Facing a $12 billion deficit, lawmakers use opaque process to shelve critical reforms — but SB 48’s survival offers a last stand for immigrant students and families.
In a rapid-fire session behind closed doors, California lawmakers axed hundreds of bills Friday in what’s known as the “suspense file” hearing — a secretive, high-stakes ritual used to quietly kill legislation with major budget implications. This year’s round of cuts hit particularly hard for bills championed by Latino lawmakers and aimed at addressing persistent inequities in health care, education, and economic opportunity for Hispanic communities.
Facing a $12 billion budget deficit, both the Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees cited the fiscal crisis to justify shelving proposals — many of which were designed to serve California’s large and growing Latino population. Among the casualties were initiatives expanding access to Medi-Cal, exempting service workers’ tips from income tax, and supporting undocumented immigrants’ ability to purchase health insurance through Covered California.
“It’s disheartening to see bills aimed at uplifting working families and immigrant communities fall victim to a process with so little transparency,” said Sen. Lena Gonzalez (D-Long Beach), a member of the California Latino Legislative Caucus. “These are not just policy ideas — they’re about equity and survival for many of our constituents.”
The suspense file is intended to group costly bills for a holistic review, but in practice it has become a backroom gatekeeper. Lawmakers decide in advance — often without public explanation — which bills live or die. The actual hearing, typically lasting only a few hours, is little more than a reading of outcomes.
Latino Caucus Chair Sen. María Elena Durazo (D-Los Angeles) criticized the process for disproportionately sidelining community-focused policies. “The needs of Latino families — affordable health care, economic relief for tipped workers, protections for immigrant labor — are urgent and should not be treated as expendable line items,” she said in a statement following the hearing.
One of the highest-profile losses was a proposal to allow higher-earning undocumented Californians to purchase health insurance through the state exchange — a bill that immigrant rights groups had championed for years. Another was a measure to exempt tips from state income tax, seen as a lifeline for service workers, many of whom are Latino.
Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) expressed frustration that despite early warnings about cost constraints, proposals aimed at underserved communities received little meaningful engagement or opportunity for compromise. “We were told to keep it lean. We did — and still, our communities got cut,” he said.
While some bills were pushed to next year or folded into ongoing budget talks, the fate of many Latino-focused priorities remains uncertain. With negotiations now moving behind closed doors between Gov. Gavin Newsom and legislative leaders, advocates worry that vital initiatives may be permanently sidelined in the name of fiscal restraint.
SB 48 Advances to Senate Floor: A Critical Test for Latino Rights
In a rare bright spot for Latino advocates, SB 48 — introduced by Sen. Lena Gonzalez — was ordered to a third reading in the Senate. The bill, which would require schools and county offices of education to deny permission to immigration enforcement officers to enter a campus or question a student unless they have a judicial warrant or court order; In addition, the bill would prohibit schools from sharing information about students, staff or families with immigration officials, unless they have a judicial warrant. This bill is now just one vote away from potentially passing the Senate.
What does the third reading mean?
A bill’s third reading is the final step before a floor vote in its chamber of origin. In this stage, the full Senate will review the bill’s final language and vote to either pass or reject it. If passed, SB 48 would then move to the Assembly for consideration, starting with policy committee hearings.
The bill has drawn praise from immigrant rights groups and educators, who say it will protect vulnerable students and families from fear of deportation while accessing essential services.
“This is about protecting the constitutional rights of all Californians, regardless of immigration status,” Gonzalez said. “Schools and hospitals should be safe spaces — not places of surveillance.”
While SB 48 cleared the appropriations process, advocates caution that opposition from law enforcement groups and conservative lawmakers could intensify as the bill approaches a full vote. Still, its survival stands in stark contrast to the fate of many other Latino-led bills this year — and gives hope that some equity-centered legislation can still advance amid budget belt-tightening.
SB 48 Introduced by Senator Lena Gonzalez Limits Immigration Enforcement in Schools
