNerney

Lobbying and Campaign Filings

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

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

Source: Secretary of State

The Secretary of State's Cal-Access campaign daily filings list for Thursday, November 12, 2026 shows no filings found.

Source: Secretary of State

Looking Ahead

Friday, November 13, 8:30 a.m. - Sacramento: State Board of Education holds the second day of its November meeting, Room 1101, 1430 N Street.

Friday, November 13, 9:00 a.m. - San Diego: CCAH Fall Conference holds its Policy Round Table in the Bay View Room at Paradise Point Resort, with the affordable housing property tour departing the lobby at 9:30 a.m.

Friday, November 13, 9:00 a.m. - Remote: California Energy Commission holds a staff workshop on draft results from its land use screens for electric system planning, by Zoom.

Friday, November 13, 10:00 a.m. - Los Angeles: Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center opens to the public at the California Science Center, 700 Exposition Park Drive.

Friday, November 13, 12:00 p.m. - Sacramento: Public Policy Institute of California holds Buckle Up: A Roadmap to Water Solutions for California's New Governor, Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel, 1230 J Street.

Friday, November 13, 4:30 p.m. - Antalya: COP31 hosts Undaunted, a session on governors sustaining United States climate progress, America Is All In Pavilion (time as listed by the organizers).

Friday, November 13, 5:15 p.m. - Antalya: COP31 hosts a discussion with women climate leaders including First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, America Is All In Pavilion (time as listed by the organizers).

Tuesday, November 17, 9:00 a.m. - Sacramento: State Water Resources Control Board meets, with adoption of the draft fiscal year 2026-27 Fund Expenditure Plan for the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund on the agenda.

Tuesday, November 17 - San Francisco: University of California Regents meet November 17 to 18 at UCSF Mission Bay.

Tuesday, November 17 - Long Beach: California State University Board of Trustees meets November 17 to 18 at the Glenn S. Dumke Conference Center.

Wednesday, November 18, 10:00 a.m. - California Energy Commission holds its business meeting.

Thursday, November 19, 11:00 a.m. - Sacramento: California Public Utilities Commission holds its voting meeting.

Thursday, November 19 - California Air Resources Board holds its board meeting, continuing Friday, November 20.

Thursday, November 19, 1:00 p.m. - San Francisco: San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission meets, Metro Center, 375 Beale Street.