Governor Gavin Newsom, a politician who loves to talk on “accountability,” just vetoed one of the most critical pieces of legislation California has seen in years—AB 2903. 

This bipartisan bill, authored by Assemblyman Josh Hoover (R-Folsom), was designed to track the billions of dollars California spends on homelessness and housing programs. Yet, after years of unchecked spending and failed policies, Governor Newsom decided to block the only measure that would hold the state accountable for its abysmal record on homelessness.

Let’s be clear: California has spent nearly $24 billion on homelessness in the last five years without any meaningful oversight. A scathing state audit earlier this year exposed that while the money flowed, results didn’t. 

Homelessness has only worsened, and taxpayers are left wondering where their hard-earned money went. Was it used to build housing? To fund programs that work? Or did it disappear into someone’s bank account?

Newsom’s veto of AB 2903 is nothing short of a slap in the face to Californians who are fed up with seeing their neighborhoods overrun with tents, trash, and human suffering. 

AB 2903 would have required tracking every dollar spent on homelessness programs and assessing which ones are effective and which are failures. 

Accountability is long overdue in this state. But instead of taking meaningful action, Newsom gave us a weak excuse, saying similar legislation already exists, citing AB 166 and AB 799.

Newsflash, Governor: AB 166 only covers two of the state’s homelessness programs. California has over 15 state-funded programs, and no one knows how the money is being spent across the board. 

In a state where homelessness has reached crisis levels, where our streets are filled with tents and despair, why isn’t Newsom concerned with actual results?

The Governor’s spokesperson remarked, “The veto message speaks for itself.” 

Yes, it does—it speaks volumes about this administration’s unwillingness to face the harsh reality of its failures.

In the face of a homelessness crisis that worsens every year, Californians deserve more than hollow words and empty promises. They deserve leaders who will spend money and ensure that spending leads to measurable outcomes. Newsom’s veto of AB 2903 isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a catastrophic failure of leadership.

Governor Newsom loves to talk about accountability, but when the moment came to deliver, he chose politics over progress.