Before this year’s legislative session really got underway, California legislators were tasked with protecting the state’s “values and fundamental rights” in preparation for a new Trump administration.
The idea was to shore up resources for the state’s Department of Justice and legal aid services that support immigrants ahead of President Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. That timeline didn’t pan out, and it seems the effort has hit another delay.
Assembly members were slated to vote on the $50 million package — half for the Department of Justice and half for legal aid services — on Thursday, Jan. 30, but Democrats instead huddled behind closed doors.
A vote never happened.
According to a spokesperson for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, legislators wanted more time on the bills, especially as Trump has enacted sweeping orders right off the bat since taking office.
The president has already issued a spate of executive actions meant to follow through on his campaign promises of mass deportations, border security and stringent rules for who can enter the U.S. And the administration also threatened a federal funding freeze last week that, if ultimately implemented, would put a financial strain on several groups, including those that work with immigrants.
“In the Assembly, we are going to look closely at the special session legal defense bills to ensure they are airtight and protect all Californians against these new threats,” Nick Miller, the speaker’s spokesperson, said.
The Trump-related special session legislation has already cleared the upper chamber.
And the legislature already passed, and the governor already signed, what became the second part of the statehouse’s special session: wildfire aid. Gov. Gavin Newsom expanded the special session — it’s running concurrently with the regular legislative session but was called to give legislators the ability to tailor narrowly and quickly their focus — to include a $2.5 billion aid package as the catastrophic fires unfolded in the Los Angeles area.
While Miller said the legislature wants to continue work on the Trump-related legislation, Republicans heralded the lack of a vote last week as a win.
“Shutting down today’s vote is a big victory for Republicans, but Assembly Democrats need to end this farce of a special session for good,” said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher.
“The only thing being advanced by this stunt is Gavin Newsom’s political career,” said Gallagher. “Assembly Democrats should stop protecting their boss’ presidential ambitions and start protecting Californians from wildfire, crime and inflation.”
Republicans, according to Mercury News, had planned to attempt to attach a provision to the bill that would ensure funds could not be used to protect someone convicted of a felony who is living in the country illegally.
And Newsom, who struck a cordial tone with Trump in front of cameras when the president visited fire-ravaged Southern California last month, is on board with that sort of change, KCRA reported.
In other news
• Assemblymember Diane Dixon, R-Newport Beach, introduced a new bill that would increase financial support given to foster youth who are parenting infants. The bill would adjust for inflation the current monthly supplement of $489 given to the foster care provider on behalf of a parent.
“Our foster children are an extremely vulnerable part of our population, some of whom are survivors of human trafficking resulting in pregnancies,” Dixon said. “We must provide them with more support than they are currently receiving.”
• Sen. Kelly Seyarto, R-Murrieta, is behind an effort to create a grant fund for “shovel-ready infrastructure projects,” such as roads and schools. The grants would cover up to 20% of the remaining costs for these projects, according to Seyarto’s office, with the idea to cut back on projects’ delays due to rising costs, inflation or underfunding.
Seyarto, whose district includes Yorba Linda, is also championing a bill that would tie unpaid vehicle registration fees and penalties to the driver’s license rather than a car when it is being sold or transferred.
“This measure will shield consumers from predatory practices and unexpected financial distress, ensuring fair treatment and greater financial stability for families,” said Seyarto, whose office said the bill would alleviate unexpected costs, particularly in low-income households where transportation is already a great expense.
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