SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Gov. Gavin Newsom has rejected a bill that would have made California the first state to pay people to stay sober.

But just because Newsom vetoed the bill on Friday does not mean the drug treatment program won't happen in California.

Newsom supports the treatment, known as contingency management. But he wants to test it out first before signing a law to make it permanent.

Newsom has asked the federal government for permission to run a pilot program until March 2024.

State Sen. Scott Wiener said he was disappointed with Newsom's decision, calling the veto a setback in fighting the drug epidemic.