State Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon said the 2017 session of the California Legislature was “the most productive and progressive legislative session in memory.” Hundreds of bills are on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk, and he has until Oct. 15 to sign, not sign or veto. Here’s a look at some of the major bills on his desk.

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Several major legislative initiatives did not make it to the governor’s desk, including state-run universal health care and overhauling the bail system. Here is a quick rundown of some of the more consequential bills, according to CALmatters.

Affordable housing

Three bills are on the governor’s desk, but even supporters admit they will have a minor impact.

SB 2: Would impose a $75 fee on many real estate transactions and direct that revenue toward state-sponsored affordable housing. The fee could raise upwards of $200 million annually.

SB 3: Would put a $4 billion affordable-housing bond before voters in 2018. The borrowing would support construction and subsidize home loans for veterans.

SB 35: Eases regulatory hurdles for new housing developments in cities that are not meeting their state-mandated housing goals.

Sanctuary state

Senate leader Kevin de León wants to regulate whether, and when, local law enforcement agencies can cooperate with federal immigration agencies. Most Democrats and immigrant-advocacy groups support the Los Angeles Democrat’s SB 54, while the California State Sheriffs’ Association opposes it and the California Police Chiefs Association is now neutral on it.

Detaining immigrants

Divided along similar lines as the sanctuary state legislation, SB 29, by Democratic Sen. Ricardo Lara of Bell Gardens, would place a moratorium on cities entering into contracts with detention facilities for people arrested for being in the country illegally.

Free tuition

AB 19: Community college tuition would be free for the first year for all Californians. The measure’s author, Democratic Assemblyman Miguel Santiago of Los Angeles, wrote the bill citing the state’s need for 1 million more workers with bachelor’s degrees by 2030.

The California Community College Chancellor’s Office estimates the bill would cost the state $31 million annually, but Brown’s Department of Finance has pegged the cost at $50 million.

Gender pay gap

The average woman working full time in California earns 86 cents for every dollar earned by a man. AB 1209 would require large companies to publish the average pay gap between salaried men and women, as well as for corporate board members.

AB 168 would ban employers from asking a job candidate his or her previous salary.

Both bills are supported by women’s rights groups. The California Chamber of Commerce has labeled the bills as “job killers.”

Young offenders

SB 394: Youths sentenced to life without parole would get a chance at freedom. The measure would require the state to hold parole hearings for those offenders after 25 years of incarceration.

Transgender

SB 179: California would create an additional gender designation for all forms of state ID: not “M” for male or “F” for female, but “nonbinary.” (Possibly “X,” though that remains to be seen.)

For a complete list of laws, bill information and California Legislature information, go to: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/

For a more in-depth report of legislation on the governor’s desk, go to Calmatters.org

What you can do

The governor has until Oct. 15 to approve or veto a bill. The bill becomes law if he does nothing. You can still contact the governor regarding the bills on his desk, and the most timely way to contact his office is by submitting an email.

govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov39mail/

Phone: 916-445-2841

Fax: 916-558-3160

Mailing address:

Governor Jerry Brown

c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173

Sacramento, CA 95814

Responses to inquiries snail mailed may take up to 90 days.

Busy politicians?

There has been a flurry of legislation with Gov. Jerry Brown facing the end of his final term next year and Democrats holding supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature.

Governors since 1960

Sources: Calmatters, Digital First Media archives, The Associated Press, Pew Research Center

California State Legislature, CalChamber

Top photo from May 2017, The Associated Press

Compiled by KURT SNIBBE, STAFF

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