I hope everybody had a restful Thanksgiving break as a result of the state Legislature is already raring to go. In the present day, the Meeting and Senate are swearing in lawmakers and kicking off a particular session known as by Gov. Gavin Newsom to organize for the incoming Trump administration.
For the brand new two-year legislative cycle, Meeting Speaker Robert Rivas of Salinas and Senate President Professional Tem Mike McGuire of Santa Rosa informed CalMatters Capitol reporter Alexei Koseff that their prime concern is addressing the state’s rising price of dwelling. That features advancing laws to construct extra housing, decrease vitality costs and enhance public infrastructure.
- Rivas: “Our only way forward is to acknowledge that we have to do better. It’s clear — we haven’t done enough.”
One challenge that doesn’t appear to be a serious precedence for Democratic leaders, nevertheless, is crime. Although the overwhelming approval of Proposition 36 seems to show voters’ frustrations with shoplifting and drug offenses, McGuire didn’t decide to any additional laws past the ten retail theft measures lawmakers handed in August.
However maybe probably the most notable distinction between the brand new session and final 12 months’s is that Donald Trump will return to the Oval Workplace on Jan. 20 — a Republican president with a historical past of holding antagonistic views towards California and making repeated threats to withhold emergency help.
To “Trump-proof” the statelegislators on the particular session will take into account Newsom’s proposal to allocate as a lot as $25 million to California’s Division of Justice and different state companies for potential authorized battles towards the Trump administration on points associated to abortion entry, water assets and extra.
- Newsomin a press release: “We will work with the incoming administration and we want President Trump to succeed in serving all Americans. But when there is overreach, when lives are threatened, when rights and freedoms are targeted, we will take action.”
As a sanctuary state for immigrant communities, California can be anticipated to return to blows with Trump over his pledges to deport undocumented immigrants. Immigration advocates plan to rally right this moment on the state Capitol to protest mass deportations and urge lawmakers to guard immigrant households.
Be taught extra concerning the prime Democrats’ legislative priorities in Alexei’s story.
Legislative make-up: Whereas Democrats once more management a supermajority in each chambers — giving them the energy to go budgets with none Republican votes and management the circulation of laws — Republicans did enhance their numbers.
Within the state SenateDemocrats will management 30 seats, three greater than a supermajority, however Republicans flipped a key seat. For the primary time, the GOP caucus has a majority of ladies, with three of the six being Latina.
Within the state Meetingwith two contests nonetheless up within the airDemocrats will win no less than 60 seats once more, seven greater than a supermajority.
