Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday called a special session to “safeguard California values and fundamental rights in the face of an incoming Trump administration.”
Why it matters: Newsom’s proclamation is the latest indication that California officials are positioning the state as the first line of defense under a second Trump presidency.
Driving the news: The special session will begin Dec. 2, after newly elected legislators are sworn into office.
The big picture: Newsom indicated the session would focus on increasing funding to the California Department of Justice and executive departments to file legal challenges against Trump’s actions, or to enable the state to take steps to blunt the effect of his future decisions.
- Funding would also enable the state to defend itself against federal lawsuits aimed at eroding state-level policies.
- Legislators could also change state laws during the session to aid both legal efforts, Newsom wrote.
Catch-up quick: A day earlier, state Attorney General Rob Bonta told the San Francisco Chronicle that his office had a plan in place to ensure clinics can continue to mail abortion pills within the state, if Trump attempts to use the Comstock Act to prevent it.
- Bonta told Politico this week his office has already determined which courts they would file legal challenges in if the president-elect implements actions Bonta sees as unconstitutional.
What they’re saying: “The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack — and we won’t sit idle,” Newsom said in a release accompanying his special session proclamation.
- “We’ve been through this before, and we stand ready to defend your rights and protect California values,” Bonta said in the release.
What’s next: Newsom said his announcement was “the first of several actions” his administration and the legislature would take to prepare for the presidential transition.
