California lawmakers on Monday postponed the first hearing on a set of proposals meant to prepare the state for legal battles with President-elect Donald Trump and his administration. Multiple sources told KCRA 3 that the hearing originally scheduled for Tuesday morning in the Assembly Budget Committee would be postponed until further notice. The chairman of that committee, Democratic Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, represents a district that is under evacuation orders and impacted by the wildfires in Southern California. On Friday, lawmakers in the State Senate and Assembly quietly made adjustments to the Trump-related legislation. They added a proposed, new website to track the expected lawsuits between California and the Trump administration, new rules around the use of the extra $25 million for the California Department of Justice to fight the legal battles, and a new, proposed $25 million in grants for immigration support and legal services. The proposals were placed into the special session bills, ABX1-1 and ABX1-2. The new proposals were added as wildfires continued to ravage Los Angeles and on the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a letter to Trump, inviting him to tour wildfire devastation. In the letter the governor wrote, “Hundreds of thousands of Americans — displaced from their homes and fearful for the future — deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a fast recovery and rebuild.” Neither Newsom, Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire, nor Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas issued a press release on the updated Trump-related special session proposals. Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener sent a press release Monday morning after numerous outlets had already reported the developments. Wiener noted Trump has threatened to withhold disaster relief and has attacked the state’s leaders amid the LA wildfires. “This Special Session funding agreement cements California’s readiness to serve as a bulwark against Trump’s extremist agenda. During the last Trump Administration, California successfully defended reproductive freedoms, attacks on our immigrant communities, LGBTQ civil rights, and threats to our environment, from the unlawful assault launched by the Trump Administration,” he said in part. Democrats’ goal has been to have legislation passed by Jan. 20, when Trump gets inaugurated. On Thursday, shortly after gaveling into the special session and as it became clearer the wildfires may be the most expensive disaster in U.S. history, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas would not say if this is the right time for a special legislative session to legally fight Trump. Newsom called the special legislative session days after Trump was elected president. As of Monday morning, the president-elect had not spoken to Newsom. The governor reached out to Trump shortly after the election, but he has said he had not yet received a response. Meanwhile, Republican state lawmakers have been calling for a special legislative session on wildfires and insurance. “At a time when California should be laser-focused on responding to the devastating wildfires in LA, Democrat lawmakers’ priority is creating a $50 million slush fund to hire government lawyers for hypothetical fights against the federal government and to defend criminal illegal immigrants from being returned to their home countries,” Republican Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher said in a statement. “The disconnect between what Californians need and what Democrats are focused on is astounding.” In an interview with Pod Save America, the governor said he planned to discuss with legislative leaders if the special session on wildfires and insurance “is needed.”See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.See more coverage of top California stories here | Subscribe to our morning newsletter
California lawmakers on Monday postponed the first hearing on a set of proposals meant to prepare the state for legal battles with President-elect Donald Trump and his administration.
Multiple sources told KCRA 3 that the hearing originally scheduled for Tuesday morning in the Assembly Budget Committee would be postponed until further notice. The chairman of that committee, Democratic Assemblyman Jesse Gabriel, represents a district that is under evacuation orders and impacted by the wildfires in Southern California.
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On Friday, lawmakers in the State Senate and Assembly quietly made adjustments to the Trump-related legislation. They added a proposed, new website to track the expected lawsuits between California and the Trump administration, new rules around the use of the extra $25 million for the California Department of Justice to fight the legal battles, and a new, proposed $25 million in grants for immigration support and legal services. The proposals were placed into the special session bills, ABX1-1 and ABX1-2.
The new proposals were added as wildfires continued to ravage Los Angeles and on the same day Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a letter to Trump, inviting him to tour wildfire devastation. In the letter the governor wrote, “Hundreds of thousands of Americans — displaced from their homes and fearful for the future — deserve to see all of us working in their best interests to ensure a fast recovery and rebuild.”
Neither Newsom, Senate Pro Tem Mike McGuire, nor Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas issued a press release on the updated Trump-related special session proposals. Democratic State Senator Scott Wiener sent a press release Monday morning after numerous outlets had already reported the developments. Wiener noted Trump has threatened to withhold disaster relief and has attacked the state’s leaders amid the LA wildfires.
“This Special Session funding agreement cements California’s readiness to serve as a bulwark against Trump’s extremist agenda. During the last Trump Administration, California successfully defended reproductive freedoms, attacks on our immigrant communities, LGBTQ civil rights, and threats to our environment, from the unlawful assault launched by the Trump Administration,” he said in part.
Democrats’ goal has been to have legislation passed by Jan. 20, when Trump gets inaugurated.
On Thursday, shortly after gaveling into the special session and as it became clearer the wildfires may be the most expensive disaster in U.S. history, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas would not say if this is the right time for a special legislative session to legally fight Trump.
Newsom called the special legislative session days after Trump was elected president. As of Monday morning, the president-elect had not spoken to Newsom. The governor reached out to Trump shortly after the election, but he has said he had not yet received a response.
Meanwhile, Republican state lawmakers have been calling for a special legislative session on wildfires and insurance.
“At a time when California should be laser-focused on responding to the devastating wildfires in LA, Democrat lawmakers’ priority is creating a $50 million slush fund to hire government lawyers for hypothetical fights against the federal government and to defend criminal illegal immigrants from being returned to their home countries,” Republican Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher said in a statement. “The disconnect between what Californians need and what Democrats are focused on is astounding.”
In an interview with Pod Save America, the governor said he planned to discuss with legislative leaders if the special session on wildfires and insurance “is needed.”
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at kcra.com/upload.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Subscribe to our morning newsletter
