California Governor Gavin Newsom allocated $50 million to support the state's efforts in defending its policies against challenges from the Trump administration and protecting immigrants facing mass deportation plans.
One of these laws sets aside $25 million for the State Department of Justice to fight federal cases, while another allocates $25 million to support legal groups representing immigrants who may be deported. During his first term in office, Trump clashed with California over climate policies, water management, and issues related to immigration, leading to over 100 lawsuits. Similar disputes are resurfacing in the early stages of Trump's second term in office.
The Speaker of the California State Assembly, Robert Rivas, stated, “Californians are being threatened by an administration that is no longer under control, one that disregards the Constitution and sees no bounds to its authority. This is why we are working on policies that will supply our people with the necessary resources to resist this crucial danger.”
The decision was made a day after the Democrat governor returned from Washington, where he met with Trump and Congress members to negotiate federal assistance for the destructive Los Angeles-area wildfires that ravaged neighbourhoods in January, resulting in over two dozen fatalities.
Governor Newsom recently signed a $2.5 billion relief package into law for wildfire support. This law is intended to provide funding for the state's disaster response efforts, including evacuations, sheltering displaced individuals, and the safe removal of household hazardous materials. His government has indicated that it anticipates being reimbursed for these expenses by the federal government.
Republican lawmakers have expressed criticism of the funding for lawsuits, stating that the focus on Trump is diverting attention as the Los Angeles region continues to recover from the blazes.
California: Residents ordered to evacuate as fire erupts at world's largest battery facility Los Angeles wildfires: "Nothing left of my house" — Mel Gibson California wildfires: Governor Newsom launches website to counter misinformation"The state's new slush fund has nothing to do with addressing real issues - it's a political tactic created to divert attention from pressing concerns facing our state, and it will likely be detrimental to fire victims," Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones stated this week.
Critics have also said that the legislation fails to guarantee that funds will not be used to protect immigrants who are not lawfully present and have been convicted of severe felonies.
After signing the funding into law, Newsom stated that the allocated resources weren't meant for that specific use and urged lawmakers to enact additional legislation if such clarification is necessary. He noted in a statement that the funding would be utilized by legal groups to "protect the civil rights of the most vulnerable California residents."
Governor Newsom unveiled a plan to protect the state's laws shortly after the US presidential election in November. He summoned the lawmakers to a special session to introduce the relevant legislation.
The state has repeatedly taken the federal government to court regarding Trump's actions.
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Businesses continue to operate normally in California as a recall election for Governor Gavin Newsom gathers momentum. "I'm not worried at all," said Tom Scott, a restaurant owner in Los Angeles. "We're still doing a lot of business, and we're seeing consumers not really impacted so far." Syndigate.info ).