New laws in 2015: What we'll see from the California Legislature

SAN FRANCISCO - MARCH 28: People walk with groceries in plastic bags in Chinatown on March 28, 2007 in San Francisco, California. The Board of Supervisors in San Francisco approved groundbreaking legislation to outlaw plastic checkout bags at large supermarkets in about six months and large chain pharmacies in about a year. The ordinance is the first such law in any city in the United States and has been drawing global scrutiny this week. (Photo by David Paul Morris/Getty Images)

In 2014, the California Legislature passed and Governor Jerry Brown signed more than 900 bills into law.

In 2014, the California Legislature passed and Governor Jerry Brown signed more than 900 bills into law. The drought forced the Legislature into action and bills were passed to regulate groundwater for the first time and override homeowners associations that fined members for changing their lawns to drought-tolerant landscaping. California also became the first state to ban single-use plastic bags and the first state to create a “yes means yes” standard for sex between college students.

While there are several laws set to go into effect on January 1, 2015, there is also the question of what the priorities and focus of the Legislature will be this year. How will the Legislature spend its surplus budget money? Will a better economic outlook mean fewer bills passed? What should California’s Legislature be focusing on in 2015?

Guest:

Dan Walters, political columnist, Sacramento Bee

Ben Adler, Capital Bureau Chief at Capital Public Radio in Sacramento