SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump, on Thursday known as for lawmakers to convene a particular session later this yr to safeguard the state’s progressive insurance policies on local weather change, reproductive rights and immigration forward of one other Trump presidency.
The transfer — a day after the previous president resoundingly defeated Vice President Kamala Harris within the presidential race — successfully reignited California’s resistance marketing campaign towards conservative insurance policies that state Democratic leaders began through the first Trump administration.
“The freedoms we maintain pricey in California are underneath assault — and we gained’t sit idle,” Newsom, who reportedly has ambitions on the national stage, mentioned in an announcement. “California has confronted this problem earlier than, and we all know find out how to reply. We’re ready to struggle within the courts, and we are going to do every thing essential to make sure Californians have the assist and assets they should thrive.”
Newsom’s workplace advised The Related Press that the governor and lawmakers are able to “Trump-proof” California’s state legal guidelines. His announcement Thursday known as on the Legislature to offer the legal professional normal’s workplace extra funding to struggle federal challenges after they meet in December.
California’s transfer is a part of a rising dialogue amongst Democratic state officers throughout the nation looking for to guard insurance policies that face threats underneath Trump’s management. Different blue states are transferring rapidly to organize sport plans and anticipate a extra sturdy battle this time round with a Republican-dominated Senate and presumably Home.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul mentioned she, Lawyer Normal Letitia James and their senior staffers plan to satisfy commonly to debate authorized methods to guard “key areas which can be most probably to face threats from the Trump administration” reminiscent of “reproductive rights, civil rights, immigration, gun security, labor rights, LGBTQ rights and and our environmental justice.”
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, who as state legal professional normal filed dozens of lawsuits towards Trump throughout his first time period, mentioned they are going to “need to see if he makes good on what he promised and ran on by way of Project 2025 or different issues.”
Massachusetts Lawyer Normal Andrea Campbell mentioned she and different attorneys normal are “completely clear-eyed that president-elect Trump has advised us precisely what he intends to do as president.”
In Chicago, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker introduced comparable preparations.
“Chaos, retribution and disarray radiated from the White Home the final time Donald Trump occupied it,” Pritzker mentioned at a Thursday information convention. “Maybe this time could also be totally different. But when it isn’t, Illinois will stay a spot of stability and competent governance.”
In some states, together with Connecticut, officers are hoping to codify progressive insurance policies into regulation via the poll field, “however there are limits to what our means is to try this,” Connecticut Comptroller Sean Scanlon mentioned.
California Republican lawmakers known as Newsom’s announcement a “political stunt.”
“The one ‘downside’ it is going to remedy is Gavin Newsom’s insecurity that not sufficient individuals are listening to him,” Republican chief of the state Meeting James Gallagher mentioned in an announcement in regards to the particular session.
Trump’s marketing campaign didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark.
After Trump’s win, Newsom vowed to work with the president-elect however added, “Let there be no mistake, we intend to face with states throughout our nation to defend our Structure and uphold the rule of regulation.”
Trump usually depicts California as representing all he sees incorrect in America. Democrats, which maintain each statewide workplace in California and have commanding margins within the Legislature and congressional delegation, outnumber registered Republicans by almost 2-to-1 statewide and Harris simply carried the state in her shedding presidential bid.
Trump known as the Democratic governor “New-scum” throughout a campaign stop in Southern California final month and has relentlessly lambasted the Democratic stronghold and nation’s most populous state over its giant variety of immigrants within the U.S. illegally, its homeless inhabitants and its thicket of rules.
Trump additionally waded right into a water rights battle over the endangered delta smelt that has pitted environmentalists towards farmers and threatened to withhold federal support to a state more and more underneath menace from wildfires.
In a speech Wednesday morning, Trump vowed to observe via together with his marketing campaign promise of finishing up the mass deportation of immigrants with out authorized standing and prosecuting his political enemies.
State Lawyer Normal Rob Bonta mentioned his workplace spent the previous yr reviewing more than 120 lawsuits the state filed throughout Trump’s first time period in preparation of recent federal actions.
“We discovered lots about former President Trump in his first time period — he’s petty, vindictive, and can do what it takes to get his approach irrespective of how harmful the coverage could also be,” state Senate President Professional Tempore Mike McGuire mentioned in an announcement. “California has come too far and achieved an excessive amount of to easily give up and settle for his dystopian imaginative and prescient for America.”
Newsom has known as California a sanctuary for individuals in different states looking for abortions. The state has handed dozens of laws to guard abortion entry, together with setting apart $20 million in taxpayer cash to assist pay for patients in other states to journey to California to get an abortion. Newsom additionally leads a coalition of 20 Democratic governors launched in 2023 to strengthen abortion entry.
The state was additionally the primary to mandate that every one new vehicles, pickup vans and SUVs offered in California be electrical, hydrogen-powered or plug-in hybrids by 2035 and provides state regulators the ability to penalize oil firms for making an excessive amount of cash. California additionally extends state-funded health care to all low-income residents no matter their immigration standing.
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Related Press writers Anthony Izaguirre in Albany, New York, Steve LeBlanc in Boston, Sophia Tareen in Chicago and Susan Haigh in Hartford, Connecticut, contributed to the report.
