California Republicans have been granted their wish: a special session of the Legislature to specifically deal with the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
There could be a major hold up, however, depending on if Democrats tie the fire response to the special session to “Trump-proof California.”
Driving the news: Legislative Republicans held a press conference at the state Capitol building on Monday calling for quick action to boost wildfire prevention efforts and to stabilize the insurance market, which has seen soaring rates and insurers leaving California in recent years.
- “We need to do a whole lot more to combat and prevent catastrophic wildfires in our state,” said Minority Leader James Gallagher (R–Yuba City). “We have been through this far too many times. And that is why we as Legislative Republicans are calling for a special session dedicated directly to wildfire prevention and insurance.”
- Gallagher also called out Democrats for focusing on the special session to go after the incoming Trump administration.
- “We should not be distracted by a special session to pay more government lawyers to sue Donald Trump,” Gallagher said. “That’s not the right direction. We need to do more to help our fellow citizens and have real solutions for this catastrophe that we have faced far too much in the state.”
State of play: Following the press conference, the Legislature revealed that it will consider wildfire relief and prevention legislation in a special session.
- The special session will consider providing $2.5 billion in funding to help recovery in the Los Angeles area and to assist the emergency response.
- After postponing the first hearing in the Trump-proofing special session on Monday, the Legislature had a hearing scheduled for Tuesday to consider both the state’s legal action against the Trump administration and the wildfire response.
- But Tuesday’s hearing also got postponed, according to a report from KCRA.
What we’re watching: The holdup to the wildfire aid special session centers on combining the two special sessions together into one.
- California Republicans fear that the supermajority the Democratic party holds will force them to vote on a package of bills that includes tying wildfire response to combatting Trump.
- Sen. Scott Wiener (D–San Francisco) doesn’t see that to be an issue.
- “My GOP colleagues say we have to choose between helping LA recover from wildfires & protecting CA from Trump,” Wiener posted on X. “But we can do both. Indeed, we must do both, since Trump & co. are threatening federal aide [sic] for LA & threatening to deport a big portion of our construction workforce.”
- Newsom, however, disagrees with his colleague from San Francisco, with a spokesperson telling KCRA that he never wanted to have the two issues combined in the same special session.
- “He wants the disaster aid passed on its own and approved swiftly without any unnecessary delays,” spokesperson Tara Gallegos told KCRA.
