PECG: Governor's AB 1729 Veto a Setback, but the Fight for Flexible Telework Continues

PECG President vows to continue battling for members' telework rights.

SACRAMENTO, CA, UNITED STATES, September 21, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG) President Brian Simon today issued the following statement after Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed AB 1729, PECG-sponsored legislation that would have restored flexible telework rights for state employees:

“Gov. Newsom had a chance to save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars, cut emissions and congestion, efficiently deliver services to Californians, and help state agencies recruit and retain skilled employees. Instead, he vetoed AB 1729 and kept a return-to-office mandate that objective evidence does not support.

PECG believes the governor is on the wrong side of history and missed his chance to take a stand to reshape the workplace for state employees and public- and private-sector workers. Telework is the present and future, and it should be embraced, not discarded.

PECG and our members thank Asm. Alex Lee for authoring and Asm. Josh Hoover for co-authoring AB 1729 on a bipartisan basis, and the other 96 Assemblymembers and Senators – Democrat and Republican – who voted for a smarter approach to how California government works. Their support reflected a shared vision of a state government willing to lead the way in remodeling the modern workplace, rather than cling to a costlier, less effective model.

The veto is a setback, but it is not the end of this fight. PECG will keep advocating for flexible telework at the bargaining table, in the Legislature, in the media, and all other venues because our members know — and the state’s own data confirms — that telework works.”

-- Brian Simon, PECG President

Jon Ortiz
Professional Engineers in California Government
+1 916-446-0400
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