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California has officially begun a special legislative session, initially called by Governor Gavin Newsom, to fortify the state’s progressive policies against anticipated federal challenges from a second Trump administration.
Let’s bring you up to speed: Shortly after Vice President Kamala Harris conceded to President-Elect Donald Trump, Governor Gavin Newsom called a special legislative session, saying it was a necessary step to safeguard California’s progressive policies against what he described as potential overreach by the incoming Trump administration. At the time, Governor Newsom said California must begin preparing to counter “attacks” by President-Elect Trump that could damage civil rights, environmental protections, and immigration policies.

What’s going on now: During the special legislative session, Democratic lawmakers proposed a $25 million litigation fund designed to bolster the state’s legal capacity to challenge any federal overreach in court. This fund would support the California Department of Justice and other agencies in defending state laws on immigration, environmental protections, abortion, and disaster relief. In a statement, Governor Newsom’s office said the fund was critical to “challenge illegal federal actions in court and take administrative actions to reduce potential harm.
Another measure under consideration is protecting its immigrant population by providing state-funded health care to low-income residents regardless of immigration status. Lawmakers also discussed ways to safeguard California’s sanctuary policies and prevent the separation of migrant families.
In addition, California lawmakers proposed reviving the state’s electric vehicle (EV) rebate program if the incoming Trump administration eliminates the $7,500 federal tax credit for EV purchases. The original rebate program, which ended in 2023, would be reinstated to encourage the adoption of clean cars and support California’s ambitious goal of achieving 100% zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035. Notably, Newsom has suggested that Teslas would not qualify for the rebate, as his plan focuses on providing rebates to manufacturers with smaller shares of California’s EV market. For context, Tesla accounts for 55% of EVs on the road in California.
This move led to criticism from Congressman Ro Khanna, a Democrat, who said, “Tesla makes over 550,000 vehicles in Fremont in my district & employs over 20,000. Let’s not play politics with keeping manufacturing in California. It would be foolish to exclude Tesla.”