Leading in upholding masking and PPE: Newsom is strongly supporting mandating maintaining masking in public and personal protective equipment in the workforce. Even in the early days of the pandemic, the governor coordinated purchases with neighboring states, massaged the Trump administration for more gear and deployed a torrent of contracts to private vendors.
Set a record for executive orders: As the pandemic slowed the other branches of government to a crawl, the governor’s office went into lawmaking overdrive. In 2020, Newsom issued more executive orders than any governor in a single year in modern history. Of the 58 that were COVID-related, some called for lockdowns or implemented color-coded tiers, while others lifted and relaxed them; some redirected billions of dollars while others loosened restrictions on aid; and many reshaped other areas of the law in response to the public health threat, suspending evictions, extending tax filing deadlinesand ensuring that every voter would receive a ballot in the mail, to name a few.
2.) ECONOMY
Newsom has been the most vocal governor on economic inequality
Pushed the largest economic stimulus ever: This year, Newsom proposed the largest budget in this state’s — or any state’s — history. It included $100 billion in poverty-targeting initiatives including direct payments to millions of Californians and billions more for housing, debt relief, pre-K education and broadband.
Expanded anti-poverty program: At Newsom’s urging, the 2019 state budget doubled the size of California’s Earned Income Tax Credit, which sends cash to low-wage workers. That expansion, which also included a supplemental boost for taxpayers with young children, is considered one of his biggest accomplishments to date. And last year, he signed a bill extending the payments to undocumented immigrants.
Extended rent and utility debt relief: As California’s eviction moratorium rapidly approaches, the governor and other state lawmakers have set aside a $5.2 billion pot of federal cash to help Californians pay their back rent. Another $2 billion has been set aside to help people pay their delinquent utility bills.
3.) CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Newsom knows most voters don’t want to return to the era of “lock ’em up”
Put new limits on police use of force: One of 2019’s fiercest legislative battles was over a bill to make it more difficult for police to legally justify killing civilians. After helping to broker a compromise between criminal justice reform advocates and police unions, Newsom signed the bill into law calling on further action to “make this moment meaningful.”
Halted the death penalty: Newsom did not hide his opposition to capital punishment during his 2018 campaign, thus one of his first acts as governor was to place a statewide moratorium on executions. It isn’t a permanent ban yet, but he’s definitely been moving it in the right direction – forward.
Advanced the closure of two prisons: Newsom has been pushing ahead with shuttering the closures of: Deuel Vocational Institution in Tracy by Sept. 30, and California Correctional Center in Susanville by next summer. It’s a response to a long-term decline in the state’s incarcerated population — helped along by the pandemic — but it also represents a sea change in a state once the epicenter of the “tough on crime” movement.