A veto by the governor can still be overturned if the legislature chooses to vote in favor of the bill with a two-thirds majority in each house.
While many states, including Texas and Arkansas, have allowed the testing and operation of self-driving trucks, California - home to Alphabet (GOOGL.O), Apple (AAPL.O) and some of the most cutting-edge tech startups - bars autonomous trucks weighing more than 10,001 pounds.
Developing autonomous technology has proved harder and more expensive than expected, leading to job cuts and even companies shutting shop.
But labor unions led by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have been calling for Governor Newsom to sign the bill, saying autonomous trucks - some of which weigh over 80,000 pounds - were unsafe and would lead to job losses.
Governor Newsom in his veto message said any regulations framed by the department of motor vehicles would be transparent, with inputs from stakeholders and experts to ensure safety.
Persons:
Tina Bellon, Gavin Newsom, Bill, Newsom, Abhirup Roy, Jan Harvey
Organizations:
REUTERS, FRANCISCO, U.S, Apple, Reuters, Daimler, Kodiak Robotics, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Thomson
Locations:
Palmer, Dallas , Texas, U.S, California, Texas, Arkansas, Aurora, Southern California, San Francisco