California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, a fierce critic of Donald Trump, on Thursday called for lawmakers to convene a special session later this year to safeguard the state’s progressive policies on climate change, reproductive rights and immigration ahead of another Trump presidency.
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The move – a day after the former president resoundingly defeated Vice-President Kamala Harris in the presidential race – effectively reignited California’s resistance campaign against conservative policies that state Democratic leaders started during the first Trump administration.
“The freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack – and we won’t sit idle,” Newsom, who reportedly has ambitions on the national stage, said in a statement. “California has faced this challenge before, and we know how to respond. We are prepared to fight in the courts, and we will do everything necessary to ensure Californians have the support and resources they need to thrive.”
Newsom and lawmakers say they’re ready to “Trump-proof” California’s state laws. His announcement on Thursday called on the Legislature to give the attorney general’s office more funding to fight federal challenges when they meet in December.
California’s move is part of a growing discussion among Democratic state officials seeking to protect policies that face threats under Trump’s leadership. Other blue states are also moving quickly to prepare game plans for another Trump presidency and expect a fiercer battle this time around with a Republican-dominated Senate and possibly House.
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