Gov. Newsom vetoes Wood bill on coastal water regulation during droughts
California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a state Assembly bill by Jim Wood (D-Healdsburg) on Thursday that would beef up water regulations during droughts on the coast. AB 1272 would have made the State Water Resources Control Board outline guidelines for water use and diversion in some coastal watersheds during times of drought. “While I support efforts to protect coastal watersheds from the extreme dry conditions exacerbated by climate change, this bill creates significant, ongoing costs in the millions of dollars that should be considered in the annual budget process,” Newsom wrote in his veto message.