California Legislature returns to Sacramento for new year with big bills, ambitions
On Monday, the gears of California’s legislative machine begin turning once again.
The 120 men and women who conduct their business on the floors of the Assembly and Senate will return from a four-month recess, and suits and dress shoes will again crowd the sidewalks of downtown Sacramento.
Lawmakers are entering the second year of the two-year legislative session — reviving bills that stalled last year and building on a 2025 session marked by efforts to streamline housing production and rein in the fast-growing artificial intelligence industry.
They’re returning from an eventful fall recess. Democrats, led by Gov. Gavin Newsom, secured a resounding win for Proposition 50, which redrew California’s congressional districts in response to gerrymandering in Texas that favored Republicans. Sacramento’s Capitol class was shaken by the federal corruption probe into political insiders Dana Williamson, Greg Campbell and Sean McCluskie.
Lawmakers are also heading into an election year. Two sitting state Senators are running for Congress: former President pro Tem Mike McGuire, D-Santa Rosa, and legislative heavyweight Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco. Other lawmakers are terming out and running for statewide seats: Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced, has launched a bid for state treasurer, and Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, is running for state insurance commissioner.
The swearing-in of Monique Limón, D-Goleta, Monday afternoon as Senate president pro tem will mark a changing of the guard. Limón, a former leader of the Legislative Women’s Caucus and a climate policy hawk, has appointed many women and progressive members of the Senate to lead committees.
Republicans in the Assembly will have a new leader in Heath Flora, R-Ripon, who took over the position of minority leader in September from Assemblymember James Gallagher, R-Yuba City. Both men term out of the Assembly this year.
The focus of the first few months of session will be reviewing outstanding legislation, floating new ideas and metabolizing Newsom’s final budget proposal, which is set to be released on Friday.
This story was originally published January 5, 2026 at 5:00 AM with the headline "California Legislature returns to Sacramento for new year with big bills, ambitions."
