Posts by Edelstein Gilbert Robson & Smith

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted “988” as a new 3-digit number to be used nationwide to reach the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline, starting July 16, 2022. Wireless customers may dial either 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach the Lifeline now. Landline customers must continue to dial 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach…

The Legislature has just one week before adjourning the 2021 session on September 10. Governor Newsom will have until October 10 to act on the hundreds of bills that are making their way to his desk this week and next. As we’ve reported previously, we expect that the Governor will defer much of this work until after his September 14 recall election.

The Legislature will return from its summer recess on August 16. Upon its return, it will have only three and a half weeks to complete its work before adjournment on September 10.

The Legislature adjourned for their summer recess on July 15. It has been an intensely busy year in Sacramento and recess couldn’t have come soon enough.

On June 28, Governor Newsom signed California’s $267 billion budget. However, as we’ve reported previously, the signed budget contains the appropriations to spend state funds, but much work continues to finalize the budget behind the scenes. The annual Budget Act is always accompanied by a number of “trailer bills” which enact policy changes needed to implement the budget.

Last Wednesday the Secretary of State sent a letter to the Department of Finance (DOF) that among other things said “The Secretary of State is hereby notifying the Department of Finance that the proponents of the recall effort against Governor Gavin Newsom have submitted a sufficient number of valid signatures to initiate a recall election.”

June marks the halfway point in the legislative calendar. By early June,  most bills must pass out of the house they were introduced in to keep moving. The only exceptions are urgency bills and constitutional amendments which must be passed on a 2/3 vote of the Legislature.

Many of our updates in the last year have focused on the challenges Governor Newsom has been facing. It isn’t a stretch to say that he has held the office during the most challenging moment in history since World War II, and arguably ever.

The big news in the California Capitol is the release of the Governor’s May Revision to the 2021-22 State Budget that he proposed to the Legislature in January. This revised budget document is supposed to reflect updated tax revenues and spending trends to better enable the Legislature to pass a balanced budget on June 15 for the fiscal year that will begin on July 1.