PARTY FOUL

Newsom Earns Republican Praise After Tanking Progressive Bills

The trio of late-night vetos drew the ire of progressive lawmakers.

Friday night was nothing short of a disaster for California progressives as Gov. Gavin Newsom handed down veto after veto, shooting down priorities championed by labor groups and trans rights activists while earning the praise of Republicans opposed to the measures. Newsom shot down a bill that would have asked that courts take into account the gender identity of children during custody battles. Republican assembly member Bill Essayli praised Newsom’s blocking of the bill, writing on X, formerly Twitter, that “This is fantastic news and the right call.” The governor also blocked a bill mandating that automated trucks still have a human present on board, a requirement sought by unions wary of the rise of artificial intelligence. In a third veto that is sure to irk progressives, Newsom rejected a measure that would prevent state prisons from sharing immigration information with federal agencies in an extension of California’s efforts as a sanctuary state.