Dreamboat Democratic California Governor Gavin Newsom has had a very active veto pen in Sacramento, rejecting some legislation that had considerable public support. A rundown of the bills Newsom rejected:
- Free condoms in high schools: Newsom rejected the idea of requiring high schools to have condoms available for free, saying the legislation amounted to an unfunded mandate on school districts.
- Insulin price cap: In vetoing a $35/month price cap for insulin, Newsom cited a unique reason. As part of a public-private partnership with pharmaceutical company Civica, CalRx has developed essentially a generic insulin that will be sold at less than the previously demanded price.
- Ban discrimination based on caste systems: While saying that all discrimination is repugnant, Newsom rejected the bill because the state’s existing law already included language barring discrimination based on ancestry, which made a separate bill specifically for caste discrimination unnecessary.
- License cannabis cafes: Newsom rejected an effort by cannabis advocates to license establishments to sell marijuana alongside traditional food and drinks, including alcohol. Newsom cited the state’s smoke-free workplace laws as the basis for rejection.
- Legalize some psychedelics: Although he was a champion for legalized marijuana, Newsom has drawn the line at legalizing the possession and use of small amounts of psilocybin and about 20 other hallucinogenic drugs, saying the state needs to set up a network to treat abusers before legalizing the drugs.
One law Newsom did not veto: the ban on red dye #3 and other food additives, a move critics call the Skittles ban because it would ban one of the food coloring used in the dentists’ favorite moneymaker.