Newsom expands special session, proposes $2.5 billion for LA fire response and recovery
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday expanded a special session for California lawmakers to respond to deadly wildfires tearing through Los Angeles County and asked the legislature to approve $2.5 billion to aid response and recovery efforts.
Newsom had originally called the special session in November to funnel millions in additional dollars to the state Department of Justice in preparation for incoming President Donald Trump’s second term, which begins next Monday.
“California is organizing a Marshall Plan to help Los Angeles rebuild faster and stronger – including billions in new and accelerated state funding so we can move faster to deliver for the thousands who’ve lost their homes and livelihoods in these firestorms,” the governor said in a statement. “To the people of Los Angeles: We have your back.”
The Marshall Plan was a post-World War II American initiative to help rebuilding Western European nations’ economies.
Top legislative Democrats made statements in support of the expanded special session. Senate President pro Tem Mike McGuire called the funding request from Newsom “a down payment that will kickstart the clean-up of neighborhoods and start the process of rebuilding lives.”
“We must ensure Angelenos and Southern Californians can restore their lives and communities as quickly as possible,” said Speaker Robert Rivas, who visited the devastation in the LA area over the weekend.
Republican lawmakers had earlier urged Newsom to call a special session on wildfire response.
Earlier Monday, Democratic lawmakers announced an agreement advancing a $50 million fund to prepare the state for potential litigation with Trump.
Newsom originally called the special session to shore up legal resources and defend against attacks on reproductive health care, climate change policies, and immigrant communities, all of which Trump repeatedly criticized on the campaign trail.
Bonta previews lawsuits
Attorney General Rob Bonta gave a preview Monday of the earliest lawsuits he expects to file against the Trump administration, including fighting Trump’s desire to end birthright citizenship and to deploy the U.S. military to deport unauthorized immigrants.
He also mentioned preparing litigation to protect California’s toughest-in-the-nation vehicle emissions standards and to fight against potential use of the Comstock Act, a 19th century law first implemented to ban mailing obscene material, to prohibit mailing medication, something anti-abortion conservatives have called for.
“He’s told us what he’ll do,” Bonta said of Trump during a conversation with The Sacramento Press Club. “Many of those things are unlawful.”
Sen. Scott Wiener, a San Francisco Democrat, on Monday announced amended legislation to provide $25 million in funding in grants for local legal aid agencies. That bill will complement one put forth by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel, an Encino Democrat, that calls for the state to provide $25 million in funding for the Department of Justice.
Wiener drew a direct line between the additional funding and Trump’s previous threats to withhold federal disaster relief aid as the death toll from the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires reached 24.
“National MAGA Republicans wasted no time politicizing the horrific tragedy unfolding in Los Angeles. As the fires burned, the President-elect, his allies, and senior Congressional Republican officials proposed withholding California’s disaster aid and imposing unprecedented conditions on this humanitarian relief,” Wiener said. “These inhumane threats show yet again why California must be prepared to counter the cruel and prejudicial attacks the incoming administration is preparing to launch against California.”
So far, Trump has not threatened to cut off money for wildfire victims, who are eligible to apply for federal relief after President Joe Biden signed off on Newsom’s request to declare a federal disaster last week.
But Trump has repeatedly threatened to block California’s federal funding if Newsom doesn’t capitulate to his demands to divert water to farmers. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, told reporters Monday that he personally believed “there should be conditions” on disaster relief aid for California.
Wiener said lawmakers planned to vote on the special session bills in committee on Tuesday, with floor votes slated for Friday.
Republicans’ pressure campaign
Legislative Republicans had mixed reactions to Newsom’s announcement.
Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher commended the governor. His caucus previously called for more robust preparation against wildfires after the LA blazes sparked.
“I’m glad to see Governor Newsom agreeing that the state needs to prioritize relief for Californians impacted by these fires. I certainly hope he doesn’t play politics with this money by tying it to his slush fund for government lawyers and left-wing groups to fight President Trump,” Gallagher said through a spokesman. “This is a time for all of us to come together and take care of our fellow Californians who have lost everything.”
Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, R-San Diego, said lumping the two agenda items together in a special session is “unnecessary and, frankly, insulting to those struggling through this disaster. “
“Fire victims deserve a response that is both respectful and non-partisan, but instead, Newsom is politicizing a tragic crisis that should focus solely on aiding those in need,” Jones said. “A better and more thoughtful approach would have been to convene a new special session exclusively dedicated to investigating the LA fires, supporting communities in recovery, and ensuring we are better prepared for future disasters.”
All 28 Republicans in both chambers of the legislature signed a letter to Newsom Saturday calling on him to increase funding for wildfire prevention and home hardening, expedite fire suppression projects and increase criminal penalties for arson and fire negligence.
At a press conference Monday, Gallagher also called for exempting fuels reduction projects from the California Environmental Quality Act, or CEQA, to speed up forest management and dry fuels removal.
Trump falsely accused Newsom of hampering officials’ response to the fire by not signing a so-called “water restoration declaration” that he said would allow for water to “flow” from the northern part of the state into Southern California.
Newsom’s office called this “pure fiction.” His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the new legislation. Newsom remained in the Los Angeles area Monday to oversee the emergency response.
The governor invited Trump in a letter sent Friday to see the wildfire destruction firsthand. Trump did not immediately respond.
This story was originally published January 13, 2025 at 12:23 PM.
