Launching his first salvo less than 36 hours after former President Trump was again elected to the White House, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday convened a special session of the state Legislature to increase legal funding to defend civil rights, climate change, access to abortion, disaster funding and other California policies from a conservative federal agenda before the inauguration in January.
Newsomโs preemptive strike signals the return of the hostile relationship between Democratic-controlled California and the Trump administration that was a hallmark of the Republicanโs first term.
โThe freedoms we hold dear in California are under attack โ and we wonโt sit idle,โ Newsom said in a statement. โCalifornia 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.โ
The new special session provides an early look at Newsomโs plan to wage an aggressive and highly visible campaign to shield California from the Trump White House.
The governorโs move is largely symbolic: Lawmakers will likely pass the legislation at the same speed as they could have through the regular process.
But the swift call to action allows Newsom to draw attention to himself and California in the national culture wars and has the practical effect of focusing the state Legislatureโs attention on his priority of defending against Trump. Republicans were quick to call it nothing more than a theatrical move.
โThis special session is a shameless political stunt. The only โproblemโ it will solve is Gavin Newsomโs insecurity that not enough people are paying attention to him,โ Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher said in a statement.
In an interview in Orange County on Sunday, the Democratic governor warned that California will be dealing with a different Trump than the politician who won the presidency in 2016.
โThis is the revenge and retribution 2.0 version,โ Newsom said.
In his acceptance speech early Wednesday, Trump declared that America had given him โan unprecedented and powerful mandate.โ
Newsomโs special session proclamation says his administration anticipates that the incoming president could seek to limit access to abortion medication, pursue a national abortion ban, dismantle clean air and water environmental protections, repeal the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and withhold federal disaster response funding, among other promises he made during the campaign.
As part of its effort to prepare for a potential Trump presidency, the Newsom administration completed an analysis of Project 2025, which has been described as a playbook for a new GOP administration that includes plans for replacing thousands of career federal workers with Trump supporters who will carry out a far-right agenda.
Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and Newsomโs office also reviewed more than 100 lawsuits California filed against the federal government during Trumpโs first administration to pinpoint potential vulnerabilities for the state and map out the president-electโs agenda.
Bonta held a news conference Thursday morning in San Francisco to reassure Californians that its leaders are marshaling the full force of the stateโs power to make sure they โwonโt be flat-footed come January.โ
โYou can be sure that as California Attorney General, if Trump attacks your rights, Iโll be there,โ Bonta said. โIf Trump comes after your freedoms, Iโll be there. If Trump jeopardizes your safety and your well-being, Iโll be there.โ
He warned that he believes thereโs nothing the Trump administration wonโt try to pursue its goals.
โMr. Trump repeatedly overstepped his authority between 2016 and 2020 thereโs no reason to think he wonโt do it again,โ Bonta said. โWe checked him, and we stopped him, and we pushed him back into his box when he tried to step out of it, and thatโs what the law is for.โ
Newsom is asking lawmakers to provide additional funding to the California Department of Justice and other agencies in his administration to immediately file lawsuits and defend against litigation from the Trump administration.
The governorโs aides said increases to the stateโs legal defense would be paid for with income tax revenues that have exceeded projections in the current fiscal year, but the amount of funding will be determined in negotiations at the state Capitol.
Newsom has called a special session two other times to achieve a policy objective, in his political battle with the oil industry. This also marks the second special session since lawmakers adjourned for the year at the end of August.
The new proclamation set the special session to begin on Dec. 2, the day newly elected lawmakers are scheduled to gather in the Senate and Assembly chambers to be sworn in. Legislators typically leave Sacramento after the ceremony to spend the holidays in their districts before returning for the regular session at the start of the year.
Lawmakers expect to begin hearing the special session legislation when they come back on Jan. 6. The legislation is expected to require a simple majority vote to pass and take effect immediately with Newsomโs signature.
Trumpโs inauguration is Jan. 20.
