CA Republicans emphasize alignment with Trump

Some California Republicans have capitalized on the country’s new GOP administration by introducing (or reintroducing) legislation that they say align with President Donald Trump’s policies.

State Sen. Shannon Grove, for example, is reintroducing a bill to establish a state fund that parents could access so their kids can attend private or religious schools. In a statement, the Bakersfield Republican said her proposals “are in alignment” with Trump’s executive order that expands “educational opportunities for all students.” 

Shortly after Trump floated the idea to condition federal disaster aid with voter ID laws in California, Assemblymembers Carl Demaio of San Diego and Bill Essayli of Corona resurfaced their push for a voter ID bill that would, in part, roll back a law passed last year restricting voter ID requirements. In their introduction of the measure, they say it fulfills the condition “imposed by President Trump.”

And Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh of Redlands authored a bill to exempt workers from owing taxes on their tips — a proposal that Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris both supported, but that Trump has repeatedly pledged to advance as president.

• Ochoa Bogh, in an email to CalMatters: “I believe there’s a real benefit to tying this bill to broader federal initiatives, especially when it’s an idea that has already received strong bipartisan support.”

Though some of these proposals could be popular among voters, Republican lawmakers still face a Democratic supermajority. Trump also “still lost resoundingly” in California, said longtime GOP consultant Mike Madrid, and nationalizing state issues by hitching them to Trump may not always be a winning strategy. So why do it?

• Madrid: “They’re trying to demonstrate their fealty to Trump on a personal level. … (It’s) the main characteristic of the Republican party.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom has been less in sync with Trump’s agenda but is now seeking his favor.  He met with the president in the Oval Office on Wednesday and emerged displaying optimism — but no concrete assurances that much-needed disaster aid is forthcoming to fire-ravaged Los Angeles.

Amid ongoing threats from Trump and Republican leaders in Congress to withhold or condition aid, Newsom also met with members of California’s congressional delegation, including GOP Reps. Ken Calvert of Corona and Doug LaMalfa of Richvale, and Washington Sen. Patty Murray, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee. Photos of those meetings peppered a press release from Newsom’s office, but there were no images of Newsom with Trump, and the White House was silent on the exchange.

“I look forward to more productive meetings,” Newsom said in a video posted to social media, “and I look forward to the spirit that defined the meetings of this day — that spirit of collaboration and cooperation.”

After months of speculation that he would run for governor in 2026, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said he will instead seek reelection for another four-year term as the state’s chief lawyer.

In a letter to supporters, Bonta said serving in his current role is, “without question, one of the most impactful jobs in the country right now.” Since Trump’s return to the White House, Bonta has been one of the central Democratic figures in California’s resistance to the federal administration, joining other states to file lawsuits and leading immigration rights workshops. 

• Bonta: “This is no time to take my eye off the ball — the stakes are too high.”

Had he decided to run for California’s highest office, he would be joining an already crowded race that includes former State Controller Betty Yee, Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis and former state Sen. Toni Atkins.

After confirming his bid for reelection, Bonta told Politico he would endorse Harris, who is rumored to be mulling the governorship, if she runs. 

A 2022 state mandate requires that 35% of all new car models sold in California next year must be zero emissions. But if numbers hold, California has a ways to go, writes CalMatters’ Alejandro Lazo.

Nearly a quarter, or 25.3%, of all new cars registered in the state in 2024 were electric cars, according to data from the California Energy Commission. While this is a tad higher than the year before (25% in 2023), the rate of growth has slowed.

Dave Clegern, a spokesperson for the California Air Resources Board, said the slower rate occurred at the same time overall car sales plateaued last year. Automakers also have some leeway with the mandate: If they don’t reach their target of zero emissions cars sold, they can buy credits from manufacturers that exceed theirs.

Part of the reason for the slowdown is a shift in demographics. After attracting wealthy, environmentally-conscious customers, electric cars have reached the mainstream. But middle-income customers who live in apartment buildings without easy access to charging aren’t as eager to adopt.

Read more here.

After wildfires ignited in Los Angeles County in January, experts warn of the long-term impact on homelessness. CalMatters homelessness reporter Marisa Kendall and video strategy director Robert Meeks have a video segment on how past disasters lead to housing shortages, rising costs and displacement as part of our partnership with PBS SoCal. Watch it here.

SoCalMatters airs at 5:58 p.m. weekdays on PBS SoCal.