California lawmakers approve 2 bills to support legal responses to Trump's administration

Stephen Hobbs, The Sacramento Bee on Feb 3, 2025

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Last month, the wildfires that scorched Los Angeles brought California legislators together to support aid response and recovery efforts.

On Monday, the air of bipartisanship was gone as Assembly Democrats pushed past Republican opposition to approve a pair of bills that will set aside up to $50 million combined to respond to and challenge President Donald Trump and his administration.

They now go to Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, opened the debate over the bills with a blunt message to the entire body.

“Given the many executive orders that have been issued over the past two weeks, I can say with clarity: We do not trust President Donald Trump.”

Democratic lawmakers followed, saying the measures were needed to protect all Californians across the state, especially those who are undocumented, transgender and social services providers.

“I had real questions about whether we were responding to a serious threat or simply trying to score some cheap political points,” Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, D-Delano, said of one of the bills, which would provide up to $25 million to the state Department of Justice. “But this new administration has erased any doubts that I may have had.”

The other measure would set aside $25 million to organizations that provide legal support for immigration cases and those involving other matters.

Republican lawmakers countered that the bills were unnecessary and politically motivated.

“For this body to appropriate $50 million to sue, and block and obfuscate the president of the United States, I think is outrageous,” said Assemblyman Bill Essayli, R-Corona, who booed Rivas at the end of his speech while Democratic lawmakers gave the speaker a standing ovation.

Republicans unsuccessfully tried to amend the measures. One proposed change would have prevented the $25 million for legal aid organizations to be used to provide services for people with certain criminal records.

Democrats voted the proposed changes down. Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, D-San Fernando Valley, who co-authored both bills, said the $25 million would be used to support organizations that provide pro bono services for “especially vulnerable Californians” and was not intended to be used for immigration-related help for people who have serious or violent felony convictions.

Republicans wanted the restriction to be explicitly added to the bill.

“If we fail to act, we risk creating loopholes that will allow convicted felons to commit, to continue to harm the citizens of our state through misguided empathy of organizations,” said Assemblymember Leticia Castillo, R-Corona, who introduced the change.

The votes came during a special session that was ordered by Newsom in November.

“We are prepared, and we will do everything necessary to ensure Californians have the support and resources they need to thrive,” he said in a statement at the time.

Newsom later expanded the session to include measures that responded to the deadly Los Angeles-area fires.

On Jan. 23, Lawmakers unanimously passed bills to provide $2.5 billion to aid cleanup and recovery efforts, less than two week after Newsom called for the recovery funds.

But the bills in response to Trump and his administration faced several delays. The most recent occurred Thursday when the Assembly unexpectedly delayed a vote on the measures.

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