County receives state legislative roundup: bills signed, vetoes, and program threats

Kyle Dent of Full Moon Strategies told the Alameda County Personnel Administration and Legislation Committee on Oct. 20 that the governor had completed a round of bill signings and vetoes, marking the end of the 2024–25 legislative year. Dent said lawmakers introduced roughly 2,800 bills in the first year of the two-year session, about 1,100 were held as two-year bills for 2026 reconsideration, 1,124 measures were signed and 123 were vetoed.

Dent flagged one county-priority outcome: Alameda County opposed SB 404 (Sen. Caballero), which would have exempted metal-shredding facilities from compliance with the hazardous-waste control law; the governor vetoed SB 404 and cited concerns about unclear hazardous-waste definitions—an outcome county staff had supported.

Dent also reported that California joined a multistate coalition, led in part by the California attorney general, to sue the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency after the EPA terminated approximately $7 billion in Solar for All program funding; Dent said the loss could cost California about $250 million in community solar and workforce-training funding. "The coalition argues that the administration violated federal law and breached contractual obligations," he said.

The presenter summarized additional state developments, including a state effort to make an affordable insulin product available Jan. 1, 2026, at a capped retail price; Dent characterized the move as part of a broader focus on lowering prescription costs.

Supervisors asked for a public table of bills Alameda County took positions on and for the consulting team to include outcomes and which measures will be up for reconsideration in 2026; Dent said the team will add that table to the materials shared with supervisors.

The committee had no public speakers on the state update and adjourned after the reports and follow-up items were noted.