Dan J. Harkey

Master Educator | Business & Finance Consultant | Mentor

Governor Gavin Newsom signed 794 bills in 2025, spanning a Wide Range of Policy Areas.

The Governor never met a new regulation designed to control every element of human experience that he didn’t like. The control in California of the human experience moves one step further toward the Communist Chinese Party experiment. Tax, regulate, and provide a safety net for those who don’t want to work. They will come in groups, and I will maintain control over them. They will vote for me because I represent a life-line hammock.

by Dan J. Harkey

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Here’s a breakdown of the major categories and examples:

1.  Housing & Land Use

  • SB 79 – Allows denser housing near major transit stops; overrides local zoning restrictions to boost supply.
  • AB 130 & SB 131 – Streamline CEQA reviews for infill housing and infrastructure projects to accelerate development.
  • Measures to convert vacant office buildings into housing and expand farmworker housing.

2.  Healthcare & Public Health

  • Insulin Price Cap – Limits insulin copays to $35 for Californians with diabetes.
  • Mental Health Expansion – Broadens CARE Court eligibility to include bipolar disorder, helping unhoused individuals access treatment.
  • Pharmacy Benefit Manager Reform (SB 41) – Adds licensing and transparency requirements for PBMs.

3.  Artificial Intelligence & Technology

  • SB 243 & SB 524 – Regulate the use of AI in Law enforcement and consumer-facing applications, mandating transparency and safety protocols.
  • AB 316 & AB 621 – Increase accountability for AI developers and penalize nonconsensual deepfake content.
  • Establishes CalCompute, a public AI computing cluster for research and safety oversight.

4.  Social Media & Online Safety

  • AB 56 – Requires warning labels on social media platforms for minors.
  • AB 1043 – Implements age-gating for app stores and operating systems.
  • AB 772 – Mandates anti-cyberbullying policies in K-12 schools.

5.  Reparations & Racial Justice

  • SB 518 – Creates Bureau for Descendants of American Slavery; enables restitution claims for racially motivated property seizures.

6.  Election & Governance

  • AB 16 & AB 5 – Speeds up mail-in ballot processing and reporting timelines.
  • AB 827 – Shortens signature cure periods for ballots.

7.  Public Safety & Gun Control

  • AB 1344, AB 1078, AB 1127, SB 704 – Tighten firearm regulations, including emergency restraining orders and restrictions on weapon modifications.

8.  Labor & Workforce

  • Raises pay for incarcerated firefighters from $1 to $7.25/hour.
  • Expands labor protections for gig workers and low-wage sectors.

9.  Climate & Environmental Policy

  • CEQA reforms to accelerate green infrastructure and housing projects.
  • Measures supporting EV charging in multifamily housing and climate-smart development.