By Bo Tefu | California Black Media
__________Gov. Newsom Signs Laws Protecting California Workers From AI Abuses
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed a package of bills establishing new protections for California workers as artificial intelligence and automated surveillance systems become more common in the workplace.
The four measures, signed Sept. 30, limit employers’ use of AI in disciplinary decisions, require disclosure when automation contributes to mass layoffs and restrict invasive workplace surveillance.
“AI should expand opportunity — not come at the expense of workers and families,” Newsom said in his signing statement. “As this technology reshapes the workplace, California is putting people at the center, ensuring we all have a voice in the decisions shaping their future.”
Senate Bill (SB) 947, authored by Sen. Jerry McNerney (D-Pleasanton), prohibits employers from relying solely on automated decision-making systems to discipline or fire workers. Employers must provide human oversight and independently verify an automated system’s findings. Workers must also be notified when such technology contributes to a disciplinary or termination decision.
“No worker should ever be fired or disciplined by a robo boss,” McNerney said. “Artificial intelligence systems have the potential to increase productivity, but they’ve also been prone to errors, bias, and misjudgments.”
McNerney added that the new law ensures human oversight and keeps AI “a tool controlled by humans, not the other way around.”
SB 951, authored by Sen. Eloise Gómez Reyes (D-Colton), requires employers to disclose when AI or other automated technology causes a mass layoff, relocation or termination. It also directs the state Employment Development Department to collect information about AI’s effects on hiring and employment.
Assembly Bill (AB) 1331, authored by Assemblymember Sade Elhawary (D-Los Angeles), prohibits employers from using surveillance technology in workplace bathrooms.
AB 1883, authored by Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights), restricts employers from using AI-powered surveillance systems to interpret workers’ emotions or collect neural data.
The package of legislation represents one of the nation’s broadest efforts to regulate AI in the workplace. Labor organizations supported the measures, arguing that safeguards are necessary to prevent discriminatory decisions, protect workers’ privacy and ensure that humans remain accountable for employment actions.
__________Becerra vs Hilton: California Gubernatorial Hopefuls Spar in Only Debate
Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton clashed over affordability, immigration, artificial intelligence, homelessness, and California’s political direction on Sept. 30, in their only gubernatorial debate before the November election.
The candidates seeking to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom also traded attacks over their ties to national politics, with Becerra repeatedly linking Hilton to President Donald Trump and Hilton arguing that California needs a break from decades of Democratic leadership.
“All you ever say is Trump, Trump, Trump,” Hilton told Becerra during the debate, as he argued that the state’s problems were the result of 16 years of Democratic leadership. Hilton said Becerra would represent a continuation of the status quo.
Becerra, meanwhile, criticized the Trump administration’s immigration policies and questioned how Hilton would respond to federal immigration enforcement. Hilton said he would follow the law when asked whether he would direct California law enforcement to cooperate with the administration’s mass deportation efforts.
The candidates also differed on artificial intelligence. Becerra said he would consider whether proposed data centers would benefit their surrounding communities before determining where they could be built. Hilton said AI companies may require regulation and legislation and called for an immediate pause on AI technology in classrooms.
On homelessness, Becerra defended his record as California attorney general, saying he had demanded accountability. He said he would clear housing encampments while addressing mental health and addiction.
The candidates found common ground in opposing a proposed one-time wealth tax on billionaires, although Becerra said he did not believe the measure was the right approach despite its support from the state Democratic Party. Hilton warned the tax could drive revenue out of California.
The debate ended with both candidates reflecting on California’s history and what they believe the state needs from its next governor.
Hilton praised California’s “rebel spirit” and its history of building, inventing, and creating, but argued that bureaucracy was holding the state back.
Becerra pointed to California’s economic strength and its history of opportunity for immigrants.
“I started by saying that my parents came to California with $12 in their pocket. They lived the California dream. We need to make sure we don’t forget that,” Becerra said.
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Gov. Newsom Signs Legislation Protecting Parents’ Rights in Youth Football
Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed legislation giving California parents greater control over the safety equipment their children can use while playing youth tackle football.
Assembly Bill (AB) 708, authored by Assemblymember Avelino Valencia (D-Anaheim) requires youth tackle football leagues to allow players to use additional safety equipment, including soft-shell helmet add-ons, when requested by their parents.
The law addresses concerns about concussions and repeated head impacts in youth football while ensuring families can choose additional protective equipment for their children.
“One of the things we all are concerned about as parents, particularly when our kids say, ‘Dad, Mom, I really want to play tackle football,’ is their safety, particularly concussions, head to head, helmet to helmet,” Newsom said.
Newsom said soft-shell helmet covers offer an additional safety option but noted that not every community, school district, club or football team in California previously allowed their use.
“Well, that’s no longer the case because I just signed a bill requiring that safety feature if requested,” Newsom said.
Valencia, a former football player and coach, said he understands the physical demands of the sport and the potential effects of repeated head impacts on young athletes.
“Parents should have the ability to choose this technology for their children, regardless of where they play, especially during these critical years of cognitive development,” Valencia said.
AB 708 builds on California’s existing youth football safety requirements. In 2019, Newsom signed AB 1, the California Youth Football Act, which established minimum safety standards for youth tackle football leagues.
Newsom also convened a youth football safety summit in 2024 that brought together health care providers, football administrators, parents, youth football organizations, and current and former players to discuss safety and support for young athletes.
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Report: California Voters Aged 18 to 24 Are Most Likely to Have Their Ballots Rejected for Being Late
California voters ages 18 to 24 are more likely than older voters to have their mail ballots rejected for arriving late, according to a new report compiled by Public Policy Institute of California.
The report found that 3.1% of ballots mailed by voters ages 18 to 24 were rejected for being late during the 2025 Proposition (Prop) 50 special election. That compared with no more than 0.5% among voters ages 65 and older across the 2022, 2024, and 2025 elections studied.
The gap was also evident in previous elections. Among voters ages 18 to 24, 3.9% of mailed ballots were rejected and marked ‘as late’ in 2022 and 1.7% in 2024. Researchers found that age was by far the strongest demographic factor associated with late-ballot rejection, even after accounting for other voter characteristics.
The report also found that voters with less recent voting experience were more likely to return their ballots late. In the elections studied, voters who had not participated in the previous general election had late-ballot rejection rates of 2.6%, 1.2%, and 2.6%, compared with 1.1%, 0.3%, and 1.2% among voters who had voted previously.
Overall, late ballots accounted for 0.7% of all mail ballots received by California election officials during the 2025 Prop 50 election, up from 0.6% in 2022 and 0.3% in 2024. The rate rose to 1.1% in the 2026 statewide primary.
The researchers also examined whether changes by the U.S. Postal Service contributed to the increase. They found that late-ballot rejection rates in ZIP codes affected by the USPS Regional Transportation Optimization program increased 0.6 percentage points more than in comparable ZIP codes between 2024 and 2025.
However, the report found that the USPS changes accounted for only about 19% of the overall statewide increase in rejected late ballots because the affected ZIP codes represented about one-quarter of mailed ballots.
The researchers said the remaining increase requires further investigation. They recommended stronger outreach encouraging voters, particularly younger voters and those in affected ZIP codes, to return ballots early or use in-person drop-off options.
The report also urged state officials to continue pressing the USPS for election-period accommodations, including evening pickup in areas affected by the changes.
__________Gov. Newsom Appoints San Francisco Arts Professor Jacqueline Francis to California African American Museum Board of Directors
Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed San Francisco arts professor Jacqueline Francis to the California African American Museum Board of Directors, adding an academic and art historian with extensive experience in African American art and visual studies to the museum’s leadership.
Francis has served as dean of the Humanities and Sciences Division at the California College of the Arts since 2024. She previously held several positions at the college, including professor, academic engagement coordinator, associate professor, and chair of the Graduate Program in Visual and Critical Studies.
Before joining California College of the Arts, Francis was an assistant professor at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, from 2000 to 2008.
Her academic background includes a Doctor of Education degree in history of art from Emory University, a Master of Arts degree in African American studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Dartmouth College.
Francis is also involved with several organizations focused on art history and visual culture. She is a co-founder of the Association for Critical Race Art History and serves as secretary of the National Committee for the History of Art. She is also an advisory board member of Third Text and Panorama: Journal of the Association of Historians of American Art.
The California African American Museum, located in Los Angeles, focuses on preserving, interpreting, and presenting the history and contemporary experiences of African Americans through art and cultural exhibitions.
Francis’ appointment does not require Senate confirmation and carries no compensation. She is a Democrat.