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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opinion
The California Exodus Grows as Affordability Crisis Pushes Residents Out
The California Exodus is quickening, and it turns out the people leaving don’t have to wander too long to find a new promised land. That’s the takeaway from several recent reports showing that the population decline in California is becoming extreme, but that the people who choose to leave the state are finding life much… -
opinion
California Gubernatorial Debate Canceled When Only White Candidates Made the Cut
The University of Southern California canceled its gubernatorial debate 24 hours before it was to start. Why? The six candidates who qualified under polling and fundraising metrics were—gasp!—all white. Democrat candidates of color immediately accused USC of excluding “candidates of color.” Mind you, their platforms—on housing, crime, homelessness, taxes, etc.—are virtually indistinguishable. Is there a… -
news
Daily Signal Expands to California With New State Bureau
The Daily Signal is expanding its state-level reporting with the launch of a new California bureau, adding a team of journalists dedicated to original reporting, investigations, and commentary from the nation’s most populous state. The California bureau will focus on coverage of state government, public policy, and cultural issues, with particular attention to how decisions… -
opinion
Newsom Is Murdering California’s Energy Industry
When I was growing up, many Americans viewed California as the sunny state with unlimited resources, an entrepreneurial spirit that inspired people across the country, and energy sources that the U.S. and the world desperately needed. Today’s California is the exact opposite of that, and it’s truly a shame. Everyone can see that California Gov…. -
opinion
Resurrecting the California Dream
When I first moved to California, the Golden State was like an oasis, with red-golden sunsets, wide-open spaces, lush greenery, opal blue waters, and grocery stores selling fruit I’d never even heard of. Back then, California felt like its own country, one where hard work could build a real life of joy and endless possibility…. -
opinion
California’s DEI Obsession Derails Democrat Primary Debate
It’s amazing how much California does these days to roll into its stereotype as a dysfunctional, woke-ified political wasteland. On Tuesday, the University of Southern California canceled its scheduled gubernatorial debate after several top Democrats reportedly waged a pressure campaign to put a halt to it. The field is currently wide open with Democrat Gov…. -
news
Gas Taxes Are Rising Nationally—and Nowhere More Than California
Across the nation, states are raising their gas taxes. Leading the way, California now has a 70.9-cent per-gallon state excise tax. The Tax Foundation says the “gas tax is meant to function as a user fee, charging drivers to fund the construction and maintenance of the roads they use.” States apply tax gas in a variety of ways; most add tax at… -
opinion
California’s ‘Butterfly’ Bridge Fiasco Exposes Blue State Dysfunction
I think this may be the most California story of all time. In 2022, Gov. Gavin Newsom celebrated the groundbreaking of a giant wildlife bridge across the 101 Freeway in Southern California. He noted that while the project came with a $54 million price tag, it could be completed with another $10 million. For those who’ve followed… -
opinion
Fact-Checking Newsom’s Absurd Low-Tax California Claim
Gov. Patrick Bateman meets Sparkle Beach Ken says that California is a low-tax state. Yes, really. At an SXSW conference Sunday in Austin, Texas, Gov. Gavin Newsom had the chutzpah to argue that, actually, Texas and Florida are higher tax states than California. “We have the most progressive tax rates in America,” Newsom said when asked about… -
news
US Sues California Over Zero-Emission Vehicle, Greenhouse Gas Rules
REUTERS—The Trump administration on Thursday sued the state of California, claiming the state’s zero-emission vehicle and tailpipe greenhouse gas emissions rules are illegal and preempted by federal law. The Transportation Department sued the California Air Resources Board in U.S. District Court in California over vehicle rules that remain in place after President Donald Trump signed legislation last year… -
opinion
California’s Inferno of Regulations
Last year, California wildfires destroyed 13,000 homes. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced: “We are 100% committed to getting this neighborhood rebuilt again!” Gov. Gavin Newsom echoed that, saying his officials were “responding to it at scale, with efficiency … addressing building codes, permitting issues, and moving forward to rebuilding.” Great! It sounded like bureaucrats… -
news
‘WATERSHED MOMENT’: Supreme Court Rules on Gender Secrecy Policies
The Supreme Court Monday vindicated parental rights, upholding an injunction against California’s gender secrecy policy, which mandated that school staff hide a student’s claimed transgender identity from parents unless the student expressly consented to reveal it. “This is a watershed moment for parental rights in America,” Paul Jonna, special counsel at the Thomas More Society,… -
news
‘California Is Broken’: Elaine Culotti Launches Run for Governor
Elaine Culotti, a California-based entrepreneur and reality TV personality, is running for governor of the Golden State. “California is broken, but it can be fixed,” Culotti says in her announcement video, which aired Thursday on “The Adam Carolla Show.” Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom is term limited and cannot run for reelection in 2026. Culotti says,… -
opinion
‘You Owe Us’ Is the Mantra of the Left
Editor’s note: This is a lightly edited transcript of a segment from today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words” from Daily Signal Senior Contributor Victor Davis Hanson. Subscribe to Hanson’s own YouTube channel to watch past episodes. Sami Winc: Two things that came together for me. One was [New York City Mayor Zohran] Mamdani’s… -
Why Teachers Unions Are the New ‘Hotel California’ for Public Employees
Last month, over 6,000 public employees broke free from mandatory union fees—a record-setting surge that signals a nationwide shift in teacher and public worker empowerment. Leading the charge is the Teacher Freedom Alliance, which helps educators reclaim their paychecks from politically driven union agendas. This year, the group plans to help 60,000 workers leave unions and push legislation in multiple… -
news
EXCLUSIVE: Border Patrol Stops Large Human Smuggling Attempt in California
Border Patrol agents in California have arrested 23 individuals in a human smuggling bust, according to Customs and Border Protection. Four of the individuals arrested are believed to be human smugglers, and 19 are Mexican nationals, the agency reported. Border Patrol agents spotted a vehicle on Jan. 31 in the El Centro Sector of the U.S. border with Mexico, which they believed… -
news
Clinton-Appointed Judge Rules on Newsom-Backed Mask Ban for ICE
A federal judge ruled against California’s prohibition on federal law enforcement wearing masks, a mandate aimed at Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents. U.S. District Judge Christina Snyder, appointed by President Bill Clinton, ruled the state law discriminates against federal law enforcement, as it allowed state police to wear masks to conceal their identities while preventing federal law… -
news
Supreme Court Won’t Hear Challenge to California Gerrymandering
The Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the new California congressional maps drawn to favor Democrats. In November, California voters approved Proposition 50 to temporarily scrap the redistricting commission, allowing the Democrat-controlled Legislature to draw maps that could net Democrats another five House seats in the 2026 midterms. Mid-decade redistricting in states could… -
opinion
Virginia’s New ‘Centrist’ Governor Goes Full California on Day One
“Nobody elected him to be [President Franklin Roosevelt], they elected him to be normal and stop the chaos,” then-Rep. Abigail Spanberger harshly said of then-President Joe Biden in 2021, after her Democratic Party lost the governorship of Virginia. Her point was that Biden had followed a radical agenda that betrayed how he had run and how the media had presented him:… -
news
Another Candidate Enters California’s Crowded Governor’s Race
San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan entered the crowded race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gavin Newsom, pitching himself as a results-driven Democrat focused on public safety, homelessness, and affordability. Mahan, 43, was elected mayor in 2022 after a career as a tech entrepreneur. He says California Democrats have been too consumed with opposing President Donald Trump…