California lawmakers face dozens of key bills in final month

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California lawmakers left for summer recess with most of the year’s major bills still on their to-do list. So far this year, they’ve already passed first-in-the-nation data privacy regulations and a ban on new local soda taxes. But when they return in August they’ll have less than a month to tackle high-profile bills on criminal justice, energy policy and sexual harassment.

Lawmakers are still weighing a plan to overhaul the state’s bail program. The proposal would end money bail for most defendants.

Some Democrats are looking to enshrine net neutrality rules in state law this year. The issue led to a bitter fight among Democrats last month over how aggressive the state should be.

Lawmakers face an Aug. 31 deadline to pass bills this year.