Newsom vetoes firefighter pay raise months after California's most expensive wildfire

Less than a year after the most expensive and devastating wildfire in state history, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bipartisan bill that sought to raise salaries for California’s state firefighters.

Newsom wrote in a letter on Oct. 3 that he vetoed the bill because it would cost the state too much money and interfere with the normal way employee pay is negotiated.

"While I appreciate the author's intent, this bill would create significant cost pressures for the state and circumvent the collective bargaining process," Newsom wrote.

"Establishing a statutory floor for employees of a single department undermines this process, to the detriment of both the state and other bargaining units," he added.

Newsom's office did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment