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MONDAY, JANUARY 05-JANUARY 11, 2026
New California laws impact plastic bags, food delivery, tortilla ingredients
VOL. 10,
New Riverside County board chair, vice chair to be seated this month
By City News Service
By City News Service
H
undreds of bills signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom are set to take effect in California in 2026. The list of new laws, most of which take effect Thursday, include a minimum wage increase, a ban on plastic grocery bags and new ingredient for tortillas. Other new laws among the more than 800 laws passed last year address antisemitism in schools, low-cost insulin, and protections for consumers, workers and renters. “California is proving once again that progress isn’t something we talk about, it’s something we build,” Newsom said in a statement. “While some in Washington remain stuck debating yesterday’s problems, we’re focused on delivering real solutions for today’s families. These new laws reflect who we are: a state that protects workers, respects students, puts people before politics, and isn’t afraid to hold powerful interests accountable.” Detailed information about some laws taking effect in California in 2026 can be found at newsroom.courts. ca.gov/news/new-californialaws-going- effect-2026. Here is a sampling (laws take effect Jan. 1 unless otherwise noted): Minimum wage - SB 3. The minimum wage is set to increase to $16.90 per hour to account for inflation. The threshold for exempt workers will rise to $70,304 per year. Some local minimum wages, along with wages for fast food and health care industries, are higher. Tip theft - SB 648. The California Labor Commissioner can investigate, issue citations or file for civil action over tips that an employer takes from a worker. Tortillas - AB 1830. Most
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From left, Riverside County Supervisors Yxstian Gutierrez, Karen Spiegel, V. Manuel Perez, Jose Medina and Chuck Washington. | Photo courtesy of Riverside County
W The State Legislature is based at the State Capitol in Sacramento. | Photo courtesy of California Assembly Democrats/Facebook
store-bought corn tortillas and other corn masa products must be fortified with folic acid. The law was passed in 2024 to help prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida. Small businesses that make the products are exempt. Plastic bags - SB 1053. After phasing out plastic bags at retailers for nearly a decade, California now further tightens the previous law by completely eliminating single carry-out bags, including the thick kind that was widely considered reusable. Cat declawing - AB 867 bans cat owners from having their cats declawed. Immigration - AB 1261 requires the state to provide legal counsel to immigrant youths in federal or related state immigration proceedings. Juvenile justice - AB 651. Incarcerated parents
must be given the opportunity to be physically present at dependency hearings related to their child. If physical presence is waived, they can participate through videoconference or teleconference. Court procedure - AB 1524 will make public electronic records viewable at the court. People will be able to use their own equipment to copy court records for free, while the integrity of the record will still be protected. Artificial intelligence AB 316. A defendant may not say artificial intelligence that they developed, modified, or used that is alleged is to have caused harm to the plaintiff did so autonomously. Additionally, law enforcement agencies will need to identify when artificial intelligence See California laws Page 19
was used in official reports and the type of program they used (SB 524). State snake - SB 765 establishes the giant garter snake (Thamnophis gigas) as the official snake of California. Law enforcement identification - SB 805 requires law enforcement officers operating in California to display their agency and a name or badge number to the public, with some exceptions. Diwali holiday - AB 268 recognizes Diwali -- the Hindu festival of lights -- as an official state holiday. The law authorizes public schools and community colleges to close, while state employees could also take the day off. Diwali falls on Sunday, Nov. 8 in 2026, meaning the holiday
hen the Riverside County Board of Supervisors resumes business next week, the top priority will be seating a new chair and vice chair, currently slated to be Supervisors Karen Spiegel and Yxstian Gutierrez, respectively. The last time Spiegel, who represents the 2nd District, held the center seat on the board was 2021. Gutierrez, who began his first term representing the 5th District in January 2023, has never served in a leadership capacity in county government, with the exception of committees. The chair and vice chair appointments require affirmation by majority vote. The only time in the current century when a county board chairperson failed to receive appointment by unanimous consent occurred in January 2022, when Supervisors Manuel Perez and Chuck Washington abstained from backing then-Supervisor Jeff Hewitt. He was appointed anyway, following votes of support by Spiegel and thenSupervisor Kevin Jeffries — as
See County board Page 19
well as Hewitt’s own vote. At the time, Perez, who served as chair in 2025, and Washington both publicly backed fellow Democrat Gutierrez in his ultimately successful bid to unseat Hewitt. For 2026, Spiegel is next in line to take the helm. Each supervisor is given an opportunity to rotate into the chair, which is a one-year term. The line of succession is based only on whichever district supervisor is slated for a turn. The chair oversees establishing board schedules, guiding hearings, attending functions on behalf of the entire board, signing proclamations and other ceremonial duties that don’t require a quorum. The vice chair takes the gavel whenever the chair is absent. The individual assuming the position customarily announces at the beginning of his or her term what priorities should be on the agenda for the year. However, agencies often drive the direction of the board’s business by way of requests for funding and policy changes.