6 CA Bills Newsom Just Vetoed: Unsolved Homicides, Glitter Ban, Firefighter Pay

Gov. Gavin Newsom capped off California’s legislative season this weekend by signing dozens more bills, and vetoing others, ranging from measures aimed at tightening consumer protections during emergencies to ones that would have scrubbed plastic glitter (yes, glitter) from the state’s bathrooms.

In 2024, Newsom vetoed nearly 16 percent of the roughly 1,200 bills that lawmakers sent him, according to CalMatters. It was one of the highest rates in recent years. About 18 percent of those vetoes came during the final stretch of last year’s session.

The exact percentage of vetoed bills for the latest session will become clearer once the final legislative statistics for the 2025 session are published.

Meanwhile, stacks of new measures did receive the governor’s signature, including a landmark bill establishing the nation’s first framework for regulating artificial intelligence and laws aimed at protecting Californians’ wallets.

READ MORE: 7 New CA Laws Target Loud Commercials, Processed Food, Puppy Mills And More

From a ban on plastic glitter and microbeads in personal care products to a bill that would have increased pay for Cal Fire firefighters — these bills made it all the way through the legislature before they were killed at the governor’s desk.

AB 823 – Banning Plastic Microbeads, Glitter

Authored by Tasha Boerner (D-Encinitas), AB 823 aimed to expand a law passed in 2015 that targets plastic microbeads in personal care products that are rinsed off. The law would have also banned the sale of non-rinse-off products, certain cleaning products and personal care products containing plastic glitter.

Microbeads are tiny plastic particles used in personal care products like exfoliants or toothpaste.

However, the governor didn’t appear support the ousting of particles like glitter from products through the method Boerner had pitched.

Newsom wrote in his veto message that the approach may “incidentally result in a prohibition on biodegradable or natural alternatives.”

SB 36 – Strengthening Price Gouging Laws

Among the casualties was Senate Bill 36 by Sen. Thomas Umberg (D-Santa Ana), which would have strengthened California’s price-gouging laws during declared emergencies. The measure was designed to stop companies from hiking prices on essentials like food, gas and hotel rooms when disasters strike.

In his veto message, Newsom said the bill risked creating “duplicative enforcement” and could conflict with existing state emergency powers.

AB 1309 – Boosting Firefighter Pay

Newsom also blocked Assembly Bill 1309, by Assemblymember Heath Flora (R-Ripon), which would have boosted state firefighter pay — a move that angered unions and public safety advocates.

He cited “significant ongoing fiscal impact” at a time when the state faces a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall.

In his veto message, Newsom also said that the measure would circumvent collective bargaining.

However, Tim Edwards, president of Cal Fire Local 2881, pushed back on the governor’s decision, ABC10 reported.

“The veto message is just dumbfounding to us because we put in their language for collective bargaining,” Edwards said. “There was no immediate cost to the state of California because it’s a negotiation. It could have been a two-year, three-year, four-year contract to get us there.”

AB 15 – Reinvestigating CA’s Unsolved Murders

Authored by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson), AB 15 would have required law enforcement agencies to periodically reinvestigate unsolved homicides. The bill would have created a state-mandated local program.

Upon application of a victim’s immediate family member, law enforcement agencies would have been required to determine if reinvestigation wold result in probative investigative leads.

However, yet again citing costs, Newsom rejected the bill.

“I strongly support the author’s goal of resolving these cases and ensuring peace for survivors,” Newsom said. “However, unsolved cases are more often the result of a lack of evidence than lack of diligence. To meet the timelines mandated under this bill, most law enforcement agencies would have to hire new personnel for the case file review…Diverting resources from active cases could lead to more unsolved crimes, not fewer.”

AB 93 – Managing Water Consumption Of Large Data Centers

Newsom rejected Assembly Bill 93, authored by Assemblymember Diane Papan, which aimed to regulate and monitor water usage by data centers in California.

The bill sought to establish a framework for monitoring and managing the water consumption of these facilities, which have been found to use massive amounts of water.

Supporters of AB 93 argued that data centers are growing rapidly and could strain California’s already scarce water resources if left unchecked. Critics of the veto say it represents a missed opportunity to tie the state’s booming technology industry to sustainability efforts.

In his veto message, Newsom ultimately sided with the tech industry.

“While I appreciate the author’s intent, I am reluctant to impose rigid reporting requirements about operational details on this sector without understanding the full impact on business and the consumers of their technology,” Newsom said.