CAPITOL DAYBOOK NEWS

Voters reject Proposition 40, the one time billionaire tax

The Associated Press called the defeat of Proposition 40 on Monday, after a one time 5 percent tax on billionaires proposed by a health care workers union divided Democrats and drew heavy opposition spending from wealthy Californians.

• Proponents estimated the tax would raise $100 billion, most of it for health care programs
• With 83 percent of ballots counted, the no vote led with 52.8 percent on November 9
• Google co-founder Sergey Brin and at least 11 other billionaires contributed $269 million to the main opposition committee

Reuters Associated Press Le Monde $ · 11/9/26

Former Senate leader asks Supreme Court to block death row commutations

Former Senate Majority Leader Gloria Romero is asking the California Supreme Court to reject the commutations that need its approval, after Governor Gavin Newsom moved to convert all 548 death sentences to life without parole.

• 382 of the 548 commutations require a recommendation from the California Supreme Court, with four justices concurring
• None of the commutations has taken effect, and the governor asked the court to act by the end of the year
• The commutations would convert sentences to life without parole, with no release or parole eligibility

New York Post San Francisco Inquirer · 11/9/26

Becerra begins transition, meets legislative leaders in Sacramento

Governor elect Xavier Becerra began his transition Thursday, meeting in Sacramento with Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate President pro Tempore Monique Limon to discuss housing, health coverage, energy bills and artificial intelligence.

Asian Journal New York Post · 11/7/26

Raman defeats Bass to become next Los Angeles mayor

City Councilmember Nithya Raman defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, who conceded Thursday, becoming the first candidate to oust a sitting Los Angeles mayor since 2005. Raman takes office on December 14.

Reuters USA Today · 11/5/26

Jane Kim wins insurance commissioner race on public disaster insurance plan

Former San Francisco Supervisor Jane Kim won the insurance commissioner race over state Senator Ben Allen, with the Associated Press calling the race Saturday. Kim campaigned on a public, nonprofit disaster insurance program for wildfire coverage.

CalMatters New York Post · 11/8/26

Democrats expand supermajorities in the Legislature

Democrats flipped four Republican held Assembly seats and appeared to pick up two Senate seats in the November 3 election, expanding their supermajorities in both chambers while several close legislative races remained uncalled.

Sheehy Strategy Group · 11/4/26

Villegas and von Wilpert deliver Proposition 50 House flips

Democrat Randy Villegas unseated Republican Representative David Valadao in the Central Valley, and Democrat Marni von Wilpert won the open San Diego area seat, delivering two of the Proposition 50 targeted House flips for Democrats.

Courier California · 11/4/26

Barrera leads for state superintendent in updated results

San Diego Unified board president Richard Barrera leads Sonja Shaw for state superintendent of public instruction, with 59.1 percent in semi official results updated November 9. The winner takes a reshaped office under a law signed in July.

CityHallPass Sheehy Strategy Group · 11/9/26

Newsom cites nearly 12,000 people reached through CARE Act

Governor Gavin Newsom marked CARE Act progress at a statewide convening on Monday, citing nearly 12,000 people connected to services and a second straight yearly drop in homelessness, including a 13 percent fall in unsheltered homelessness since 2024.

• 11,912 Californians have connected with service providers through the CARE Act process since statewide implementation in December 2024
• 6,531 petitions have been filed across 56 counties, and almost 1,800 people now have a CARE agreement or plan
• The share of participants living in housing rose from 53 percent to 71 percent

Governor's Office · 11/9/26

State Supreme Court reviews undercover jail sting convictions

The California Supreme Court is reviewing convictions built on undercover jail stings known as Perkins operations, in at least 10 cases this year. Public defenders and the ACLU argue the practice is coercive and produces racial disparities.

CalMatters

Proposition 42, the retroactive tax ban, leads but is not called

Proposition 42, a Sergey Brin backed measure that would ban retroactive taxes, was leading with 51.6 percent and 83 percent of ballots counted on Monday, a margin the Associated Press had not yet called.

Le Monde $ · 11/9/26

Voters reject Proposition 39 voter identification measure

Voters rejected Proposition 39, a Republican backed constitutional amendment requiring government issued identification to vote in person, by roughly 59 percent to 41 percent, according to the Associated Press.

Courier California · 11/4/26

Proposition 3 makes high earner tax permanent

Voters approved Proposition 3, making permanent a temporary income tax on high earners that funds schools and health care. The teachers union backed measure won with 58.7 percent of the vote.

Courier California Political.org · 11/4/26

Sites Reservoir wins water right permit, construction could start next summer

State water regulators approved a water right permit for Sites Reservoir, clearing construction to begin as soon as next summer on a project 70 miles northwest of Sacramento that supporters say will store water for cities and farms.

Maven's Notebook · 11/6/26

State adopts Bay Delta Plan as farm and environmental groups object

The State Water Board adopted an updated Bay Delta Plan centered on voluntary agreements pairing river flows with habitat restoration, drawing opposition from both farm water agencies and environmental groups and setting up likely court fights.

CalMatters · 11/3/26

Housing bond and homebuyer assistance measures pass

Voters approved Proposition 1, an $11.25 billion housing bond, and Proposition 37, a $25 billion homebuyer assistance bond program, with each measure drawing roughly 60 percent or more support in reported tallies.

Political.org · 11/8/26

Voters reject Proposition 45 plan to speed environmental reviews

Voters rejected Proposition 45, which would have capped environmental review timelines for essential projects under CEQA, after unions and environmental groups opposed the California Chamber of Commerce backed measure despite millions in support spending.

Realtor.com · 11/9/26

California gas prices fall to $5.75 a gallon, still above last year

California gas prices fell about 15 cents last week to a statewide average of $5.75 a gallon on Sunday, according to AAA, still about $1.05 higher than a year ago amid volatile global energy markets.

Claycord · 11/9/26

Meta, Google and TikTok sue to block teen social media law

Meta, Google and TikTok filed separate federal lawsuits to block Assembly Bill 1709, a California law taking effect in January that bars addictive features such as autoplay and personalized feeds for users under 16.

Reuters CalMatters · 11/6/26

Google unveils two new AI chip systems in Mountain View

Google unveiled two new AI chip systems, TPU 8tx and TPU 8i Max, on Monday in Mountain View, completing a four system eighth generation rollout in one year focused on secure processing and larger AI context windows.

World Daily News Hub · 11/9/26

Santa Clara voice AI startup Boson AI reports $70 million raised

Santa Clara based Boson AI has accumulated about $70 million in funding to build foundation models for real time interactive voice AI, as investors backed specialized AI infrastructure and voice technology companies in the latest funding roundup.

Tech Startups · 11/9/26

Study finds immigration raids reduced employment in affected communities

A University of Colorado Boulder study found immigration raids reduced employment in affected communities, with roughly six male unauthorized workers stopping work for every ICE arrest, and a 4 to 5 percent employment drop in some industries.

CalMatters

Tesla and Bezos backed startup lease West Oakland warehouse for physical AI

Tesla and Prometheus have leased a combined 140,000 square feet at West Oakland's American Steel warehouse for physical AI work, as the City Council separately approved a moratorium on new data centers after community opposition.

The Street Spirit · 11/9/26

Democrats retake Congress, with Californians in line for gavels

Democrats reclaimed the United States House and flipped the Senate in the midterms, putting California Democrats including Representative Robert Garcia, Senator Alex Padilla and Representative Pete Aguilar in line for greater sway in Congress.

Lost Coast Outpost · 11/4/26

Supreme Court declines Justice Department request on California voter rolls

The United States Supreme Court declined a last minute Justice Department request to intervene in a dispute over California voter rolls and the mail ballots of about 20,000 people the department claims are noncitizens.

Courier California · 11/4/26