California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the last bill of the regular legislative session with state Sen. Scott Wiener atop the Golden Gate Bridge and posted a video of the moment on X. The measure, Senate Bill 895, places a $7.5 billion science and health research bond before voters in March 2028. Newsom wrote that the state is “investing in the people and institutions that will drive California’s success for generations to come.” After the signing, online users reacted, with many calling the bridge appearance a photo op.
The video shows Newsom signing the page on a clipboard at the top of the Golden Gate Bridge’s south tower, with the bay and San Francisco behind him, then handing it to Senator Scott Wiener. The two shake hands, and Newsom tells him, “Congratulations.” Wiener answers, “Thank you.” Newsom goes on, “Well done. That’s your tenacity. On a serious note, like I’m not even joking, make that happen. It’s yours. We’ll also make sure we make it.” They then turn toward the camera with the signed sheet. The short clip does not show the climb up the tower.
The bill is Senate Bill 895, by Wiener. Signing it does not spend the money. It places a $7.5 billion science and health research bond on the March 2028 ballot. If voters approve it, the borrowing would fund research in areas such as cancer, Parkinson’s, ALS, wildfire risk, and climate, plus about $1 billion for related projects at the University of California and California State University. The governor’s office said it was the last of the session’s 1,160 bills. The Times noted the bond had no obvious tie to the bridge.
Responses to the Golden Gate Bridge Signing
On X, some treated the setting as a stunt. One user wrote, “Two clowns standing on top of a bridge, signing legislation together… The jokes write themselves.” Another called it a “clown stunt.”
A third wrote, “If Californians had a dollar for every bill you sign, they’d be rich.”
One reply focused on the cost, saying that “if voters approve the bond, principal and interest would run about $13.4 billion over 30 years.”
Others backed the measure. Wiener said, “SB 895 is a bold step to protect science, improve lives, and continue California’s global leadership on innovation for many years to come.”
UAW International President Shawn Fain said that with the signature, “California is saying, ‘Enough!’” after federal cuts to research. UC President James B. Milliken called it “a major achievement.”
A post from Newsom’s communications account said, “THE FUTURE HAPPENS HERE FIRST!” Fox News, cited by the Times, described the governor as having “his head in the clouds.”
Voters will decide the $7.5 billion research bond in March 2028. For now, the Golden Gate Bridge signing remains part of a wider exchange between supporters of the measure and critics focused on the setting and the cost.
