Xavier Becerra is preparing to take the reins of California government at a particularly fraught moment, inheriting a state grappling with looming federal health care cuts, soaring wildfire-related costs and an ongoing affordability crisis. Yet much about how he intends to govern remains unclear. The governor-elect ran a low-key campaign as a Democrat in a heavily Democratic state, steering clear of bold policy promises and avoiding firm commitments on many fronts.
Here’s a look at some of the major issues awaiting Becerra and early signals about how he might approach them.
Open to new revenue, but wary of a wealth tax
Becerra opposed the so-called billionaire’s tax that appeared on the ballot this year, arguing that taxing assets isn’t a reliable way to generate steady revenue for the state. While he has said he believes wealthy Californians should pay their fair share, he has stopped short of endorsing any specific new income tax.
He has, however, signaled support for taxing companies whose low wages push employees onto public assistance programs, or stripping tax credits from such businesses. The state Department of Finance is currently studying what such a tax might look like and is expected to offer recommendations to lawmakers next year.
Becerra has also said he’s weighing a contentious proposal to tax drivers based on miles traveled as a way to fund road and highway maintenance. The state currently relies on gas tax revenue for that purpose, but officials project a $31 billion shortfall over the next decade as more drivers switch to electric vehicles.
“I take no pleasure in telling people that taxes serve a purpose,” he told reporters recently. “But I do believe users should pay for the roads they use.”
Tough calls ahead on climate and energy
Becerra has repeatedly stressed the importance of keeping energy affordable as California continues its shift toward clean power.
One proposal he has championed would give low-income households two hours of free electricity each day during peak solar production hours, when demand is typically low. The initiative, which he calls “power hour,” would be limited to utility customers already enrolled in assistance programs.
He has said he wants to “keep moving toward clean energy, but as we do, we need to make sure we’re stabilizing prices” — a goal that could include approving additional oil drilling in the state. He will also need to decide whether to uphold California’s 2030 deadline to end sales of new gas-powered vehicles, particularly as it relates to expanding electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Becerra will likely face pressure from investor-owned utilities, which have been lobbying lawmakers and outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom to reduce what they owe insurers and wildfire victims when their equipment sparks destructive fires. If Newsom doesn’t settle the matter before leaving office, it will land on Becerra’s desk. So far, the governor-elect has avoided taking a side, describing the dispute as a “food fight” between insurers and utility companies.
A push to restore health coverage for undocumented immigrants
Immigration has shaped much of Becerra’s political career. Back in 1993, during his first term representing Los Angeles in Congress, he clashed publicly with a veteran Democratic lawmaker over a plan to cut public assistance for legal immigrants — a fight he ultimately won.
Now, as governor-elect, Becerra has said he wants to reverse Medi-Cal restrictions that left tens of thousands of undocumented immigrants in California without coverage. He has also pledged to enforce new state laws aimed at limiting the use of force and restricting immigration enforcement activity on state property.
Newsom had gradually expanded health coverage to all income-eligible adults regardless of immigration status, but last year began scaling some of it back amid a budget deficit and higher-than-expected health care costs.
“My values and my fiscal convictions tell me that anyone who works hard in California should have access to the health care they need for themselves and their family, and should be able to afford it — and that includes undocumented people,” Becerra told KQED.
Keeping the death penalty on hold
Newsom halted executions in California shortly after taking office in 2019, citing moral objections to the death penalty, and began dismantling the state’s death row at San Quentin. Condemned inmates have since been transferred to other facilities.
California hasn’t executed anyone since 2006. Newsom is weighing whether to commute the sentences of more than 560 death row inmates to life without parole before leaving office, but even if he doesn’t, Becerra isn’t expected to resume executions.
As attorney general, Becerra defended the state’s death penalty in court and said he supported it in principle. But on the campaign trail, he said he would maintain California’s moratorium, citing concerns about racial bias and wrongful convictions.
A self-described “pragmatic progressive”
As California Democrats continue to debate how far left the party should lean on policy, Becerra has positioned himself as a believer in incremental progress rather than sweeping progressive overhauls.
During more than two decades in Congress, he built support among both progressive advocates and the Democratic establishment, serving as a close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — though the two had a tense moment in 2009 when Becerra pushed her to fight harder for a public health insurance option in the Affordable Care Act.
This year, Becerra backed away from his earlier support for a single-payer health care system, saying it’s unlikely California could implement one given that the Trump administration would almost certainly deny the necessary federal approval.
Even before that shift, he said he placed more value on experience than on sweeping promises like Medicare for All. As former President Joe Biden’s health secretary, he said his focus was on expanding coverage incrementally.
“When I was helping Hillary Clinton in 2016, my daughters wanted to vote for Bernie Sanders,” he recalled in an interview. “And I kept telling them, I get it, I understand. I want universal health care too. But we have to deliver results, and I want someone who’s actually been in the trenches.”
Original source: CalMatters
