u/Beautiful-Apricot167

I watched today's California Senate Appropriations Committee hearing live, and AB 1729 was placed on the Suspense File.

For anyone wondering what that means:

• It is NOT dead. It's still an active bill.
• Bills with significant fiscal impacts are often placed on the Suspense File so the committee can review all of the higher-cost bills together before deciding which ones move forward.
• The committee will later decide whether to:
  • Release the bill (it advances to the full Senate for a vote), or
  • Hold the bill (it effectively dies for the remainder of the 2025–2026 legislative session).

One thing I learned is that there are two different meanings of "held":

• Held in the Suspense File = waiting for the committee's decision (where AB 1729 is now).
• Held on Suspense = the committee decides not to release it, and the bill is effectively done for this session.

The next key date is Thursday, August 13, when the Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to hold its Suspense Hearing. That's when we'll find out whether AB 1729 moves to the Senate floor or is held.

Also, the reason it was placed on Suspense isn't because telework itself is new. According to the fiscal analysis, the estimated costs come from implementing the bill's statewide reporting, tracking, and oversight requirements—not from employees working remotely.

I'll be watching the August 13 hearing and will post another update when there's a decision.

Subject: Please Support AB 1729 and Evidence-Based Telework Policies for California State Workers
Dear Senator [Last Name],
I am a constituent and a California state employee writing to respectfully ask for your support of AB 1729 and for your continued leadership in promoting evidence-based telework policies.
California’s public servants have demonstrated that many state functions can be performed effectively under hybrid telework arrangements while maintaining productivity, accountability, and high-quality public service. Rather than relying on blanket return-to-office mandates, the State should continue making workplace decisions based on operational needs and measurable outcomes.
The California State Auditor’s recent report raised significant concerns regarding the State’s return-to-office policy. The Auditor found that the Governor’s Office did not adequately evaluate departments’ office space needs or the financial impacts before implementing broad return-to-office directives. The report also concluded that telework can reduce office costs, improve recruitment and retention, and, in many cases, maintain productivity and service levels.
AB 1729 offers a practical, balanced approach. It does not require universal telework. Instead, it requires state agencies to evaluate telework based on operational needs, periodically review their programs, and increase transparency regarding costs and efficiencies. It preserves management discretion while encouraging decisions grounded in evidence rather than one-size-fits-all mandates.
For employees who live in high-cost regions such as the Bay Area, Southern California, and other expensive parts of the state, mandatory commuting creates significant financial burdens through fuel, tolls, parking, vehicle maintenance, and lost time. At the same time, California continues to face challenges recruiting and retaining experienced public employees. Flexible telework policies help address these issues while also reducing unnecessary expenditures on underutilized office space.
I recognize that many state positions require an in-person presence, and those positions should continue to operate accordingly. However, where telework has proven successful and operationally appropriate, departments should retain the flexibility to continue using it.
I respectfully ask that you:
Support AB 1729.
Promote telework decisions based on operational needs and measurable performance rather than blanket statewide mandates.
Continue legislative oversight of return-to-office policies to ensure they are fiscally responsible and supported by objective evidence.
Support policies that improve recruitment, retention, employee morale, and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.
California has an opportunity to lead by adopting workplace policies that reflect data, fiscal responsibility, and the evolving nature of public service. Supporting AB 1729 would help modernize state government while ensuring agencies remain accountable to both taxpayers and the people they serve.
Thank you for your time, your service, and your consideration of this important issue. I respectfully urge you to support AB 1729 and evidence-based telework policies for California’s public workforce.
Respectfully,
[Your Name]
Constituent
California State Employee (optional)
City, California

Edit: it’s for all high cost living areas and that’s all of California

Furthermore, the “moderators” did not cite any rule that was violated in that post.

Would it be improper for me to ask how much money the board has spent on the failed CEQA endeavor? Are they really behaving in the best interests of our union with these expenditures?

CAPS-UAW RTO working group member back to plug the upcoming event

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 5TH OUR RAISES, OUR RIGHTS LUNCHTIME STATEWIDE RALLY

State Scientists are standing up for ourselves, our contract, and our rights. On August 5th, join your coworkers to demand that CalHR bargain in good faith about the RTO mandate and demand they honor the raises agreed to in our contract and side letter. 

Sacramento area workers will be rallying at the CalHR building from 12-1 (so for all our CalHR rank and file siblings this means upper management will be hiding at working from home that day). Request time off for a long lunch; plan for events to be an hour plus your transit time.

There are events all across the state, such as:

• Los Angeles - Rally at the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters
• Oakland - Caltrans and SWRCB are marching to rally at Snow Park
• San Diego - Rally at Caltrans District 11
• Fresno - Rally at the Hugh Burns State Building
• Redding - Rally at the Sundial Bridge
• Eureka - Rally at the Humboldt County Courthouse
• San Luis Obispo - Rally at Caltrans District 5

These are just a few of the events, you can find the full list (and times) in the RSVP form!  Don’t see your worksite? Reach out to us (or slide into my DMs) and we can help you set up your own picket, or point you to the nearest one. 

See you there!

Not in CAPS? All unions are welcome at any of our rallies!

The commute adds thousands of dollars to before and after school care. How many women have to leave the workforce because before and after school care, parking, gas, etc wipe out their income?

State workers don’t get paid a lot. Housing prepandemic, you can buy a home and pay maybe $1500-$2500 a month. Now you need $4000-$5000 for the same exact house. Groceries that used to cost $300 prepandemic, now cost $600+ for the same exact things.

These costs may be trivial for people like Gavin. But for regular people, it’s a monster addition to the monthly budget.

Is Gavin effectively pushing women out of the workforce?

I just budgeted out my bills and literally cried.

It’s not even the 1st of the month. After paying bills, buying groceries for the first week, and picking up my much needed Lexapro, I’m left with about $220 to make it through August.

I’ve worked for the State my entire adult life, from 19 years old, and going on 37. I never imagined I’d be at this point where it isn’t enough.

The hardest part is childcare… (I have a two year old. That means he was born in 2024. That means we had been already been WFH for 4 years) I know daycare is important for my son’s development, and I’m grateful to have quality care. But we recently went from juggling WFH schedules and a couple days of daycare to needing care 4–5 days a week.
The equivalent to a car note: $344 e v e r y w e e k hitting my budget is suffocating.

It isn’t just the money. It’s realizing I’m paying over $1,300 a month while also spending fewer waking hours with my little boy. I know it’s what our family needs right now, but that realization hit me harder than I expected.
I don’t really have a question, I just needed to vent to people who might understand. If anyone has found ways to make the numbers work as a state employee, I’d love to hear them.

Edit: the comments are getting away from the actual point. Picking apart my personal circumstances instead of the policy itself. The policy is what increased my costs. If you believe RTO is justified, defend the policy on its own merits. Don’t make assumptions about how every individual employee manages their family.

For generations, the United States has been a global advocate for freedom, democracy, and the rule of law. Today, however, the world is calling on the United States to uphold those same principles at home.