Elon Musk: Newsom signing AB 1955 "Final Straw"
Dear John,
By now you likely know that Elon Musk has said he’s packing up every last desk, rivet gun, engineering table and family picture and moving every one of his jobs out of California.
The reason: Governor Gavin Newsom’s signature Monday on Assembly Bill 1955, the bill by Assemblyman Chris Ward (D-San Diego) written to invalidate parental notification policies passed by school boards across the state. The Orwellian named “SAFETY Act” instructs school officials to lie to and keep secrets from parents if their child changes their name, pronouns or gender at school.
“This is the final straw,” Musk posted on X. “Because of this law and the many others that preceded it, attacking both families and companies, SpaceX will now move its HQ from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas. And 𝕏 HQ will move to Austin.”
“The goal [of] this diabolical law is to break the parent-child relationship and put the state in charge of your children,” Musk tweeted.
Why would Newsom gamble his presidential aspirations on a bill certain to universally tick off parents, including those highly coveted parent voters in swing states?
Perhaps in the wake of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump on Saturday, he realized his dreams of a presidential run would not see the light of day this year — and expected that the controversy around the new law would be old news by 2028. He certainly didn’t anticipate Musk would chime in, but once he did, the story went viral quickly.
As actor James Woods observed, “I’m sorry to see another sterling employer leaving our once beautiful paradise, the State of California. Sad that Gavin Newsom will have put thousands more out of work. He couldn’t care less, because he hopes by 2028 we will have forgotten. But we won’t.”
In response, Newsom’s press office went into overdrive, calling Musk’s take on the bill “disinformation,” but the cat was already out of the bag.
Nationally syndicated radio host Charlamagne Tha God criticized Newsom’s law on his show. "Teachers should inform parents about everything and anything you see in my child that I don’t see, anything that I’m missing in my child, you have to let me know," Charlamagne said.
And high-profile Hollywood celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton condemned the bill on TikTok:
“I am … a father of three and a member of the LGBTQ community … I am a very inclusive and accepting person, but I am the parent of my child, not a teacher or the school. If my child wants to change their name or gender, I should know about it …This could be an issue that’s mental health related or bullying related or, whatever the reason, I need to know! It's shocking to me. This is crazy!"
The good news? Our friends at Liberty Justice Center immediately filed a lawsuit this week on behalf of California parents and Chino Valley Unified School District to stop the bill from going into effect.
Chino Valley was the first California school district to enact a parental notification policy. In another case that is still pending, California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued to block Chino Valley’s policy from taking effect — after school’s chief Tony Thurmond made a spectacle of opposing the policy at a Chino Valley school board meeting.
“School officials do not have the right to keep secrets from parents, but parents do have a constitutional right to know what their minor children are doing at school,” Liberty Justice Center said in announcing their lawsuit in state court. “Parents are the legal guardians of their children—NOT Newsom, Bonta, or Thurmond.”
But that’s not all. The unconstitutional parental exclusion statute will soon face more legal challenges. CPC attorney Julie Hamill warns that, in addition to violating parents' fundamental right to raise their children, AB 1955 flies in the face of FERPA, The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, which guarantees parents the right to inspect and review the education records of their children.
“FERPA is a federal law that prohibits the United States Department of Education from providing any federal funds to schools that withhold records from parents,” Hamill said. “It is mandatory, not discretionary.”
Suffice to say that the battle over AB 1955 is far from over. The bill’s backers — the California Teachers Association chief among them — clearly underestimated the tsunami of outrage against the bill despite the hundreds of grassroots activists who came to the Capitol to oppose AB 1955 over the last two months.
At California Policy Center, we’re proud to continue this fight along with our many amazing allies — parents, parent advocates, school board members, attorneys and fearless legislators like Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Corona) — who have worked tirelessly to defend the rights of parents and the safety of California’s children.
Now the battle continues.
For a deep dive into the legal response to AB 1955, listen to CPC attorney Julie Hamill and Liberty Justice Center attorney Emily Rae’s discussion with CPC president Will Swaim on this week’s "Emergency Episode" of the Radio Free California podcast.
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Radio Free California #343: EMERGENCY EPISODE — The Legal Response to Newsom’s A.B. 1955
In signing AB 1955, Gov. Gavin Newsom did more than assert the state’s authority over California’s school-age kids. He also triggered a backlash — most notably Elon Musk’s immediate announcement that he’s taking all that remains of his California tech empire to Texas. CPC president Will Swaim talks with Liberty Justice Center attorney Emily Rae and California Policy Center attorney Julie Hamill about litigation strategies already emerging. Listen now.
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Radio Free California #342: Least Mode!
By signing a bill that requires teachers to lie to parents, Gov. Newsom has put an end to any discussion that he’ll run for the White House. On the other hand, he’s got “Politickin’,” a new podcast with Marshawn “Beast Mode” Lynch. Bonus: CPC's Lance Christensen and Julie Hamill discuss Newsom’s comms director’s habit of hectoring the press, the political theater of state budgets, and how to understand education bond measures in your own neighborhood. Listen now.
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Beyond Musk’s Departure, More Grim California News
There’s much speculation about the financial damage to California following Elon Musk’s high-profile exit from the Golden State. But there’s more — and more deeply — unsettling news about California: A state auditor says California’s economic fundamentals are so unstable that he’s unable to predict repayment of a key federal loan. Read the National Review article by CPC president Will Swaim.
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Wake Up California: Free Market Energy Solutions Work
While California continues to enact climate regulations that hinder the state’s economy, Texas has taken the lead in driving clean energy production. CPC Policy and Research Associate Andrew Davenport explains why California’s leaders must wake up to the reality that their regulatory labyrinth is stifling progress, and instead embrace free market solutions to unleash the state’s innovative potential. Read now.
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