The Affordability Report: Week of October 13th

SB 79 was signed into law, more tariffs on China, and we are still in a government shutdown!

While the federal government remains closed, states are stepping up — moving fast to ease costs and protect residents from being left behind. From housing and healthcare to local affordability fixes, governors and state leaders are not waiting for the federal government to fix their issues.

New Pro–CoL Developments:

California Enacts SB 79 to Spur Housing Near Transit
What happened: California Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 79, a new law allowing mid-rise apartment buildings near major transit stops by overriding local zoning restrictions in several large counties
Why it matters: A bill that has been re-written several times and has taken 8 years to pass! Historic news was made this past Friday for the YIMBY community! By upzoning areas around transit, the state aims to boost housing supply in high-demand regions. This landmark law targets California’s housing shortage and affordability crisis, seeking to eventually ease sky-high rents and home prices

Governor Newsom builds on this year’s historic housing reforms, signs legislation to accelerate housing and affordability
What happened: Governor Gavin Newsom approved a broad slate of housing measures designed to tackle California’s affordability crisis by cutting delays, encouraging new development, and opening up more homes near jobs and transit.
Why it matters: SB 79 was not the only pro-housing bill signed! This housing package contains over 40 bills to accelerate construction, expand affordable housing, and cut red tape across California. The new laws fast-track permits, convert vacant offices to housing, boost farmworker and transit-oriented developments, and strengthen enforcement of pro-housing rules — a major step toward lowering rents, shortening commutes, and easing the state’s cost-of-living crisis.

California Cracks Down on High Drug Prices (SB 41)
What happened: Governor Newsom also signed SB 41, a law reining in predatory practices of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that drive up prescription drug costs The law bans tactics like “spread pricing” (overcharging health plans compared to what pharmacies receive) and requires PBMs to pass rebates to patients.
Why it matters: Prescription costs are a major burden – about 3 in 10 adults have skipped medications due to prices. By enacting the nation’s strongest safeguards against PBM abuses, California aims to make medications more affordable and ensure families aren’t forced to choose between paying for medicine or other essentials.

Michigan Budget Delivers Tax Relief and Lower Costs
What happened: Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan $81 billion state budget for FY2026 that invests in fixing roads, bolsters healthcare and public safety, and cuts taxes for seniors and working families to improve affordability
Why it matters: This state-level package provides tangible cost-of-living relief – from tax breaks to better services – at a time of federal uncertainty. Amid trade-war turmoil and a national shutdown, Michigan’s approach shows a local effort to put money back in residents’ pockets and help them afford to stay and thrive in their communities

Wisconsin Advances Bipartisan Housing Bills
What happened: Wisconsin lawmakers moved forward on a wide-ranging slate of housing bills to tackle the state’s workforce and affordability challenges — from expanding rural housing tax credits to supporting home loans, ADUs, and cooperative housing models.
Why it matters: The effort reflects growing bipartisan urgency to address housing shortages that drive up living costs, aiming to give more Wisconsinites a fair shot at stable, attainable homes in both urban and rural communities.

Special shout-out to the ROAD to Housing Act of 2025, which just passed the Senate! It’s now off to the House — read our full write-up on what’s inside here.

Image Credit: Elizabeth Warren

New Anti–CoL Developments:

Trump Threatens 100% Tariffs on Chinese Imports
What happened: President Donald Trump reignited trade tensions by vowing to impose 100% tariffs on all U.S. imports from China, in retaliation for Beijing’s limits on critical mineral exports.
Why it matters: Such steep tariffs function as a tax on consumer goods – Americans would ultimately shoulder most of the costs, meaning higher prices on everything from electronics to household items

Federal Government Shutdown Drags On, Halting Services
What happened: Congress failed to pass a budget by October 1, triggering a partial federal government shutdown now in its third week
Why it matters: The prolonged shutdown disrupts paychecks and programs – even threatening Affordable Care Act subsidies – which could send health insurance costs soaring for millions if not resolved.

Energy Failings…all around.
For this one, I am grouping them all together because sadly, there is a few to go through.

• US moves to cancel one of the world’s largest solar farms
  The Esmeralda 7 project — a planned 6.2 GW solar installation in Nevada — was formally canceled by the Bureau of Land Management. If revived, it will require re-submissions under a new, more restrictive permitting regime.

• Trump’s DOE Moves to Cancel Direct Air Capture Hubs in Texas, Louisiana
  The Trump administration moved to terminate all funding for the two largest U.S. Direct Air Capture projects — Project Cypress in Louisiana and the South Texas DAC Hub — both funded under the 2021 bipartisan infrastructure law. The cuts erase billions in clean-tech investment, threatening jobs, raising long-term energy costs, and undermining U.S. leadership in affordable, climate-resilient innovation.

• Trump’s Wind Farm Cancellation Derails Major Transmission Line

  After the Trump administration killed Idaho’s Lava Ridge wind project, the same movement has now jeopardized the Southwest Intertie Project-North (SWIP-N) — a proposed 285-mile transmission line designed to connect Idaho’s wind resources to power-hungry parts of the West. The setback threatens regional clean-energy development and could stall efforts to lower electricity costs and strengthen grid reliability across the western states.
  

Win of the Week!

Image Credit: Press Office Account

The win of the week obviously had to go to Governor Newsom’s Press office for this tweet. (It is not biased at all, of course!) But seriously, SB 79 was a major victory, and the pro-housing package he signed along with it. No more saying we need to focus on the cost of living, we need our officials to start acting on it! So we must celebrate when that happens.

That’s all for now, hopefully we’ll have an open government the next time this report comes out!