Days After a Formal Apology to Native Californians, Newsom Vetoes Two Bills Tribes Championed

Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed two bills California tribes pushed hard for this year, one giving them a bigger voice in water decisions and one protecting sacred sites on state land. The vetoes came five days after he signed a law formalizing the state's apology to Native Californians.

The water bill

Assembly Bill 2218, by San Jose Democrat Ash Kalra, would have set a state policy to address water inequities tied to the removal and termination of tribes. It required state agencies to consult tribes on water projects in their ancestral territory, offer them financial help and send disputes to mediation through the Governor's Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians sponsored it.

In his veto message, Newsom wrote that the state must streamline water policy to protect supplies from climate change and that "adding new sources of uncertainty will delay our urgent fight to secure Californians' water supplies," the Los Angeles Times reported. The Association of California Water Agencies and the California Farm Bureau opposed the bill as vague and likely to invite legal fights.

Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba, whose tribe opposes the Delta tunnel project, told CalMatters the veto was a "backhanded betrayal" that contradicted the governor's apology. Karuk Chairman Russell "Buster" Attebery said tribes need to be at the table before decisions are made.

The sacred-sites bill

AB 1881, the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026 by Assemblymember James Ramos, the Legislature's only Native American member, would have barred state agencies from significantly interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless they showed a compelling reason. It also would have required written tribal consent before agencies significantly altered a known sacred site, and would have eased rules on regalia and ceremonial items in state buildings.

Newsom said he was sympathetic to its goals but warned of "far-reaching impacts" on state operations and property management. The California Chamber of Commerce praised both vetoes, saying the bills would have created legal barriers to water storage and infrastructure.

The broader record

Newsom, who leaves office in January, signed AB 2115, the formal apology, on Sept. 25. CalMatters notes he also signed bills making Native American Day a paid state holiday and making the tribal affairs office permanent, and his office says the state has returned more than 100,000 acres to tribes. Tribal leaders say they will keep pressing for consultation and co-stewardship.