Californians aren’t just tired. They’re shut out. In homes across Beaumont, Palm Springs, and the Coachella Valley, people watched Sacramento churn through billion-dollar deals and last-minute votes with no explanation, no input, and no accountability. They weren’t asking for miracles. They were asking to be heard — and what they got instead was silence.
As the session unfolded, I pushed for transparency and public input — because the public deserves more than closed doors and rushed votes. I met with constituents, flagged procedural shortcuts, and called for major decisions to be made in daylight, not behind the scenes.
This year’s legislative session didn’t just move fast — it moved without the people.
When one group controls every lever of power — committee hearings, floor schedules, budget negotiations — it doesn’t just stifle debate. It eliminates the public’s voice.
Residents saw it unfold: bills rushed through without discussion, amendments dropped at midnight, and major decisions made behind closed doors. No transparency. No accountability. Just a sprint to the finish while Californians were left on the sidelines.
It felt like watching a haboob roll in from Sacramento — loud, fast, and blinding — while families in the 47th Assembly District were still trying to pay the bills and keep the air conditioning on. The decisions were made, the votes were cast, and the people most affected were nowhere near the room.
The final week was the breaking point. A multi-billion-dollar cap-and-trade deal was jammed through with perfunctory hearings, limited stakeholder engagement, and no economic analysis. I asked the Legislative Analyst’s Office for a cost impact assessment — specifically, how this deal might affect gas prices, energy bills, and consumer goods. They told me there wasn’t time to finish it before I voted.
That’s the problem. We passed a sweeping policy that will raise costs for working families — and we don’t even know by how much. That’s not leadership. That’s exclusion.
And when the budget came down, it hit hardest where it hurt most.
Health and human services faced $5 billion in proposed cut — even as emergency rooms overflow and rural hospitals risk closure. Medi-Cal provider increases? Stripped of $1.3 billion. Loan repayment for safety-net doctors? Suspended. Services for the developmentally disabled? Slashed by $75 million. These weren’t the hard choices. They were bad choices. And they were made without the public at the table.
Here’s what gives me hope: this session also proved bipartisan cooperation isn’t dead — just underused.
I worked to restore funding for critical health services. I met with hospital administrators, care workers, and community advocates to bring their concerns directly into the Capitol. In a tight budget year, I was able to secure funding to help rebuild the Palm Springs’ American Reproductive Centers after the horrific bombing. This will help couples, dreaming of starting a family, turn their hopes into reality. This shows what we can accomplish when we work in a bipartisan, pragmatic and transparent fashion.
Lawmakers from across the aisle came together to pass meaningful reforms. AB 715, a bipartisan bill to combat antisemitism in California schools, passed after a long, emotional floor debate. AB 1273 updated public utility rate setting to better align with renewable energy goals. AB 1143 established a home hardening certification program to protect wildfire-prone communities. AB 349 expanded foster care supplements for vulnerable youth. SB 40 caps monthly insulin costs to $35 to make life saving medication more affordable.
These bills didn’t make headlines, but they will make a difference.
The 2026 session is coming. We don’t have to accept a system where transparency is optional and affordability is an afterthought. We can build a state where young people can afford to stay and buy their first home, where the safety net protects the vulnerable, and where public voices aren’t just tolerated — they’re central.
I won’t claim the process worked as it should. It didn’t. But I didn’t sit quietly while it failed. I fought for transparency, pushed for affordability, and supported reforms that matter to this district. Not every battle was won, but the work doesn’t stop because the system resists it. It stops when we give up. And I’m not giving up.
If you’ve got something to say — about health care, affordability, or anything else — I’m listening. Not just because it’s my job. Because it’s the only way this gets better. Please reach out to me at assemblymember.wallis@assembly.ca.gov. Together, we’ll keep pushing for a California government that listens, responds, and earns trust through action.
Greg Wallis represents California’s 47th Assembly District.
