Key Votes

SB 462 blocks injured workers from filing negligence claims if they were involved in any "wrongful conduct" — a definition broad enough to sweep in undocumented workers in meatpacking and construction who are hurt on the job. It also bars cities and counties from filing public nuisance lawsuits against polluters without permission from the Attorney General, blocking the legal strategy firefighter unions use nationally to fight PFAS contamination from toxic firefighting foam. The legislature voted to override the Governor's veto, enacting retroactive protections for corporations that apply even to lawsuits already in court.

This bill blocks workers from recovering damages in negligence cases if they were engaged in any "wrongful conduct" — a definition broad enough to sweep in undocumented workers injured on the job in meatpacking, construction, and agriculture. It also shields product manufacturers from public nuisance lawsuits and gives the Attorney General sole control over multi-county claims like PFAS contamination cases that firefighter locals are pursuing nationally. The law applies retroactively to pending cases, killing active lawsuits against polluters and other bad actors as of July 1, 2026.

This bill requires county jail staff to carry out federal immigration detention duties — including paperwork, notifications, and custody holds for ICE — with no funding for training, staffing, or compensation. It also allows individual sheriffs to enter federal enforcement agreements without approval from the county commission, bypassing the governing body that employs and is accountable for jail workers. A NAY vote on the veto override would have upheld the Governor's veto and protected county employees from these unfunded mandates.

SB 452 makes it a crime to come within 25 feet of a first responder — including federal immigration agents — after being told to back away, even during lawful picketing where police are present. It also shields state and local officials from civil lawsuits when they help enforce federal executive orders, including immigration raids at workplaces. Together, these provisions threaten workers' ability to picket freely and create a chilling effect on organizing at meatpacking plants, farms, and construction sites where immigrant coworkers could face enforcement actions.

SB 462 shields corporations from public nuisance lawsuits by prohibiting claims based on the design, manufacturing, or marketing of legal products — the same legal theory communities used to hold opioid manufacturers accountable. The bill also bars private class actions for public nuisances, hands sole authority over multi-county cases to the Attorney General, and retroactively applies to cases already pending in court. For workers and their families harmed by corporate pollution, chemical exposure like PFAS, or future public health crises, this bill shuts the courthouse door.