Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law apologizing to California’s Native peoples for past state harms. Yet five days later, he vetoed two bills backed by tribes, one focused on water rights and another on protecting sacred sites.
Tribal leaders say these vetoes block their role in decisions about ancestral waters and sacred places.
One veto struck down Assembly Bill 2218, which would have made state agencies address water shortages affecting tribes. The bill also required disputes over water projects on tribal lands to go through mediation led by the Governor’s Office of Tribal Affairs. The Karuk Tribe and Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians co-sponsored the bill.
The second veto stopped Assembly Bill 1881, the California Indian Freedom Act of 2026. This bill aimed to prevent state agencies from interfering with tribal religious practices on state land unless the state proved a compelling reason and chose the least harmful option. It would have required written tribal consent before altering sacred sites.
Assemblymember James Ramos, the bill’s author and a member of the Serrano/Cahuilla tribe, said the bill would have protected Native Americans’ right to practice their faith on ancestral lands. He noted tribal members often face harassment for wearing traditional regalia or carrying ceremonial items in public.
Both bills passed with no “no” votes, though some lawmakers did not vote. Newsom’s veto messages cited concerns about unclear implementation for the water bill and potential broad impacts on state operations for the sacred sites bill.
The Karuk Tribe’s chairman, Russell “Buster” Attebery, said tribes must be involved in decisions early, not after the fact. Shingle Springs Vice Chair Malissa Tayaba called the water bill veto a betrayal and said her tribe faces salmon declines due to exclusion from water project decisions.
The Association of California Water Agencies opposed the water bill, arguing it created unclear standards and that mediation would not be binding. The California Municipal Utilities Association also opposed it, worried about impacts on water supply.
Supporters said the sacred sites bill addressed ongoing harm caused by state and federal policies. Existing law restricts severe damage to sacred sites only if public interest clearly demands it, but tribes say agencies fail to prevent damage.
The California Chamber of Commerce praised the vetoes, warning the bills would create legal barriers to water infrastructure and affect water reliability for communities.
Newsom declared Sept. 30 as a Day of Remembrance for Indian Boarding Schools, yet tribal leaders called the vetoes contradictory to his apology efforts. California hosted 13
