In his final legislative push as Governor, Gavin Newsom fell flat. The Legislature rejected his plan to limit utilities’ liability for wildfires. Politico called it a “rebuke from Democratic lawmakers in his home state” and “an extraordinary setback on his home turf.”
It’s been a rough few months for Newsom. His presidential poll numbers have cratered; his trip to Michigan ended in embarrassment; and now his own Supermajority has turned on him. Not to mention: his plan to gerrymander us out of office is not quite going as planned.
Three TV stations have asked to host a debate between me and Richard Pan. I've agreed to all three. Pan hasn't agreed to any. This comes after Pan had to read from a paper (including his own bio) at the pre-recorded Bee forum. Voters deserve live TV debates – with no notes.
Meanwhile, our fight to turn back the Tire Ban is gaining momentum. From the House Floor, I challenged Newsom to rescind the ban, noting it’s going to make Californians pay more for tires and have to replace their tires more often. We also issued a formal letter.
And I provided two major High-Speed Rail updates. First, Newsom has dropped the lawsuit he filed after we cut off federal funding. Second, the Inspector General reports the Rail Authority will run out of money next year. We are close to ending this disaster for good.
Meanwhile, I chaired a hearing on making childcare more affordable; I asked DOJ to investigate overseas betting on Little League; and I spoke strongly against opening Yosemite up to private development, also signing a letter to the Interior Secretary.
And I gave a speech on the House Floor about the attacks on democracy in our state, listing the ways Newsom and his appointees are ignoring and overriding the voters. We are fighting to protect the will of California voters from the schemes of Sacramento politicians.