Democrats lost their supermajority early in the year when three lawmakers stepped down facing sexual harassment accusations. Then in June, voters recalled Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman because he had supported a hike in the gas tax. The chaos made it a bad year for brokering big deals.
One of Brown’s key priorities—a bill to link California’s electrical grid with those in other states—stalled on the last night of session. A months-long effort to craft a plan to expand health care had already fizzled out. So did a measure to levy a voluntary tax to clean up toxic tap water. Lawmakers shelved a bill that would have made California the first state to set a higher standard for when police can use deadly force. They killed a high-profile bill that would have compelled more housing development near transit corridors, and a proposal to regulate flamethrowers.
