In moments of crisis, incarcerated firefighters provide a lifeline for California. They are often the frontline in our ever-growing list of destructive wildfires and even during floods or other natural disasters.
Yet once released from prison, they struggle to get firefighting jobs, despite their qualifications.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday signed a bill by Assemblymember Sade Elhawary that will give incarcerated firefighters credentials to help validate their experience and a preference in entry-level hiring at Cal Fire, the state’s firefighting department.
For Elhawary, whose family in Altadena was affected by the Eaton Fire last year, the bill stems in part from her own experience seeing hardworking incarcerated firefighters on the frontlines.
It took almost two years to iron out the bill because of concerns that it would create a hiring quota. This year, a formerly incarcerated firefighter and nonprofit leader, Royal Ramey, helped her negotiate language that gives formerly incarcerated firefighters preference in the hiring process without promising them a job.
Ramey: “The bill tells incarcerated firefighters that their hard-earned experience counts.”
Read more here.
More new laws — and vetoes: Newsom is up against a Wednesday deadline to finish signing or rejecting the last bills he’ll see as governor. Stay with us, folks, we’ll be covering Newsom’s bill signings all week. Here are some highlights.
Bolstering public defense: Two new laws will force California counties to improve their public defender systems by limiting their use of low-pay contracts with private attorneys and requiring reporting on attorney caseloads. They follow a 2025 CalMatters investigation into the state’s public defense system.
Survivors vetoed: While Newsom signed a new law related to smoke damage, he vetoed two other bills put forward by fire survivor groups, who question his motives.
No new money for Delta levees: Even with an El Niño winter looming and memories of flooding still fresh, Newsom vetoed a bill aimed at shoring up the Delta’s aging levees.
Learning from disaster: Another new law tightens building rules for sites that store explosive chemicals, responding to an Orange County chemical incident that forced thousands of residents to evacuate Memorial Day weekend.
Love for firefighters: Newsom signed a law that signals a significant raise for firefighters at Cal Fire, although exactly how much will be up to the next governor.