Tag: california

Gavin Newsom Signs Bill Barring Local Authorities from Requiring Voter ID

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Sunday that will bar local authorities from requiring photo ID to vote, which exceeds the state’s requirements.

California is one of 14 Democrat-run states that do not require any ID to vote, despite requiring it for many other purposes. Voters at polling places are checked off against voter rolls without further proof being required; voters who submit mail-in ballots must include their signatures on the envelopes that are checked by a machine against the signatures on file in voter registration records.

The City of Huntington Beach, one of the last conservative bastions in the state, which often opposes Democratic policies, planned to require photo ID for voting in 2024, after a ballot initiative passed to that effect in March.

The new law, SB 1174, “would prohibit a local government from enacting or enforcing any charter provision, ordinance, or regulation requiring a person to present identification for the purpose of voting or submitting a ballot at any polling place, vote center, or other location where ballots are cast or submitted, as specified.”

Keep reading

The Babylon Bee Strikes Back: Lawsuit Takes on California’s Anti-Satire Laws

In a world where politicians crave safe spaces from jokes, California’s latest move to suppress satire might just take the cake. California has decided that it’s time to put an end to all that pesky “political humor.” Yes, the state that brought us Hollywood is now terrified of a few biting punchlines, and naturally, satire site The Babylon Bee and outspoken attorney Kelly Chang Rickert are not having it.

The champion of online irreverence has just slapped the State of California with a lawsuit that reads less like legalese and more like a desperate plea for common sense. They’re arguing, quite reasonably, that California’s new laws—AB 2839 and AB 2655—are a massive overreach, a heavy-handed attempt to quash their First Amendment rights and kill the punchline before it even has a chance to land.

We obtained a copy of the lawsuit for you here.

Keep reading

California Governor Vetoes Bill To Let Marijuana Growers Sell Directly To Consumers At State-Run Farmers Markets

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) has vetoed a bill to allow small marijuana growers to sell their products directly to consumers at state-organized farmers markets.

Ahead of a Monday deadline to act on legislation, the governor blocked final approval of the measure from Assemblymember Gail Pellerin (D), saying that while he appreciates “the author’s intent to support small and equity cannabis cultivators,” he is “concerned that the bill’s broad eligibility, which extends to the vast majority of licensed cultivators, would undermine the existing retail licensing framework and place significant strain on the Department of Cannabis Control’s ability to regulate and enforce compliance.”

“I remain open to considering a more flexible and narrowly focused version of this bill next year that can better respond to market dynamics, without imposing a rigid monitoring and compliance framework,” Newsom wrote in a veto message. “Such policies must be considered within the broader context of efforts that are necessary to address the fundamental issues straining the legal cannabis market, such as competition from unregulated sources and improving access to regulated products.

“It is essential that we prioritize solutions that strengthen, rather than further burden, the existing regulated market,” he said.

While the governor supports cannabis legalization, he’s been notably reserved about various drug policy proposals in recent years, for example vetoing legislation to legalize psychedelics and allow safe consumption sites for illegal drugs.

Newsom has yet to act on a separate bill to legalize cannabis cafes from Assemblymember Matt Haney (D).

Newsom vetoed a prior version of Haney’s cannabis cafe bill, saying that while he appreciated that the intent was to “provide cannabis retailers with increased business opportunities and an avenue to attract new customers,” he felt “concerned this bill could undermine California’s long-standing smoke-free workplace protections.”

To that end, the measure as passed by the legislature contains changes to create separation between public consumption spaces and back rooms of businesses where food is prepared or stored in order to better protection the health of workers in line with the governor’s concerns.

Keep reading

California County Fines Man $120,000 for Refusing to Evict a Family From His Property

Hundreds of people live in trailers and campers on the streets of Santa Clara County, California—a very visible sign of the ultra-expensive county’s homelessness crisis.

Despite the scale of vehicular homelessness in the county, county officials have spent years focusing their enforcement actions on a single trailer parked on private property.

For years now, winery owner Michael Ballard has allowed his longtime vineyard manager, Marcelino Martinez, and his family to live rent-free in a trailer parked on the winery’s property.

County officials say this violates a county ordinance prohibiting recreational vehicles (RVs) parked on residential parcels from being used as dwelling units. Therefore, Martinez’s trailer has got to go.

Ballard has been trying to fix the violation by building a permanent home for Martinez and his family on the property. But getting all the needed permits from the county for that home has taken years.

In the interim, Ballard has refused to evict Martinez’s family from the property.

“I’m not going to remove this trailer because that will cause them to be homeless and I’d be putting this family on the street and I’m not going to do that,” Ballard tells Reason.

In response, the county has issued Ballard daily fines for every day he refuses to remove the trailer. These fines total some $120,000.

Ballard is now suing the county in federal court, arguing the fines violate the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition on excessive fines.

Keep reading

Cal Fire employee arrested in connection with off-duty arson

A member of California’s firefighter department has been accused of violating his own duties and starting several fires over the last couple of weeks.

CAL FIRE law enforcement officers arrested Robert Hernandez, 38, a CAL FIRE fire apparatus engineer, at Howard Forest Fire Station Friday, and accused him of setting five fires while off duty.

The blazes burned through a combined area of under an acre, according to CAL FIRE.

“I am appalled to learn one of our employees would violate the public’s trust and attempt to tarnish the tireless work of the 12,000 women and men of CAL FIRE,” CAL FIRE Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler, said in a statement.

Keep reading

Outcry Erupts as California Prepares to Release ‘Pillowcase Rapist’ Who Terrorized Dozens of Women

At some point, Americans must recognize that the people who run their institutions care nothing for their interests.

According to KTLA in Los Angeles, local officials have protested a decision to release a violent serial rapist into the Los Angeles County community of Juniper Hills.

Meanwhile, concerned residents of the nearby city of Palmdale, nestled in California’s Antelope Valley, have also objected to the planned placement of 73-year-old Christopher Hubbart, known as the “Pillowcase Rapist,” so near to their homes.

On Monday, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger set forth her objections in a letter to Judge Robert S. Harrison of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, which has jurisdiction over the placement site.

“There are 25 homes within a square mile of the nominated site,” Barger wrote. “Single women and women with children live in those homes. A resident who identified herself as having been a victim of sex trafficking, a rape survivor, and now suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder would have to live near this Sexually Violent Predator in perpetuity, along with her daughter.”

Indeed, Hubbart’s diabolical history of violence against women should preclude him from ever enjoying even limited freedom.

“A man who has admitted to raping over 40 women and suspected of raping dozens more is not fit for release or community reintegration at any level. Christopher Hubbart belongs in a locked facility where there is no chance of him ever again harming another human being,” Barger concluded.

Hubbart’s 40 confessed rapes constitute by far the worst part of this story. But government officials’ unfathomable behavior makes for a shameful subtext.

According to the Antelope Valley Press, officials placed Hubbart in that same community ten years ago. In 2014, the serial rapist occupied a house in Lake Los Angeles, east of Palmdale, before violating the terms of his release and returning to Coalinga State Hospital.

Palmdale Mayor Austin Bishop echoed Barger’s objections.

Keep reading

Gavin Newsom Just Signed an AI-Deepfake Ban That Could Impact Free Speech. This Is the First Lawsuit Against It.

We were waiting for California Governor Gavin Newsom to sign on the dotted line of a new controversial bill that limits speech around AI “deepfake” content that many believe could impact memes. Now that Newsom has signed the bill, the first of several lawsuits against the censorial bills can be filed.

Christopher Kohls, an online content creator known for his political satire, has filed a lawsuit against the state, challenging recent legislation aimed at regulating AI-generated content. The lawsuit seeks to strike down two California laws which Kohls claims infringe upon First Amendment rights.

Read the lawsuit here.

The controversy began when Kohls posted a satirical video parodying Vice President Kamala Harris, which quickly caught the attention of California Governor Gavin Newsom. Following the video’s viral spread, largely due to a share by Elon Musk, Governor Newsom criticized the content, leading to the swift passage of AB 2655, the “Defending Democracy from Deepfake Deception Act of 2024,” and AB 2839, related to “Elections: deceptive media in advertisements.”

Keep reading

California Governor Unveils Emergency Ban On Hemp Products With THC

California Gov. Gavin Newsom last week proposed an emergency ban on intoxicating hemp products, saying the new regulations are needed to protect the safety of children. The governor issued the proposed emergency regulations, which prohibit sales of consumable hemp products that contain intoxicating cannabinoids including THC after they were drafted by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

“We will not sit on our hands as drug peddlers target our children with dangerous and unregulated hemp products containing THC at our retail stores,” Newsom said in a September 6 statement. “We’re taking action to close loopholes and increase enforcement to prevent children from accessing these dangerous hemp and cannabis products.”

Keep reading

Gov. Newsom signs bill to resume harsh penalties for smash-and-grab robberies in California

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Thursday that reinstates tough criminal penalties for those who conduct large-scale theft schemes and smash-and-grab robberies that continue to frustrate voters across the state.

Under the new law, prosecutors are required to begin imposing harsher sentences on those who damage or destroy property with a value of more than $50,000 while committing a felony.

In 2018, a similar law expired, though the new law will sunset by 2030.

“California already has some of the strictest retail and property crime laws in the nation, and we have made them even stronger with our recent legislation,” Newsom said in a statement. “We can be tough on crime while also being smart on crime. We don’t need to go back to broken policies of the last century.”

Keep reading

 California governor vetoes bill to make immigrants without legal status eligible for home loans

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill Friday that could have made immigrants without legal status eligible for loans under a state program offering assistance to first-time homebuyers.

The bill drew staunch opposition from Republicans well beyond California, with many arguing the state, known for its expensive housing market, should prioritize housing assistance for residents who are in the country legally. But proponents say the legislation would have improved the quality of life for hard-working families, regardless of their immigration status.

Newsom, a Democrat often seen as a potential presidential candidate in the future, said he could not sign the bill because of limited funding available for state housing assistance programs.

“Expanding program eligibility must be carefully considered within the broader context of the annual state budget to ensure we manage our resources effectively,” Newsom wrote in a letter explaining his decision.

The proposal is among many state lawmakers have advanced in recent years aimed at expanding services for immigrants living in the country illegally. Another bill the Legislature sent to Newsom this year would require the state Employment Development Department to create a plan by March 31, 2025, to provide cash assistance to unemployed residents who are ineligible for unemployment insurance benefits due to their immigration status.

Keep reading