Capitol Briefs: Suspense, budgets, and more LA sex abuse controversy

It was another busy week around the Capitol, with the release of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s final May budget revision, the clearing of the Suspense Files in both Appropriations Committees and yet more controversy in the ongoing battle over sexual abuse claims against L.A. County. 

Newsom’s final budget revision: Gov. Gavin Newsom released his May Revision budget proposal Thursday, shaped by federal cuts and economic uncertainty, pairing new investments in education and wildfire recovery with spending cuts.

Revenues came in $16.5 billion higher than January projections, helping the state avoid the $2.9 billion deficit Newsom’s team forecast earlier this year. Newsom credited growth in the stock market and artificial intelligence industry, while repeatedly emphasizing California’s economic strength, calling the state “the tent pole of the American economy.”

He pointed to growth in manufacturing, agriculture, venture capital and higher education as evidence that the state continues to outperform much of the country.

Still, Newsom warned that federal policies under President Donald Trump are creating major financial headwinds. He criticized proposed cuts to research funding, healthcare and food assistance programs while blaming tariffs and immigration restrictions for rising costs and labor shortages.

The revised budget includes new investments in education, homelessness programs and wildfire recovery while aiming to eliminate the state’s projected structural deficit through 2028.

Newsom fielded questions on everything from H.R. 1 to his thoughts on the gubernatorial race – spoiler alert: he did not endorse a candidate.

The suspense is killing…lots of bills: The Appropriations Committees in both chambers passed judgement on hundreds of bills today. Lobbyist, law professor and regular Capitol Weekly contributor Chris Micheli tallied up some raw numbers from the day’s actions.

The Senate Appropriations Committee had 332 measures on the docket. Of those, 90 (27 percent) were held on Suspense. Another 242 (73 percent) were passed on to the full floor for consideration in the near future.

The Assembly Appropriations Committee had 637 measures to consider. Of those, 169 (26.5 percent) were held and 468 were moved forward, a 73.5 percent tally.

For historical context, in May 2025 the Senate Appropriations Committee had 432 measures on Suspense (all were SBs). A total of 307 bills were Do Pass/Do Pass as Amended, equaling a 71 percent passage rate, while 125 bills (or 29 percent) were held (plus 11 were made 2-year bills), up from last spring’s rate of 25.5 percent.

In May 2024 the totals were 341 bills total with 87 held, a 25.5 percent hold rate.

On the Assembly side in May of 2025, the Appropriations Committee had 666 measures (663 ABs and 3 ACAs) to consider. Of those, 435 bills moved on, a 65 percent passage rate, while 231 measures (228 ABs and 3 ACAs) were held (with 14 made 2-year bills), a 35 percent hold held rate (basically the same percentage from last spring).

A few interesting bills moving forward: While dozens of bills died for the year, a significant number cleared their respective Appropriations Committees and are headed for floor debates. Among the more notable:

SB 1373, authored by Sen. Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield), a bill that would reform the state’s Mental Health Diversion Law by expanding the list of disqualifying offenses and clarifying additional factors courts may consider when assessing a defendant’s risk to public safety.

AB 2344 from Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-San Francisco), a proposal that would allow prosecutors to petition a court to require the forfeiture of animals seized in abuse cases so they can be adopted quickly instead of being forced to remain in shelters as evidence while criminal cases move through the court system.

AB 1603 by Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D-Burbank), which would ban the use, sale and manufacture of PFAS crop pesticides statewide by 2035. It would also pause new state approvals of these pesticides, set a 2030 deadline for phasing out use in the state of PFAS pesticides not allowed in Europe and require public disclosure of all PFAS pesticide applications.

Survivors step up the pressure on LA County: Sexual abuse survivors visited legislative offices on Tuesday to head off what they say is a coming effort by Los Angeles County to roll back their rights to save money.

Last year, the county agreed to pay billions of dollars to settle a deluge of sexual abuse claims linked to its juvenile halls and foster homes. Those claims came in response to 2019’s AB 218, which opened a special, three-year window for survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file lawsuits over incidents that fell outside California’s traditional statute of limitations.

County officials now complain that some of the claims were fraudulent and that the cost of the settlement threatens county services. Survivors say that’s victim blaming. For months, they’ve held protests and written letters to put pressure on the county, which they say has been quietly working on legislation to restrict their right to sue to ensure that it and other governments don’t ever have to pay such a high cost for sexual abuse claims again.

Survivors met with legislators and their aides in the Swing Space on Tuesday because they believe that proposal is about to become public.

“We went to represent the interests of survivors,” said Caroline Heldman, professor of Gender, Women & Sexuality Studies at Occidental College and the president and CEO of Stand With Survivors. “We discovered that the LA County Board of Supervisors went last week and lobbied the Legislature and they are advancing a dishonest agenda about what they’re trying to do. They’re not being honest about rolling back survivor rights and we would very much like to stop their efforts because it hurts survivors.

Late last week, survivors filed sweeping California Public Records Act requests with the Los Angeles County Probation Department and the Executive Office of the county Board of Supervisors seeking documents about alleged sexual abuse at juvenile facilities as well as any evidence that some of the AB 218 sexual abuse claims were indeed fraudulent.

The probation request seeks records from 1975 to the present, including internal investigations, disciplinary actions, acknowledgements of non-disclosure agreements and records identifying employees who were accused of sexual misconduct. The Executive Office requested any documents that support allegations that claims against the county were spurious.

Survivors say they filed the requests to hold the county accountable for its dishonesty and lack of investigation into problems at its juvenile facilities.

“It smells like an incredible coverup,” said Samantha Maloney, co-founder of the Sexual Predator Accountability Institute. “I’ve worked with Epstein survivors, I’ve been in D.C., I’ve been in parliament, and to me, coming back home to LA, this to me is the worst coverup of child sexual assault in history. That’s why we filed the PRAs.”

Los Angeles County offered this comment in response to the survivors: “The reforms the County is seeking in Sacramento are anti-fraud, not anti-survivor. They are designed to both ensure survivors of child sexual assault are compensated and protect safety net services and public education.

“Assembly Bill 218 was well-intentioned but flawed legislation from 2019 that opened a costly gateway to fraudulent and abusive attorney practices. These practices seek to funnel billions of taxpayer dollars statewide to attorneys filing increased AB 218 claims to maximize their own profits at the expense of survivors and those who rely on County services.”

Clergy sex abuse bill stays in suspense: Legislation to hold clergy accountable for sexual abuse was held in suspense in the Assembly Appropriations Committee on Thursday.  AB 1739 by Assemblymember Chris Ward (D-San Diego) would have added members of the clergy to California’s existing law banning professionals from having sexual contact with patients or clients. The bill, which had little fiscal impact, was held by Committee Chair Buffy Wicks (D-Oakland) who agreed to shepherd an unbacked version of the bill through Legislative Counsel. The bill was pushed by Hermina Nedelescu, a San Diego neuroscientist who says a church leader propositioned her for sex and groped her.

Capitol Weekly editor Rich Ehisen, Associate Editor Brian Joseph and Senior Correspondent Leah O’Tarrow contributed to this story.