Buffy Wicks

A controversial real estate tax-cut proposal was removed from California’s November ballot in a last-minute compromise, replaced by a constitutional amendment requiring higher voter approval for local taxes. The deal involved Governor Gavin Newsom’s office, legislative leaders, and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, who agreed to withdraw their original measure in exchange for the new amendment.

A proposal to set a $28 minimum wage for California housing construction workers failed after opposition from the Building Trades union coalition. The wage provision was removed from Assembly Bill 1751 before it passed the Senate Housing Committee, though the bill remains alive for further legislative action.

California voters will decide in November on an $11.25 billion affordable housing bond to fund construction, preserve affordability, and expand homeownership opportunities. The bond includes $10 billion for general obligation bonds targeting lower-income residents and $1.25 billion for self-supporting revenue bonds to aid veterans through the CalVet home loan program.

California's Digital Age Assurance Act (AB 1043) may exempt open-source operating systems like Linux and FreeBSD from age verification requirements. Proposed amendments, including AB 1856, define 'open source' to exclude entities requiring age checks, potentially freeing Linux vendors from compliance. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and others criticize the law for stifling digital liberties and entrenching major OS providers.

California Democrats Maggy Krell and Buffy Wicks have introduced a bill to hold social media companies legally accountable for failing to detect or remove child sexual abuse material on their platforms, citing the 'profound trauma' caused to children by online exploitation.