California Politics & News
Stay updated with California news, including reporting, analysis, and commentary on state government, progressive overreach, and the conservative response to Golden State policies.
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news
California’s 20,000-Ballot Fight: Judges Press DOJ Over Suspected Noncitizen Voters
Summary A 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel on Sunday heard arguments from the Department of Justice, which argued that California should not count 20,000 ballots from voters suspected of being noncitizens until their immigration status can be verified. The appeals court did not issue a decision on Sunday, but a district judge is… -
opinion
Schiff’s Telling Shift on Taxes
A family in Ohio has worked hard and sacrificed for three generations to keep their small-town grocery store in business, serving a community they live in and love. A billionaire in California who invests some of his money in the movie industry lives in a beachside mansion in Malibu. For which of these two entrepreneurs… -
analysis
‘Game Over’: The Simple Fix That Would Keep Noncitizens Off Voter Rolls
Summary An unknown number of noncitizens could be registered to vote in this year’s midterm elections due to lax enforcement, inadequate technology, and systemic failures by state governments. California and Hawaii are among the states where problems persist. But improper registrations can happen anywhere, potentially becoming consequential in exceptionally close elections. That’s the assessment of… -
news
LA Registrar Says Citizenship Check Stops at Voter’s Word—Even After Federal Charges
A legal fight over election integrity is playing out in Los Angeles courts this week, with LA officials admitting that they have no way to check citizenship beyond what voters write on the form. Monica Flores, an assistant registrar-recorder at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office, told a federal court Tuesday that their citizenship… -
news
Can a Grown Man Vote as Sydney Sweeney? Ad Shows How Rigged California Voting Really Is
Could a grown man who looks nothing like celebrity Sydney Sweeney vote under her name in California? A new ad by the Proposition 39 campaign dramatizes that scenario to spotlight the state’s lack of a voter ID requirement, encouraging voters to “Vote Yes on Prop 39.” Can someone pretend to be a voter that they… -
exclusive
EXCLUSIVE: What Did California Do With DOJ’s List of 20,000 Potential Noncitizens? Election Integrity Group Seeks Records
FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Did California officials investigate the Department of Justice’s list of roughly 20,000 people suspected of being noncitizens or reject it without checking the names? The Honest Elections Project has filed three records requests seeking the answer to this question. The requests, provided exclusively to the Daily Signal, were filed with the… -
opinion
California’s Energy Future Needs the 3 R’s: Reality, Reliability, and Resilience
California’s energy strategy ignores reality and gets the basic energy principles of reliability and resilience wrong. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s targets—100% “clean” electricity by 2045 and the (currently stalled) ban on selling new internal-combustion-engine cars and trucks after 2035—treat the distinction between electricity and other forms of energy as a detail green policies can easily overcome. However,… -
exclusive
2 Weeks Before the Midterms, DC Sent Me 4 Other People’s Ballots
Summary Two weeks ahead of the 2026 November midterm elections, which could change the balance of power in Congress, the Washington, D.C., Board of Elections sent me four strangers’ mail-in ballots. This is not a one-off. It is happening to Americans across the country. Early voting has already begun for the midterms, and millions of… -
opinion
Money Talks When Money Walks
This November, California voters will decide whether a fraction of the state’s population should pay a 5% wealth tax to help fund public programs. Proposition 40 would make roughly 200 of the richest Californians bail out the state’s deficits and save the budget for another year of easy spending. California is not the only blue… -
news
DOJ Charges 28 Noncitizens in California Voter Fraud Crackdown, Arrests 11
Federal authorities arrested 11 foreign nationals across California on Monday as part of a statewide election fraud investigation, announcing charges against 28 noncitizens for allegedly registering to vote illegally, casting ballots, or making false statements on naturalization applications. The arrests were part of “Operation Protect the Vote,” a coordinated effort involving all four U.S. attorneys’… -
news
Congress Failed, but Voters in 11 States Get Their Say on Core Provision of the SAVE Act
Senate Republicans were unable to pass the SAVE America Act this year, but voters in several states have the chance to approve ballot measures implementing its provisions. The SAVE America Act would require photo ID to vote and proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. Measures in Arizona and California combine a… -
news
DOJ Sues California After State Refuses to Act on Suspected Noncitizen Voters
The Department of Justice is suing California after state officials failed to comply with a 48-hour ultimatum to review a list of suspected noncitizen voters and set aside their ballots pending citizenship verification. The Justice Department, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, determined that more than 20,000 people are likely aliens and are… -
news
9th Circuit Delivers Major Setback to California’s Anti-ICE Law, Finds Trump ‘Certain’ to Prevail
An appeals court Wednesday rejected California’s mandate that federal immigration agents wear identification, asserting it violates the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution. California’s No Vigilantes Act, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year, requires nonuniformed law enforcement officers to display their agency and name or badge number during arrests, detentions, and crowd control enforcement. The… -
news
Bass vs. Raman: A Lose-Lose for Los Angeles?
Incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman faced off Tuesday night in their only televised head-to-head debate before the November election, hoping to convince the city’s more than 3.8 million residents that they’re the right person for the job. From homelessness to personal attacks and the devastating Palisades Fire, the two… -
news
Could Affordability Decide California’s Governor Race?
In California’s gubernatorial race, Democrat Xavier Becerra and Republican Steve Hilton are hoping to win over voters with their drastically different plans to address affordability in the state with the highest cost of living in the nation. California’s high cost of living is top of mind for voters heading into the 2026 elections. A September poll… -
news
LA Councilwoman Prioritizes Tent Access After Feds Bust Skid Row Drug Dealers
Summary Democrat Los Angeles City Councilwoman Ysabel Jurado is calling for “immediate answers” after a federal sweep of alleged drug dealers in Skid Row, claiming “residents” are being “prevented from returning to their tents and accessing belongings.” The Department of Justice announced Thursday afternoon that a joint law enforcement task force swept through the city’s… -
news
California Lawmakers Push for Mexican Cartel-Owned Avocado Ban
All the Republicans in California’s congressional delegation are advocating for tighter restrictions on the Mexican avocado trade in an effort to thwart Mexican drug cartels. “Cartels should not be able to use their influence over Mexico’s avocado supply chain to game the American market. Period,” Rep. James Gallagher, R-Calif., told the Daily Signal. “Sudden import… -
opinion
New California Law Requires Churches to Implement Pro-LGBT ‘Anti-Hate Speech’ Training
THE WASHINGTON STAND—A newly enacted law in California that requires virtually all employers to give employees “anti-hate speech” training is raising red flags, as experts say that the mandate could force churches to provide training that conflicts with sincerely held biblical beliefs regarding sexuality, gender, and marriage. Late last month, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a… -
opinion
California Public Housing Measure Could Be Used to Confiscate Church Property, Experts Say
THE WASHINGTON STAND—A state law in California ostensibly meant to make it easier for religious institutions and nonprofit colleges to rezone their property for building low-income housing for the homeless is now being used to potentially confiscate church property, according to legal experts in the Golden State. The controversy began in October 2023, when California… -
opinion
Victor Davis Hanson: Becerra and Talarico Vanish From the Campaign Trail
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words” from Daily Signal senior contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to Victor Davis Hanson’s own YouTube channel to watch past episodes. Sami Winc: Well, let’s turn to the California governor’s race, and Steve Hilton is closing the gap, which was a huge…