Bill Talk
Welcome to Bill Talk, a weekly breakdown of the biggest bills, policy committee hearings, and legislative deadlines that city leaders need to know about. The weekly primer is organized around Cal Cities’ advocacy priorities. Members can get the list early by contacting their regional public affairs manager.
Want to see the sessions, but cannot make it to the Capitol? The State Senate and State Assembly stream all floor sessions and regularly scheduled committee hearings. To see all tracked bills by issue area or priority, visit the Bill Search page.
Do you have feedback about this resource? Please email Brian Hendershot, managing editor for Cal Cities Advocate.
Latest Bill Talk
- August 19, 2026: Which city bills survived the annual fiscal culling?
- August 12, 2026: Everyone is in suspense
- August 5, 2026: Lawmakers are back in town
- July 1, 2026: Some last-minute horse-trading
- June 24, 2026: Data center debates, a $11 billion housing bond, and more
- June 17, 2026: The “final” budget arrives
- June 10, 2026: The weather (and legislative session) heats back up
- June 3, 2026: Time to do it all over again
- May 20, 2026: Which bills important to cities survived the suspense file slash?
- May 13, 2026: More appropriations bills to watch
- May 6, 2026: The ones to act on in appropriations
- April 29, 2026: The calm before the appropriations slash
- April 20, 2026: The first house deadline blitz
- April 15, 2026: Wow! That’s a lot of bills
- April 6, 2026: Recess ends, as does the calm for cities
- March 25, 2026: Some early wins and plenty of bipartisan support
- September 10, 2025: Lots of unfinished business
- September 3, 2025: Cities notch big suspense file wins, despite budget crunch
- August 27, 2025: The (next-to-last) last Bill Talk of 2025?
- August 20, 2025: A fiscal fork in the road approaches
- July 16, 2025: Major proposals paused, Cap-and-Trade talks begin (kind of)
- July 9, 2025: Budget cuts, legislative wins, and late-breaking bills
- July 2, 2025: CEQA changes, HHAP overhaul, and more
- June 25, 2025: The 'calm' before the bill hearing rush
- June 18, 2025: Budget blues and other legislative debates
- June 11, 2025: New budget deal, new bills, new Senate Pro Tem?
- May 21, 2025: The suspense file bills we’re watching
- May 14, 2025: Sacramento in suspense
- May 7, 2025: Two wins and nine bills to act on
- April 30, 2025: Four measurable measure modifications
- April 16, 2025: What to advocate on after Spring Recess
Curious why Cal Cities supports or opposes certain bills or measures? Advocacy efforts are determined by Annual Conference Resolutions or the Existing Policy and Guiding Principles.
Legal Advocacy
Laws affecting cities are made in the courts, as well as in the Legislature. Consequently, Cal Cities advocacy efforts extend to the appellate courts. The organization weighs in on legal issues where its participation is likely to help advance the legal interests of all California cities. Learn more about our Legal Advocacy efforts.