Thursday, 25 June 2026, 8:50
As California's legislative session nears its end, several bills targeting the state's homelessness crisis are advancing. Lawmakers in Sacramento are pushing a variety of measures, from funding sober housing and removing RVs from city streets to mandating statewide homelessness data reporting.
Here are the key bills to watch as they head toward final votes and await the governor's signature.
State-Funded Sober Housing: Assemblymember Matt Haney, a San Francisco Democrat, has reintroduced a bill to allow state funds to be used for sober housing. Assembly Bill 1556 would require housing providers to have a relapse policy, which could include eviction for continued drug or alcohol use.
Critics, including Sharon Rapport of the Corporation for Supportive Housing, worry this could push people back onto the streets and divert funds from low-barrier housing, especially as federal priorities under the Trump administration also favor sober housing. Haney expects a more favorable response from Governor Newsom this time, noting the governor's office has been collaborative.
Homelessness Solutions Cost Analysis: Assembly Bill 1165, by Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Gardena), would require the California Department of Housing and Community Development to create a financial plan to solve homelessness by January 2028. This would include determining the total funding needed and setting performance metrics.
Currently, the state has never publicly calculated the full cost. The Corporation for Supportive Housing estimates it would take $8.1 billion annually for 12 years.
The bill does not include new funding, posing challenges in the current budget environment.
Homelessness Prevention Strategy: Assembly Bill 1924 would require the California Interagency Council on Homelessness to establish a statewide strategy to prevent homelessness before it occurs, with a plan due by July 2027. Organizations using prevention strategies have found that providing several thousand dollars to at-risk individuals can help them avoid homelessness.
The bill also comes with no new funding.
City Homelessness Data Reporting: Senate Bill 866, by Senator Catherine Blakespear (D-Encinitas), would require all California cities, even those not receiving state funds, to report homelessness data. After pushback, she exempted cities with populations under 50,000, eliminating about half of California's cities.
However, opposition remains from the League of California Cities and some legislators who call it an unfunded mandate.
No Arrest Warrants for Missed Court Dates on Infractions: Assembly Bill 2122, by Assemblymembers Ash Kalra and Josh Lowenthal, would prohibit courts from issuing arrest warrants for people who miss court dates for infractions, such as loitering or unpaid traffic tickets. Advocates say this is particularly important for unhoused individuals, who often miss court dates due to lack of transportation or the unpredictability of street life.
The California State Sheriffs' Association opposes the bill, arguing it sends a message that failing to appear in court is acceptable.
RV Disposal on City Streets: Assembly Bill 647, by Assemblymember Mark Gonzalez (D-Los Angeles), fixes a flaw in last year's law that only allowed counties, not cities, to dispose of inoperable RVs. The new bill allows cities in Los Angeles and Alameda counties to destroy RVs valued at $4,000 or less.
Opponents worry it could lead to more seizures of lived-in vehicles, forcing people onto the streets.
Source: calmatters.org
California has unveiled a new public dashboard designed to track job losses potentially linked to artificial intelligence, a tool that Governor Gavin Newsom's office says is the first of its kind in the United States. The California AI-Unemployment Tracker, developed in collaboration with the California Policy Lab at UCLA and the Employment Development Department, aims to monitor unemployment claims for patterns among workers in occupations considered highly exposed to AI disruption.
The tracker utilizes unemployment data to identify trends, although it does not prove that AI directly caused specific layoffs. Instead, it provides insight into whether unemployment claims are rising among workers in jobs more susceptible to AI influence.
Governor Newsom emphasized the proactive approach, stating that the state is not merely observing AI advancements but is actively preparing through robust governance and innovative policy.
Initial findings from the tracker have shown no evidence of a statewide spike in unemployment claims from workers in high-AI-exposure occupations. Dr.
Ben Hyman, senior researcher at the California Policy Lab, noted that currently, there is no indication of large-scale AI-related layoffs in California's labor market. However, researchers have identified more targeted patterns, including an increase in claims from college-educated workers in high-AI-exposure roles and a sustained rise in the San Francisco Bay Area for those in such occupations.
Till von Wachter, a UCLA economics professor and faculty director of the California Policy Lab at UCLA, highlighted that the tracker replaces speculation with evidence, offering a clearer understanding of labor market changes and how to best support affected workers. The dashboard, which will be updated monthly, can help the state identify where job search support, retraining, upskilling, health coverage guidance, and other resources may be needed.
This initiative is part of broader workforce-tracking efforts mandated by an executive order, underscoring California's commitment to addressing the impact of AI on employment.
Source: cbsnews.com
A coalition of 17 states, led by Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers, has filed a federal lawsuit against California seeking to block enforcement of its new single-use plastics law. The law, which took effect last month, requires packaging and plastic companies to reduce their use of single-use plastics and mandates that all packaging be recyclable by 2032.
The lawsuit was filed Monday in the U.S. District Court of Eastern California in Sacramento.
Attorneys general from West Virginia, Alabama, Idaho, Georgia, Texas, South Dakota, North Dakota, Louisiana, Missouri, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oklahoma, and South Carolina joined Nebraska in the legal action.
Hilgers argued that California's policy unfairly burdens consumers across the country. "Once again, California is trying to enact a policy that negatively impacts the rest of the country," he said in a news release.
"If California goes unchecked, consumers will be forced to pay more for basic necessities."
The law, known as the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act, was signed by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2022. It aims to curb plastic waste by holding producers accountable for the lifecycle of their packaging.
Environmental groups have also sued California over the same law, contending that it contains loopholes that could weaken its effectiveness. According to the Los Angeles Times, these groups argue that exclusions for large categories of plastic packaging may allow the law to be gutted.
The legal challenges come amid growing national debate over state-level environmental regulations and their impact on interstate commerce. The outcome of the lawsuit could have significant implications for California's environmental policies and for similar efforts in other states.
Source: kmph.com
Merced Police Department detectives arrested a 48-year-old man on June 23, 2026, following an investigation into the possession and distribution of child pornography. The arrest occurred at a residence on 9th Street in Merced, where detectives served a search warrant after identifying Rene Cuevas as the only adult male living at the home.
During the search, detectives seized multiple electronic devices believed to contain evidence of child pornography. Additionally, they discovered 11 firearms, including an assault weapon, and a grenade.
The Merced County Bomb Squad was called to the scene and determined that the grenade was safe.
Cuevas was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Merced County Jail on charges of obstruction, possession of an assault weapon, and possession of unregistered firearms. The investigation remains ongoing as detectives conduct forensic examinations of the seized devices.
The case originated from an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) tip received by the department.
Source: goldrushcam.com
Merced, CA – On June 23, 2026, detectives from the Merced Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence on 9th Street following an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) tip regarding the possession and distribution of child pornography. The investigation led authorities to identify 48-year-old Rene Cuevas as the sole adult male occupant of the home.
Cuevas was taken into custody without incident.
During the search, detectives seized multiple electronic devices believed to contain evidence of child pornography. In addition, they discovered 11 firearms, including an assault weapon, and a grenade.
The Merced County Bomb Squad was called to the scene and determined that the grenade was safe and posed no immediate threat.
Cuevas was booked into the Merced County Jail on charges of obstruction, possession of an assault weapon, and possession of unregistered firearms. The investigation remains ongoing as detectives continue forensic examinations of the seized devices.
No further details have been released at this time.
Source: goldrushcam.com
Investigators from the California Highway Patrol's Border Division Cargo Theft Interdiction Program and Organized Retail Crime units executed a search warrant at a warehouse in Anaheim on Thursday, June 18th. The operation led to the recovery of stolen merchandise valued at over $2.2 million.
During the search, authorities discovered a wide range of items, including TaylorMade golf balls, Meta server switches, Tamiya hobby products, and other stolen goods. The investigation remains ongoing as officials work to identify the origins of the stolen property and any potential suspects.
The CHP emphasized the importance of such operations in combating cargo theft and organized retail crime, which impact businesses and consumers across the region. This seizure highlights the collaborative efforts of law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks and recover stolen assets.
Source: kmph.com