Gavin Newsom vetoes two California tribal empowerment bills

California Governor Gavin Newsom has vetoed two pieces of legislation aimed at expanding the influence and protections of Native American tribes, despite having recently signed a law formalizing a state apology for historic harms against Indigenous peoples.

The first vetoed measure, Assembly Bill 2218, sought to address water-related inequities. The bill would have required state agencies to engage in a mediation process, overseen by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs, to resolve disputes between tribes and state water agencies regarding projects in ancestral territories. The legislation was co-sponsored by the Karuk Tribe and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians.

The second vetoed bill, Assembly Bill 1881—known as the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026—was designed to protect sacred religious sites on state land. Authored by Assemblymember James Ramos, the bill would have required state agencies to document written consent from tribes before making significant changes to known sacred sites and would have granted tribes the right to sue to enforce these protections.

Tribal leaders expressed disappointment, stating that the vetoes effectively exclude them from critical decision-making processes regarding their ancestral waters and sacred locations.