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** Gavin Newsom: California's Censor
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Dear John,

Any Governor Gavin Newsom appearance ought to come labeled with one of California’s infamous Prop 65 warning labels. Like many politicians, you can count on Newsom to say precisely the opposite of what’s true. In that sense, he’s like a compass that always points to true south. He is invariable in his wrongness.

That’s why it was unsurprising to find the governor sitting on Stephen Colbert’s couch this week, calling Jimmy Kimmel’s return to Stage 16 at the ABC Television Center in Burbank a victory for free speech.

Whatever you think of the unfunny Jimmy Kimmel, you likely find it ironic that Governor Newsom would utter the words “free” and “speech” in such close proximity. Even as he tanned beneath Colbert’s tungsten lights, Newsom was running — is running now — a redistricting campaign that will rob millions of Californians of their right to cast an effective vote. That’s not how he characterizes his Proposition 50 campaign, of course. Newsom says he’s battling Texas’s redistricting effort in a battle to control the House of Representatives in the 2026 midterms — “fighting fire with fire.” But in that battle, he’s using Californians — the people he swore to protect and defend — as artillery shells.

(It’s also true that Newsom, who has overseen the state’s worst wildfires, would be smart to avoid the word “fire.” It’s triggering, is all.)

We could go on. California Policy Center is suing the governor right this minute for signing SB 399 ([link removed]) , the new law that prohibits employers from talking about religion or politics with their employees on their own property. During the pandemic, Newsom did precisely what he says he hates in President Trump — used his “emergency authority” to shut down churches (but not strip clubs) in order to slow the spread of Covid. During the pandemic, you could march in massed ranks of angry progressives and burn down people’s businesses to protest the death of George Floyd, but your children could not go to school. It took the Supreme Court ([link removed]) to curb the governor’s authoritarian impulses.

In that same period, the governor signed off on Assembly Bill 2098, a law that punished doctors whose treatments didn’t conform with Newsom’s own advanced epidemiological assessments — assessments that changed from week to week with such speed that they seemed to mirror the governor’s perspective on gender fluidity. That law was so obviously unconstitutional that it required only the whispered threat of a lawsuit for the state legislature to repeal the law less than a year after Newsom signed it.

Even today there’s the discovery that, buried in the legislative effluent on Newsom’s desk, is Senate Bill 771. That bill, which is weirdly titled “Personal rights: liability: social media platforms,” would in fact undermine personal rights — and punish social media companies for publishing “hate speech.” The proposal is so laughably stupid that even Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris, a Democrat from Irvine and Newsom ally, doesn’t take it seriously. She reminded us that a Newsom spokesperson had called Joe Patterson, one of her few Republican colleagues, a “bald little man” on X.

"We all laughed about that,” Petrie-Norris said, “but Assemblymember Patterson could say, ‘That was the governor's spokesperson — that was intimidating, that was harassing and now I’m going to sue whatever that platform was for $500,000’ and the platform would basically have to settle. How do we ever come up with an objective standard of what is intimidating or harassing?”

You don’t, Ms. Petrie-Norris. You let Gavin Newsom sign the bill into law — and then you join the repeal effort when it becomes clear that SB 771 won’t survive first contact with a federal judge who has any memory of the First Amendment.


** Emily Rae Joins CPC as Director of California Justice Center
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We're thrilled to announce that attorney Emily Rae has joined CPC to lead the California Justice Center, our public interest law firm defending the constitutional rights of Californians.

“California politicians are notorious for undermining the freedom of Californians to work, launch businesses, raise their children and pay for life’s necessities,” said CPC president Will Swaim in announcing Rae’s arrival. “We’ve worked alongside Emily for years, watching with admiration as she fights those politicians in defense of ordinary Californians.”

“Now we’re fortunate to have Emily leading the California Justice Center. Californians are lucky to have her in their corner,” Swaim added.

Rae succeeds trailblazer Julie Hamill, who founded the California Justice Center and recently joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.

“Julie built the California Justice Center from the ground up with extraordinary talent, tenacity and heart,” Swaim said. “We are grateful for her lasting impact on CPC’s mission, and know she will play an indispensable role in defending the rights of Californians in her new position.”

Rae previously served as senior counsel at the Liberty Justice Center, where she litigated cases to protect individual rights and prevent government overreach. She was the lead attorney in several high-profile cases, including:
* California v. Chino Valley Unified School District, defending Chino’s parental notification policy
* California Department of Education v. Rocklin Unified School District, defending Rocklin’s parental notification policy, and
* Chino Valley Unified School District v. Newsom, challenging AB 1955, a California law that prohibits parental notification policies.

If you would like to support the ongoing work of the California Justice Center, you can do so by making a donation to CPC here. ([link removed])
New Podcast ()
[link removed]


** Left, Right & Center: From health to prosecutions, retribution defines the moment
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CPC president Will Swaim joins David Greene's podcast to discuss political retribution, the Trump administration's announcements this week on autism, and how to navigate conversations with people we deeply disagree with. Listen now. ([link removed])

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** Radio Free California #409: The Week in California in a Single Sentence
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On this week's podcast with CPC president Will Swaim and CPC board member David Bahnsen: Gavin Newsom appeared with Stephen Colbert to celebrate Jimmy Kimmel’s return to ABC programming, even as the governor works to silence California’s conservative voters in a redistricting initiative that (polling shows) is headed toward a slim victory on November 4 — and despite Princeton University’s conclusion that the new electoral map earns Newsom an “F.” Listen now. ([link removed])

Upcoming Events ()
Celebrate William F. Buckley, Jr.’s
100th Birthday:
Racing Through Paradise
Don't miss this special event co-hosted by the Pacific Research Institute and National Review Institute celebrating Bill Buckley’s centennial on Saturday, October 4th in Newport Beach!

The celebration will begin at noon with a sailing adventure on the historic tall ship America along the California coastline, followed by an exclusive reception and dinner at the Balboa Bay Resort and Club at 6:00 PM.

Speakers include:
● Chuck DeFeo, CEO, National Review, Inc. and National Review Institute
● Charles Kesler, Editor, Claremont Review of Books
● Peter Robinson, Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution
● Lawrence Perelman, Author, American Impresario

Learn more and RSVP here. ([link removed])

More from CPC ()


** The $500 Billion California Agency Accountable Only to Itself
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CalPERS is holding a board election this month, but that doesn’t mean taxpayers will see accountability. With $500 billion in assets, the ability to bankrupt the state if mismanaged, and enough clout to sway corporate decisions worldwide, few institutions anywhere wield as much power. CPC Research Manager Sheridan Karras examines why CalPERS' unsustainable model and politicized investments endure while taxpayers underwrite the risks. Read the article. ([link removed])


** ICYMI: Policy Errors at the Root of California Community College Enrollment Fraud
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California’s community colleges are facing a surge in enrollment fraud, with “ghost students” using fake identities to steal millions in financial aid. CPC visiting fellow Marc Joffe exposes how two progressive policy imperatives — tuition-free education and protecting undocumented immigrants — have opened the door to fraud, inflating headcounts and blocking real students from classes. Read now. ([link removed])
SUPPORT CPC ([link removed])

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ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA POLICY CENTER

The California Policy Center promotes prosperity for all Californians through limited government and individual liberty.

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