Here’s everything (so far) Governor Newsom got done in the year that would not end

Are you glad 2025 is nearly over? Us too. This was a demanding year for California — marked by historic firestorms, federal hostility, and Donald Trump’s assault on our freedom and democracy. But under the leadership of Governor Gavin Newsom, the state responded with urgency and delivered results. Here are 64 of our favorite actions and announcements from the year — a snapshot of progress, not a complete list: 

1. Announced $11 insulin through CalRx
2. Cut taxes for military retirees 
3. Announced up to $60 billion in utility rebates to lower energy bills 
4. Completed the fastest debris removal in modern American history after the LA fires
5. Became the world’s 4th largest economy, as the state’s population continued to grow
6. Expanded before school, after school, & summer school
7. Reduced naloxone prices further to save lives and prevent overdoses
8. Enacted the most extensive housing-and-permitting package in state history, streamlining CEQA to build more homes faster
9. Launched the West Coast Health Alliance to strengthen public health amid Trump’s assault on science
10. Reined in prescription drug middlemen through PBM reform
11. Invested $140 million in Planned Parenthood amid Trump’s war on women
12. Signed legislation restricting harmful ultra-processed foods in schools
13. Provided tax relief and cut permit laws for disaster survivors, small businesses, and working families
14. Delivered emergency housing and rental assistance for displaced families
15. Launched a $125 million mortgage forbearance fund
16. Streamlined permitting and cut red tape for fire survivors
17. Provided $2.5 billion in immediate funding for fire response and recovery
18. Grew the largest aerial firefighting fleet in the world
19. Expanded vegetation management and prescribed burns
20. ​​Launched CalHeatScore – a groundbreaking tool to protect vulnerable populations from dangerous heatwaves
21. Conserved over one million acres of land and coastal waters
22. Invested billions in affordable housing near jobs and transit
23. Pushed back on President Trump’s attempted militarization of our communities
24. Launched new encampment resolution initiatives to move people indoors
25. Strengthened accountability for homelessness funding
26. First-in-the-nation methane satellite data helped stop major leaks — equal to taking 18,000 cars off the road for a year
27. Strengthened the home insurance market, including FAIR Plan reforms
28. Reduced crime statewide while investing in prevention and enforcement
29. Expanded crackdowns on retail theft and organized crime
30. Invested in local law enforcement staffing and tech
31. Provided funding for victim services and violence prevention
32. Advanced CARE Court statewide with clearer pathways, added services, and oversight
33. Expanded women’s health and reproductive freedom protections
34. Fully implemented universal transitional kindergarten —  allowing all 4 year-olds to go to school if their families choose
35. Continued free breakfast and lunch for every public school student
36. Launched the Golden State Literacy Plan and increased investment for  1,000 literacy coaches in high-need schools 
37. Raised graduation rates, boosted test scores
38. Increased paid family leave and disability benefits to historic levels
39. Expanded community schools offering free counseling, health care, and family support
40. Began the track-laying phase of the High-Speed Rail project
41. Released the Master Plan for Career Education to strengthen career pathways tied to high-demand jobs — with or without a degree
42. Launched debt-free job training programs
43. Released over $3 billion for additional residential and outpatient behavioral health services capacity through Proposition 1
44. Expanded funding for legal aid, immigrant legal defense, mixed-status families, and civil rights
45. Established nation-leading AI guardrails to protect children, workers, and consumer
46. Doubled the TV and film tax credit to keep production in the Golden State
47. Announced naturally-produced coho salmon returned to the Russian River’s upper basin — a first in more than 30 years
48. Deployed GenAI in state government and established the Emerging Technology Accelerator to modernize government service delivery
49. Launched Quantum California to anchor next-generation computing and invested in fusion energy to accelerate clean-power breakthroughs
50. Forged responsible AI partnerships with universities, non-profits and industry by establishing the California Innovation Council
51. Launched CA Breakthrough and Engaged California to achieve a more Efficient, Effective, and Engaged state government
52. Extended Cap-and-Invest through 2045 to cut pollution and bring down customer electric bills
53. Authorized a regional electricity market with other states to lower costs and improve grid reliability
54. Advanced measures to further stabilize the state’s petroleum market to avoid gasoline price spikes
55. Improved the state’s fast-track clean energy permitting program to accelerate project development 
56. Reached historic levels of clean energy storage and zero-emission vehicle sales
57. With Trump AWOL, led global climate action at COP30 and inked international partnerships with Colombia, Chile, Nigeria, Brazil, Denmark, and Kenya
58. Strengthened fraud detection and oversight tools
59. Added over 2.9 billion gallons of clean drinking water to California’s supply through statewide water infrastructure investments
60. Launched a men and boys initiative to address the crisis of loneliness 
61. Seized over 3 million illegal fentanyl pills through California National Guard-supported operations
62. In partnership with Attorney General Bonta, sued Donald Trump 50+ times for breaking the law and harming the state
63. Celebrated California’s 175th anniversary
64. AS AMERICA’S FAVORITE GOVERNOR, GAVIN C. NEWSOM SAVED DEMOCRACY WITH BIG, BEAUTIFUL MAPS! 

THE DETAILS: 

✅Delivering more affordable health care

• Delivering accessible and affordable health care: From phasing out the most concerning ultra-processed foods from California schools to expanding affordable CalRx insulin at $11 a pen to adding billions for behavioral health facility infrastructure through Prop. 1, California is committed to making health care more accessible and affordable for all. In April, Governor Newsom made CalRx naloxone available for all Californians at $24 — almost half the retail price — and beginning January 1, 2026, it will cost only $19. The Governor also signed SB 41 to lower prescription drug costs by regulating the practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).

• Expanding women’s health services and protecting reproductive freedom: Governor Newsom signed legislation to expand services and resources for California women to close gaps in maternal and prenatal care, improve health outcomes and access to child care resources, and protect vulnerable women. In October, when Trump tried to defund Planned Parenthood, California protected reproductive freedom by investing over $140 million to support its health centers.

• Transforming health care: In November, Governor Newsom awarded $145.5 million to organizations all across the state to support specialized, community-based services to transform health care into a more effective, affordable, and accessible system. 

• Investing in behavioral health: In May, Prop 1 funding was awarded to add over 5,000 residential treatment beds and more than 21,800 outpatient treatment slots for behavioral health and will build upon other major behavioral health initiatives in California. 

✅Creating more pathways and investing in our children

• Investing in career pathways and apprenticeships: Governor Newsom launched the Master Plan for Career Education — a bold statewide strategy to connect Californians, especially those in rural parts of the state, to high-paying, fulfilling careers, with or without a college degree. California’s Cradle-to-Career Data System released its first-of-its-kind data story informational tool to help students better understand their options for education and career planning. And in October, Governor Newsom announced $30 million in apprenticeship funding, giving more than 11,000 Californians access to debt-free pathways into high-demand careers that offer family-sustaining wages — opening doors to long-term economic mobility and opportunity across the state.

• Supporting our youth: Following significant investments and reforms in TK-12 public education in 2025, outcomes for Californian students — across all student groups — continued to improve, with graduation rates rising, test scores increasing, and college and career readiness going up. 

  • California continues to reduce costs for families and supports our children through the Universal School Meals Program — every TK-12 student gets TWO free meals per school day. The state fully implemented universal transitional kindergarten, a year of free learning for four year-old kids. 

  • In May, Governor Newsom announced over $618 million in community schools grants for 458 additional school sites — bringing statewide support to nearly 2,500 school sites — boosting wraparound supports, expanded learning, and wellness services that reduce barriers for students and families.

  • In June, California launched the Golden State Literacy Plan to improve student reading across the state, and is deploying over one thousand literacy coaches and specialists to the state’s highest-need schools. 

✅Advancing abundance in California 

• Streamlining production: Governor Newsom signed into law transformative housing reforms — including sweeping CEQA exemptions — to boost housing production and infrastructure statewide and improve affordability for all.

• Groundbreaking of excess housing sites: Early in the year, Governor Newsom announced the developer interest submission portal to reduce barriers for developers to submit proposals on state Excess Sites Program projects.

• Lowering utility bills: Governor Newsom signed a historic package of legislation that promises to bring down electricity costs, stabilize the petroleum market, and slash air pollution. These new laws will provide California families up to $60 billion in utility bill refunds. In April, millions of Californians received an average of $137 in credits on their utility bills thanks to the cap-and-invest program. 

• Affordable gas prices: Governor Newsom signed AB 30, allowing E15 fuel to be sold in California while the state studies its environmental impact – another tool to help avoid severe gasoline price spikes.

• Upzoning near transit: Governor Newsom signed SB 79 to create more housing near public transportation and expand housing choice and access to opportunity for more Californians.

• New homes coming to California: Through California’s innovative Cap-and-Invest program, the state announced funding for thousands of new affordable homes and green transportation upgrades in 17 communities — all funded by $865 million paid by polluters. 

• Connecting people to shelter and care: California established the statewide SAFE Taskforce — bringing together state agencies to ensure local communities have the support they need to quickly and humanely clear encampments, connect people with housing and care, and prevent repopulation.

• Ensuring stronger accountability: Governor Newsom delivered stronger accountability measures that will hold local governments accountable if they fail to make progress in addressing homelessness. The Governor also released an online accountability tool to help the public track their community’s progress on housing, homelessness, and behavioral health, in addition to $920 million in additional homelessness funding. 

• High-Speed Rail coming soon: California high-speed rail reached a pivotal milestone as California began the track-laying phase and reached substantial completion on a key 22-mile stretch. Meanwhile, the project continues to work with the High Desert Corridor and Brightline West to plan and build connected, interoperable systems – turning these individual projects into a single regional high-speed rail network. 

✅Innovation Economy and AI

• Birthplace of AI: California remained home to 32 of 50 top AI companies worldwide.

• GenAI in CA: California improved efficiency and engagement in state government by advancing its first-in-the-nation project to integrate cutting-edge artificial intelligence technology in state operations.

• New frontier framework: Governor Newsom signed SB 53 – designed to enhance online safety guardrails for the development of frontier artificial intelligence while expanding worker protections and helping build public trust while also continuing to spur innovation in technology. 

• Improving efficiency: Governor Newsom advanced California’s efficiency strategy by connecting state agencies with tech executives to identify new opportunities for efficiency, engagement, and effectiveness throughout the state government to improve services for the state. The California Breakthrough Project brings together innovators and leaders from the Golden State’s top tech companies with leaders and frontline employees in state agencies to identify areas of opportunity to streamline and improve government agencies. 

• Quantum California: Governor Newsom launched Quantum California — aligning university researchers, industry leaders, national labs, and government partners around quantum innovation and job creation.

• All about fusion: California continues to lead the world in fusion research and technology, making key investments that will take us from the laboratory to commercialization, accelerating the state’s clean energy progress. 

✅Resilience in the face of adversity

• Cutting red tape to help rebuild Los Angeles faster and stronger: Governor Newsom issued an executive order to streamline the rebuilding of homes and businesses destroyed by suspending permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act. 

• Providing tax and mortgage relief to those impacted by the fires: Governor Newsom suspended penalties and interest on late property tax payments for a year, effectively extending the state property tax deadline. The Governor also launched a $125 million mortgage forbearance fund and worked with state and federally chartered banks that have committed to providing mortgage relief for survivors in certain zip codes.

• Strengthening the insurance market: Governor Newsom signed legislation to improve the state’s insurer of last resort, the FAIR Plan, strengthening California’s home insurance market to be more resilient in the face of the climate crisis.

• Fast-tracking temporary housing and protecting tenants: To help provide necessary shelter for those immediately impacted by the firestorms, the Governor issued executive orders making it easier to build and occupy accessory dwelling units, allow for more temporary trailers and other housing, and suspend fees for mobile home parks. Governor Newsom also issued an executive order prohibiting landlords in Los Angeles County from evicting tenants for sharing their rental with survivors displaced by the Los Angeles-area firestorms.

• Mobilizing debris removal and cleanup: With an eye toward recovery, the Governor directed fast action on debris removal and on mitigating the potential for mudslides and flooding in areas burned. 

• Safeguarding survivors from price gouging: Governor Newsom expanded restrictions to protect survivors from illegal price hikes on rent, hotel and motel costs, and building materials and construction services. 

• Directing immediate state relief: The Governor signed legislation providing over $2.5 billion to immediately support ongoing emergency response efforts and to jumpstart recovery efforts for Los Angeles. California quickly launched CA.gov/LAfires as a single hub of information and resources to support those impacted and bolstered in-person Disaster Recovery Centers. The Governor also launched LA Rises, a unified recovery initiative that brings together private sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts. 

• Preparing for future emergency preparedness: California continues to ramp up its firefighting arsenal; the state now has the largest civilian helicopter firefighting fleet in the world.

✅Fighting for democracy 

• Election Rigging Response Act: Governor Newsom signed the Election Rigging Response Act to protect Californians from federal efforts to manipulate elections and weaken democratic representation. The legislation strengthened state authority to defend election integrity, increased transparency and accountability, and empowered Californians to push back against attempts to undermine free and fair elections. Voters later approved Proposition 50 in the November 4, 2025 statewide special election — giving Californians a choice to fight back and bring accountability to efforts to undermine the democratic process.

• Protecting immigrant communities: In response to dangerous federal immigration enforcement policies, Governor Newsom reaffirmed California’s commitment to protecting immigrant families and local communities affected by these court decisions and Trump policies. 

• Upholding science in public health: In September, when the federal administration undermined the independence of the CDC, California stepped up with Oregon and Washington to launch the new West Coast Health Alliance to ensure residents remain protected by science, not politics. 

• Taking the fight to court: Governor Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta sued immediately after the Trump administration assaulted democracy by taking over California’s National Guard and deploying federalized troops in Southern California. After a string of early wins in the trial court, on December 15th, 2025, California won a decisive legal victory when the Ninth Circuit refused to pause the order barring the National Guard’s continued deployment in Los Angeles — ensuring no federalized troops would be on the streets of Los Angeles any more. 

✅Standing with communities 

• Banning masking and advancing protections against federal violence and chaos: This landmark legislation prohibited law and immigration enforcement officers from concealing their identities during operations in California and strengthened protections for schools, parents and hospitals. This action increases transparency and accountability, and puts forward protections so  Californians can access essential services without intimidation — reinforcing democratic principles, due process, and civil rights.

• Addressing suicide rates among young men and boys: Governor Newsom issued an executive order to confront rising suicide rates among young men and boys, directing state agencies to expand prevention efforts, improve coordination across behavioral health services, and prioritize early intervention and support. This action elevated this crisis as a statewide priority and strengthened California’s response to behavioral health challenges — affecting young people and families.

• Stepping up to help our veterans: Honoring the sacrifices of our armed services personnel and families, Governor Newsom included a new state income tax break for military retirees and their spouses in the 2025-2026 budget. For the first time, veterans receiving military retirement pay and families receiving payments from the federal Survivor Benefit Plan will be able to exclude up to $20,000 of their income each year from state income taxes.

• Boosting paid family leave: California increased paid family leave and disability benefits for millions of workers so more families can afford to take time off from work to care for an ill loved one, bond with a new child, or recover from an illness.

• A new statewide service effort that also supports well-being: The Men’s Service Challenge, an initiative that calls upon 10,000 young men to step up as mentors, coaches, and tutors, was launched this year to support the well-being of young Californian men through service and community engagement. 

• Expanding youth support and prevention services: $47 million in grants were announced to help prevent substance use among California youth, including targeted support for young men and boys facing heightened risk. These investments expanded community-based prevention programs,  strengthened local capacity, and ensured that young people and families have access to early responsive support services.

• Advancing behavioral health services: Governor Newsom signed SB 27, ensuring individuals in crisis can receive timely treatment, housing, and ongoing support, improving coordination across courts and local agencies. The bill also supports effective CARE Court implementation by updating California’s behavioral health framework to improve early intervention, streamline court processes, and bring compassion and accountability into balance for individuals facing severe mental illness. 

• Providing access to clean water: Governor Newsom’s strategy to create more water infrastructure advanced eight new projects in the state which are set to add 2.9 billion gallons annually to the state water supply. The projects improve local water systems across California to increase wastewater recycling, keep sewage away from groundwater, remove “forever chemicals” from drinking water, and desalinate brackish river water. 

✅Powering California’s creative economy

• Making smart investments: Governor Newsom doubled California’s Film and Tax Credit program – from $330 million to $750 million and implemented key updates to keep production, below-the-line jobs, and investments rooted in California.

• Strengthening the entertainment economy: The total economic impact of Program 4.0 has generated, in less than six months, $4.17 billion in economic activity and more than 25,000 cast and crew jobs over 4,000 filming days statewide. 

✅Keeping California safe

• Investing in law enforcement: California has invested $1.7 billion since 2019 to fight crime, help local governments hire more police, and improve public safety.

• Crime is down: Through the first three quarters of 2025 (Jan.–Sep.), overall violent crime was down 12% in California’s eight most populated cities, compared with the same period in 2024. There’s been an 18% drop in homicides, an 18% drop in robberies, and a 9% drop in aggravated assaults, with the overall largest declines in violent crimes being reported by law enforcement officials in Oakland (25%) and San Francisco (21%).

• Delivering results: Since 2019, the state’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force has been involved in over 4,200 investigations, leading to the arrest of more than 4,700 suspects and the recovery of nearly 1.5 million stolen goods worth over $68.7 million.

• Honoring victims: California has invested more than $1 billion in public safety efforts since 2019, including over $300 million for victim services  — supporting programs that expand access to rape crisis centers, domestic violence resources, trained victim advocates, safe housing, witness assistance, forensic science services, and family legal services, among other resources. 

✅California’s climate leadership

• Setting clean energy records: Greenhouse gas emissions in California are down 21% since 2000. The state continues to set clean energy records as it was powered by two-thirds clean energy in 2023. Since the beginning of the Newsom Administration, battery storage has surged to nearly 17,000 megawatts — a 2,100%+ increase, and over 30,000 megawatts of new resources have been added to the electric grid. 

• Reduced emissions: This year California received data from the first-in-the-nation methane satellite and reduced emissions equal to removing about 18,000 cars from California roads for a year.

• Cutting pollution and creating jobs: Governor Newsom extended Cap-and-Invest to 2045 to continue California’s world-leading efforts to cut climate pollution and transition to the clean economy of the future. 

• Stabilizing gasoline supply: Governor Newsom stabilized the gasoline supply to prevent price spikes and provide a path for targeted, locally-led, environmentally responsible and safe increase in oil production in Kern County to boost overall supply in the state. We protected the state’s ongoing transition away from fossil fuels by maintaining a more affordable, reliable and safe supply of fuels.

• Accelerating clean energy project development: As Trump eliminated federal tax credits for clean energy projects, Governor Newsom protected decades of California’s progress to double down on building more clean energy. The state designated the Energy Working Group of the Governor’s Infrastructure Strike Team to track projects eligible for tax credits and state agencies’ actions to accelerate clean energy project development. 

• Breaking records with ZEVs: California’s demand for zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) is surging as Californians purchased 124,755 zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) in the third quarter of 2025, representing 29.1% of new car sales, the highest quarterly sales share ever reported in the state. Alongside record ZEV sales, California has surpassed 200,000 public and shared EV charging ports, more than 68% more than the number of gasoline nozzles, making it easier than ever to drive and charge electric vehicles across the state.

• Expanding Western Electricity Markets: California enacted legislation authorizing participation in expanded Western regional electricity markets, enabling greater coordination with other Western states to lower energy costs, improve grid reliability, and more efficiently integrate renewable and other zero-carbon energy resources across the region.

• Protecting ecosystems: Governor Newsom celebrated the presence of naturally reproduced coho salmon in the Russian River’s upper basin in Northern California for the first time in over 30 years, building on the statewide recovery strategy to protect our ecosystems. Amid Trump’s assault on public lands, California conserved over one million acres of land and coastal waters in just one year, equal in size to Glacier National Park.

• Expanding fire prevention management: Governor Newsom signed an executive order doubling down on California’s commitment to fire prevention by expanding the state’s use of beneficial fire — also known as prescribed burns and cultural fire — as a tool to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk.

• Protecting communities from extreme heat: California launched CalHeatScore – a groundbreaking tool to help protect vulnerable populations from dangerous heatwaves. 

• Global partnerships: In March, Governor Newsom became co-chair of America Is All In, the most expansive coalition made up of state, local, tribal, private sector, and nonprofit leaders who aim to cut emissions in half by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions by 2050, while building resilience in the face of increasing climate impacts. This role has been followed by Governor Newsom’s appointment in May as the co-chair of the U.S. Climate Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of 24 governors working to achieve a net-zero carbon pollution future in America by advancing state-led, high-impact climate action.

• On the world stage: While the Trump administration refused to even send a notetaker — let alone a delegation — to Brazil for the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), California’s delegation showed up, representing the U.S. Climate Alliance and America Is All In coalitions, meeting with world leaders, inking new partnerships, and proving that climate action, economic prosperity, and the health of our planet are a win-win-win.