California seeks $25 million in special session to ‘Trump-proof’ the Golden State

The Democrat-dominated California legislature convened a special session Monday aimed at approving $25 million to make the state “Trump-proof,” as Gov. Gavin Newsom positions himself as the leader of the resistance ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s second term.

Assembly Budget Committee Chair Jesse Gabriel introduced a bill to establish a $25 million litigation fund dedicated to suing the Trump administration over “any unconstitutional or unlawful federal actions that threaten California’s interests or values.”

The Democrat also introduced a second bill that would immediately allocate $500,000 “to fund initial case preparation.”

“We know from President-elect Trump’s statements—and from the more than 120 lawsuits that California filed during the first Trump administration—that we must be prepared to defend ourselves. We’re not going to be caught flat-footed,” Mr. Gabriel said in a statement.

Mr. Newsom, a Democrat, insisted that “we want President Trump to succeed,” but that the California Department of Justice is poised to resume the lawfare frenzy that resulted in 122 state lawsuits filed against the federal government during Mr. Trump’s first term.

“We will work with the incoming administration and we want President Trump to succeed in serving all Americans,” Mr. Newsom said in a statement. “But when there is overreach, when lives are threatened, when rights and freedoms are targeted, we will take action.”

The bills are expected to sail through the Democrat-controlled legislature and reach Mr. Newsom’s desk before Jan. 20, the date of the Trump presidential inauguration.

Mr. Newsom said the state would focus specifically on protecting “civil rights, reproductive freedom, climate action, and immigrant families,” while Republican lawmakers accused the governor of grandstanding.

Assembly Minority Leader James Gallagher previously called the special session a “shameless political stunt,” while Republican state Sen. Roger Niello said the entire endeavor “seems kind of silly.”

“I really don’t know what we’re going to do,” Mr. Niello told KCRA-TV in Sacramento. “I’ve said before, this is really the beginning of the governor’s run for president in 2028. He’s going to be the anti-Trump.”

The first day of the special session was spent swearing in newly elected lawmakers, including Republican Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, who wasted no time in seeking to turn the tables on the governor.

Mr. DeMaio, who leads the conservative advocacy group Reform California, introduced a bill to “Newsom-proof” California by cutting the salaries of the governor and lawmakers by 25% every time they sign or vote in favor of a bill that winds up being ruled unconstitutional by federal courts.

“Given how many times he has abused his power and been found by federal courts to have infringed on our constitutional rights, it is clear that Californians need protection from Gavin Newsom—not Donald Trump,” Mr. DeMaio said in a statement Monday.

Other bills introduced Monday by Democrats include the Medication Abortion Access bill, which would shield companies, medical providers, distributors and individuals from liability when supplying abortion pills.

Another proposal would broaden the authority of the state attorney general to seek financial penalties against local governments that “block or obstruct abortion providers from opening in their regions.”

In October, the state reached a settlement with the city of Beverly Hills after it delayed permitting for an abortion clinic.

“I want to make it unequivocally clear: California will remain a safe haven for reproductive rights and access to abortion care, no matter who is in the White House,” Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.

California Republicans flipped three legislative districts in the Nov. 5 election — two Assembly seats and one Senate seat — although Democrats still hold supermajorities in both chambers.

The state Justice Department’s budget for Fiscal Year 2024-25 is $1.3 billion.