As Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Riverside) reported Thursday, “Assembly Republicans were prepared to force a vote to block funds for criminal illegal immigrants. Rather than going on record they are delaying the vote to another day.”
Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher issued a statement after Republicans shut down a vote to approve Democrats’ $50 million slush fund to sue the federal government and protect gang members and felons from deportation:
“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. The only thing being advanced by this stunt is Gavin Newsom’s political career. Assembly Democrats should stop protecting their boss’s presidential ambitions and start protecting Californians from wildfire, crime and inflation.”
Assemblyman Carl DeMaio (R-San Diego) had an active role in the event:
“Democrats are so rattled by my amendment to bar funding for illegal immigrant criminals and politicians who protect them that they called an emergency meeting to plot a response! This is what happens when GOP fights in CA on a winning issue!!”
He added:
BREAKING: WE DID IT – for now!! CA Democrats were so rattled by my amendment to bar funding for illegal immigrant criminals and politicians who protect them that they CANCELLED their vote on their reckless $50m Trump Proof bill today! This is what happens when GOP fights in CA on a winning issue!!
Earlier in January, DeMaio issued a statement asking President Donald Trump to order a Federal Investigation of Gross Negligence by CA Politicians in the Los Angeles fires. “Without a full federal investigation into the LA fires, California politicians will cover-up their failings and the public will continue to suffer from their incompetence and negligence,” Assemblyman DeMaio said.
From his statement, DeMaio outlined the details:
“A number of alarming revelations indicate gross negligence by California state and local officials contributed to the severity of this disaster – and we simply cannot trust California politicians to do a proper investigation and provide honest answers to the public,” warns DeMaio.
While the ATF is looking into the cause of the fires, in his letter to President Trump, DeMaio outlines a larger federal investigation involving multiple federal agencies to look at a variety of examples of gross negligence including:
- Regulations Prohibiting Proper Brush Management: California politicians have enacted insane regulations that make it hard for property owners to clear defensible space around their homes – and both state and local agencies have utterly failed to adequately clear brush on public lands. (Suggested Lead: Department of Interior – Wildland Fire Program)
- Inadequate Water for Firefighting: The nearest reservoir to the Pacific Palisades fire was kept bone dry and fire hydrants ran out of water for firefighting. (Suggested Lead: Federal Emergency Management Agency)
- Failure to Provide Adequate Insurance: Many fire victims have inadequate fire insurance coverage because of recent policy cancellations. With the losses mounting from these fires, California’s insurance industry could now be pushed into financial collapse. While state politicians blame “climate change” for the insurance problems, industry experts say state government policies – including rampant inflation in California and high cost of housing repairs – are the real drivers. (Suggested Lead: Department of Treasury – Federal Insurance Office)
- Failure to Shut Off Power Utilities: Even though strong winds were predicted days in advance of the fire, the government-run utility department failed to shut off power and video captured power lines sparking fires hours after the emergency began. (Suggested Lead: Department of Energy – Office of Inspector General)
- Failure to Properly Staff Fire Department: Local politicians have chronically underfunded and understaffed their fire departments – while terminating firefighters over vaccine mandates and diverting mission-oriented training resources to wasteful Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs. (Suggested Lead: Federal Emergency Management Agency)
In the letter DeMaio says a federal investigation is needed because “Newsom has dismissed criticisms – and worse, he has a pattern of being disingenuous and dishonest with the public on a wide-range of failings of his administration.”
DeMaio is also requesting that the US Senate and US House of Representatives hold public hearings into the LA fires.
KCRA’s Ashley Zavala reported:
“California lawmakers in the Assembly on Thursday delayed its vote on legislation to bolster the state’s legal defenses and immigration services to fight the Trump administration because Democratic leaders are now considering changes to the immigration-related proposal.
Two sources close to the situation told KCRA 3 Gov. Gavin Newsom now wants small changes to the immigration bill to make it clear that none of the funds can be used to provide immigration-related legal services to criminals.”
Could this be the Trump effect?
Californians are exhausted from Newsom’s headline-grabbing exploits and state overreach, while ignoring legitimate issues impacting 39 million California residents including the high cost of living, highest-in-the-country gas prices, high income taxes, high electricity costs, high food costs, crappy public schools, high unemployment, unfunded pension debt, water restrictions, negligible forest management, and budget deficits in nearly every city and county, as well as the state budget.
We wonder if members of the Legislature realize that Democrat leadership and the governor are prioritizing illegal aliens and criminal illegal aliens over the legal residents of the state.
Victor Davis Hansen Analyzes Trump's Cabinet Picks
Trump is staffing his new team at lightning speed. Most of us are overjoyed at the choices, but Democrats and the left just don’t get it.
Victor Davis Hanson, a conservative, a historian, and a scholar, recently wrote an analysis of Trump’s cabinet picks. His explanation is absolutely brilliant, as usual.
Here are his four main categories of analysis. But for the whole insightful impact, read the full evaluation on Twitter/X. No one understands history as it is being made better than Hansen.
"Many of Trump first-round picks share some common themes.
One, many, who were in the past victimized by government bullies and cowardly bureaucratic grandees, or proved sharp critics of the administrative state, are now, in karma-style, in charge of the very agencies that hounded him . . . .
Two, none of these appointments are traditional swamp creatures. Few rotate from the think tanks. This time around there are no retired “Wise Men” or retired four-stars. Few are Uni-party magnificoes revolving back into high government from their DC university or New York corporate and investment way stations. None are DEI, cover-our-identity-politics-base candidates . . . .
Three, they all share a reputation from the mainstream media, bicoastal elite, or administrative state guardians as a little “out there” or even “crazy” and “nuts”, whether RFK, Tulsi Gabbard, or Pete Hegseth. So, their opponents rightly fear they are immune from mainstream media disparagements, the usually leftwing generated hoaxes, and beltway tsk-tsk scorn . . . .
Fourth and finally, they are not radicals or nihilists. Rather, they are reformers who are trying to trim or eliminate bloated government machinery, or return institutions and agencies to their normal functions and original missions. In contrast, the last few years of Biden governance chaos and near insurrection were abnormal—and dangerous . . . ."
Golden Gate Republican Women respect the core beliefs of the Founding Fathers whose wisdom is reflected in our Constitution
- The right of the individual to achieve the best that is within him, as long as he respects the rights of others, is the source of our nation’s strength.
- Government exists to protect the freedom of opportunity in which each individual’s creative ability can flourish.
- Government activities should be limited to those things which people cannot do at all, or cannot do so well for themselves.
- The most effective government is government closest to the people.
- Those who cannot provide for themselves should be assisted by both government and society, but every effort should be made to help them become self-supporting, productive citizens with pride in their independence.
- Equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity belong to all, regardless of race, creed, age, sex, or national origin.
- The preservation of our Nation and the security of our citizens depend upon the Constitution, the laws and the courts, and that respect for them is the responsibility of every Individual.
- Government is accountable for maintaining sound money and a responsible economy. Individual rights, liberties and properties are continually eroded when citizens are oppressed by excessive taxation, inflation, government waste and over-regulation.
- Government is responsible for national defense and only a strong America can remain a free America.
- It is absolutely essential to maintain a strong national defense posture in order that we may at all times negotiate from a position of strength, not weakness, in our continuing efforts toward world peace and friendship.
- These concepts are the foundation of our national strength. And the Republican Party, which is committed to their preservation, is the Party of today and the Party for the Future.
One man who stopped lying could bring down a tyranny.
~ Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago
Someone recently asked me why I like Trump. My answer was that I don't really like a lot of things about Trump. But this election is not about choosing the most likable person.
We are voting between two vastly different ideologies. We are voting for the country we want to leave our children and grandchildren. Trump represents that future and has proven that he can deliver. He is a patriot to the core and even served his country for four years without pay.
That moment when someone says, "I can't believe you're voting for Trump." I simply reply, “I'm NOT just voting for Trump.”
- I'm voting for the First Amendment and freedom of speech. I'm voting for the right to speak my opinion and not be censored.
- I’m voting for secure borders and LEGAL immigration. I am voting for election integrity to include mandatory voter ID. (Why would anyone vote against this?)
- I'm voting for the Second Amendment and my right to defend my life and my family.
- I'm voting for the police to be respected once again.
- I am voting for law & order and an end to allowing protesters to trespass and burn our cities, destroying innocent small business. (Tim Walz)
- I am voting for personal responsibility and the end of the revolving door where criminals are being put back on the street. (Kamala Harris)
- I'm voting for the next Supreme Court Justice(s) to protect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
- I’m voting for a return of our troops from foreign countries and the end to America’s involvement in foreign conflicts.
- I'm voting for the Electoral College and for the Republic in which we live.
- I’m voting for the continued appointment of Federal Judges who respect the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
- I’m voting for keeping our jobs to remain in America and not be outsourced all over the world - to China, Mexico and other foreign countries.
- I am voting for doing away with all of the freebies given to all of the illegals and not looking after the needs of the American citizens and homeless veterans.
- I'm voting for the military & the veterans who fought for this country
- I'm voting to keep men out of women's sports.
- I’m voting for peace progress in the Middle East.
- I’m voting to fight against human/child trafficking.
- I'm voting for Freedom of Religion.
- I am voting for the return of teaching math, history, and science instead of the indoctrination of our children.
- I'm not just voting for one person. I'm voting for the future of my Country.
- I'm voting for my children and my grandchildren to ensure their freedoms.
America is the greatest country in the world, hence why everyone wants to immigrate here. So why do you want to change it? Why do politicians want to enact policies that have failed in other countries throughout history?
I didn't just for Trump.
I voted for America.
Statewide Propositions
The following recommendations were sourced from the GOP, CalMatters, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and Coalition of Sensible Taxpayers Marin
Proposition 2: Borrow $10 billion to build schools. Legislative Democrats put on the ballot a bond issue to give $8.5 billion to K-12 schools and $1.5 billion to community colleges for construction and modernization. Needs simple majority to pass.
Vote NO: No identified funding beyond state general fund (already have $45 billion deficit). Increases the demands on CA general fund (currently in deficit) $500MM/year. Local school districts must raise matching funds, further increasing the tax burden and favoring wealthy districts.
(PASSED)
Proposition 3: Amends the California Constitution to declare that the right to marry for same sex couples is a fundamental right.
Vote Yes: (CA GOP, Marin GOP)
(PASSED)
Proposition 4: Borrow $10 billion for climate programs. Legislative Democrats also placed a bond issue on the ballot that includes $3.8 billion for drinking water and groundwater, $1.5 billion for wildfire and forest programs and $1.2 billion for sea level rise. Are these bondable?
Vote NO: Another tax to be paid by future generations. Issues $10 billion in debt to offset $9.4 billion in current year cuts to CA’s Climate Crisis program owing to state budget deficits. Increases the demand on CA general fund (in deficit now) $400MM/year for 40 years.
(PASSED)
Proposition 5: Lower voter approval requirements for local housing and infrastructure bonds. This Constitutional Amendment from the Legislature would make it easier for local governments to borrow money for affordable housing and other infrastructure. To avoid opposition from the influential real estate industry, supporters agreed to block bond money from being used to buy single-family homes.
Vote NO: Cuts to 55% (from 2/3) voter approval to pass most local & regional bonds, further putting local cities and counties into debt. Blows a massive hole in Props. 13 and 218 protections. The prospect of passage unleashed a Tax Tsunami and will likely be soon followed by a proposition to lower most other tax hurdles to 50-55%. Why wouldn’t we want 2/3 of voters to approve a new tax? Taxation is a burden under which everyone suffers.
(FAILED)
Proposition 32: Sets suffers.the state minimum wage to $18 per hour by 2026 for all employers and thereafter adjusting the rate annually by increases to the cost of living. A “no” vote opposes the initiative and would maintain existing law which increased the minimum wage to $15 per hour by January 2023 and increasing it annually according to inflation.
Vote NO
(FAILED)
Proposition 33: Allow local governments to impose rent controls. This is the latest attempt to roll back a state law that generally prevents cities and counties from limiting rents in properties first occupied after Feb. 1, 1995.
Vote NO: Every respected economist agrees that rent control is the surest way to reduce property values as well as available rentals. Prop 33 would decrease property tax (per Legislative Analyst’s Office) and discourage housing construction.
(FAILED)
Proposition 34: Make permanent a tax on managed health care insurance plans. This initiative is sponsored by California’s health care industry to raise more money for Medi-Cal providers and block lawmakers from using the cash to avoid cuts to other programs.
Vote YES: Underpaid Medicaid providers are turning away patients as the program has expanded to cover up to 40% of Californians. Prop 35 renews an expiring tax & restricts its use.
(PASSED)
Proposition 35: Require certain health providers to use nearly all revenue from a federal prescription drug program on patient care. Sponsored by the trade group for California’s landlords, this measure is squarely aimed at knee-capping the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, which has been active in diverting funding to ballot measures (see Prop. 33, above).
Vote YES: The Aids Healthcare Foundation has been using AIDS funding to promote bizarre concepts (requiring condoms in porn, etc.) on ballot measures for years. The State recently cancelled its contracts with AHF over financial disclosure failures. They have to be stopped.
(PASSED)
Proposition 36: Increase penalties for theft and drug trafficking. It would partly roll back 2014’s Proposition 47.
Vote YES: Prop 36 will reduce crime and drug overdoses by imposing felony penalties on repeat offenders for thefts under $950 and sale of certain dangerous drugs.
(PASSED)
Withdrawn Statewide Proposition: Taxpayer Protection Act (ACA-13): In a highly unusual and controversial decision, the California Supreme Court removed from the ballot a citizens’ initiative aiming to restore and expand taxpayer protections. This was in response to a lawsuit by Newson and the legislature. The CA League of Cities aggressively opposed the TPA, fearing it would roll back recently enacted taxes and raise the barrier to additional future taxes.
Expect the Howard Jarvis organization, the California Business Roundtable and other business organizations to file a modified version of the TPA in 2026 in response to the court ruling.
Katy Grimes, the Editor in Chief of the California Globe, is a long-time Investigative Journalist covering the California State Capitol, and the co-author of California's War Against Donald Trump: Who Wins? Who Loses?