CFRW CAPITOL UPDATE – March 31, 2025

Officially Chartered by the National Federation of Republican Women and the California Republican Party
From the Desk of Lydia Kanno, CFRW President March 31, 2025

Is Governor Gavin Newsom ‘Newsom-Proofing’ California for the Next Republican Governor?

Is Newsom’s goal to destroy the state?

By Katy Grimes, March 24, 2025 2:55 am

California started the year $76 Billion in debt, Victor Davis Hanson reports. That’s $76,000,000,000 BILLION – 9 zeros.

California is one of only five states that haven’t recovered to pre-COVID job levels, and even our partial recovery is entirely dependent on government jobs.

California is missing $37 billion (another 9 zeros) spent on homelessness, only to see the homeless population explode. “The State Auditor found he lost track of that money,” Rep. Kevin Kiley said. “Then, he vetoed a bill to hold him accountable for further spending. California now has half the nation’s unsheltered homeless.”

Was that reaction or the plan?

The California Center for Jobs & the Economy just released a devastating report about how far Newsom has destroyed California – even worse than Gov. Jerry Brown did.

The report found regarding Pandemic Recovery, California drops to 4th place Behind North Carolina.

Rep. Kiley summarized some of the findings in a post to X:

  • Net job growth in January was exactly 0. By contrast, Texas added 27,900 jobs, Florida gained 16,500, and even New York added 20,100.
  • California has the second highest unemployment rate of all 50 states, with more than one million Californians unemployed for the 13th straight month.
  • We are one of only five states that haven’t recovered to pre-COVID levels, and even our partial recovery is entirely dependent on government jobs.
  • The proportion of Californians receiving unemployment payments is nearly double the national average.

Not only was California’s January job growth ZERO, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revised down the previous year’s numbers in January. Unfortunately, this is a regular problem. California’s governors historically send rosy jobs reports to the federal government, which always need to be revised down the following quarter.

“California is on the brink of disaster, $76 billion in debt, skyrocketing taxes, crumbling infrastructure, and a vanishing middle class,” Victor Davis Hanson says. “From high taxes to a failing power grid, Hanson asks the critical question: ‘Why is California becoming unsustainable?’”

If only Gavin Newsom would have Victor Davis Hanson on his podcast. That would be worth watching!

The California Center for Jobs & the Economy report also found:

“California’s job growth has been dominated by government and government dependent jobs in Healthcare & Social Assistance.”

Here is the worst part:
“other than in Trade, California has not grown jobs during the past 4 years of recovery; it has bought them with public funds. California has not expanded its tax base; it has used that tax base to cover its competitive weakness for private sector jobs. And the jobs California has bought are not the “good-paying” jobs promised in the state’s economic development goals, but are predominantly minimum wage, part-time, and limited term.”

CONTINUE READING ARTICLE HERE

 

California Democrats Block Vote on Bill That Would Require Sex-Specific Sports Teams and Locker Rooms

By Haley Strack
March 25, 2025 6:38 PM

Weeks after California Governor Gavin Newsom admitted that it was “deeply unfair” for transgender-identifying athletes play on sports teams according to chosen sex, California Democrats unanimously blocked a bill that would require sex-segregated sports teams and facilities in schools.

“Assembly Democrats care more about allowing biological boys into girls sports and locker rooms than protecting our daughters — this defies all common sense,” Assemblyman Bill Essayli, who called for a vote on the bill, which he authored, said. “The vast majority of Californians and all Americans agree: keep boys out of girls sports. Assembly Democrats are radically out of touch with common sense Californians and the voters will hold them accountable to restore justice and fairness in girls sports.”

The measure would require a student’s participation in sex-segregated sports and use of sex-segregated facilities such as bathrooms and locker rooms be based on the student’s sex. 

Debate over whether or not transgender-identifying students should be able to use facilities that do not correspond to their biological sex has mounted since President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring men from women’s sports and spaces.

Since Trump signed his executive order, at least two cases of female students feeling endangered by the presence of a male in their changing spaces, have gone viral.

CONTINUE READING HERE

New Poll Finds Half of All Californians Now Considering a GOP Candidate For Governor 2026

California State Capitol on March 11, 2022. (Photo: Kevin Sanders for California Globe)

‘California Republicans are looking at the biggest window of opportunity in a generation’

By Evan Symon, March 24, 2025 1:13 pm

A new David Wolfson/Madison McQueen poll released this week found that nearly half of all Californians are now considering voting for a Republican for Governor in 2026, a significant boost up from the 40.8% garnered by then Senator Brian Dahle (R) in the 2022 Gubernatorial election.

According to the poll, which surveyed 700 Californians earlier this month, a general shift towards more conservative viewpoints was also seen:

  • A whopping 73% of Californians were found to be in favor of Prop 36, a proposition voted in favor of last year that makes multiple changes to California drug and theft laws.
  • 72% still see homelessness as a huge problem in the state after years of actions by Democrats on the issue.
  • 71% stated that they didn’t think that Democratic leadership addressed California’s high cost of living.
  • 60% said they opposed free healthcare for illegal immigrants.
  • And finally, only 24% think transgender males should compete in female sports.

The poll follows on the results on the 2022 and 2024 elections, which showed a massive shift in Californians voting more and more for Republicans. In 2024 alone, Republicans gained three seats in the legislature, with a state Senate seat being flipped from Democrat to Republican in a presidential year for the first time since 1980. On the national level, California also showed a bounce back for the GOP, with Donald Trump garnering the most Republican votes in the state since George Bush in 2004.

In addition, voter rolls are on the rise for Republicans. Groups like Fix California have managed to boost the number of registered Republicans in the state by hundreds of thousands in only a few years, while Democrats have actually lost registered voters. Owen Brennan, president of Madison McQueen, said that the poll showed that many Californians are growing tired with one-party rule in the state.

“Voters are increasingly concerned about the direction of California under one-party rule,” said Brennan on Monday. “On issue after issue, voters are seeing their quality of life fall and their cost of living rise.”

Dems dispute figures

However, Democrats disputed the poll numbers, saying that a Democrat would be elected as Governor in 2026 regardless, and that the Madison McQueen poll was not an indicator of anything.

“Over the next 18 months, California Democrats will connect with nearly 20 million voters and elect a Democrat as California’s next governor. Again,” said California Democratic Party Chairman Rusty Hicks in a statement.

Currently, Democrats are leading in both fundraising and the number of candidates in 2026. As of Monday, Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis, former Congresswoman Katie Porter,  State Superintendent Tony Thurmond, Senator Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), Former State Controller Betty Yee, and former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa are all in as official Democratic candidates. A few others, like former Vice President Kamala Harris, are set to announce later this year.

However, the GOP has been a bit more sparse in terms of candidates so far, with the only candidate with electoral experience entering the race so far being Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco. A handful of other candidates are currently mulling a run, including former State Senator and 2022 Gubernatorial candidate Brian Dahle, former Olympian and 2021 Gubernatorial candidate Caitlyn Jenner, Fox New Host and former advisor to UK Prime Minister David Cameron Steve Hilton, and Special Presidential Envoy, former Director of National Intelligence and former Ambassador to Germany Ric Grenell. Other candidates entering are likely later this year, but as of Monday, this is the list.

While not many have entered on the GOP, the poll finding that 48% of Californians would still consider a Republican running for Governor is extraordinary. Should that many vote that way next November, it would be the best GOP showing for Governor since the 2006 election when then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger defeated Phil Angelides. And Republicans know it.

“Are voters ready for a change from the policy priorities of Democrats?,” added Brennan. “With the right leadership and policy focus, California Republicans are looking at the biggest window of opportunity in a generation.”

State of California & Los Angeles Budget Deficits: How Can Either Pay For the LA Olympics?

LA28 Olympic Games. (Photo: a28.org/en/games

LA Mayor admits to a $2 billion dollar deficit and is asking for state funds to close the budget chasm

By Katy Grimes, March 27, 2025 2:55 am

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass traveled to Sacramento Tuesday to ask the California Legislature for $2 billion to cover the budget shortfall in Los Angeles. “What do you say to California taxpayers outside of LA?” Ashley Zavala with KCRA asked. “We are fortunate to have the Legislature and governor we do,” Bass replied. Translated, that means, “Fortunately we have a Democrat supermajority and Democrat Governor.”

Last week the Globe reported that Los Angeles City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo shocked the LA City Council by announcing that the city budget deficit was worse than they thought – $1 billion in the red.

Now the LA Mayor admits to a $2 billion dollar deficit and is asking for state funds to close the budget chasm.

The Newsom Administration budget is somewhere between $40 billion and at least $80 billion in deficit.

The City of Los Angeles is scheduled to host the Summer Olympics next, in 2028. It takes a decade to prepare for the influx of athletes and tourists, the Council on Foreign Relations recently explained.

Is Los Angeles really already 7 years into preparations, with 3 of those years under Gavin Newsom’s statewide covid lockdown?

Many are concerned whether the State and the City will be prepared for this venture, and if not, could be a disaster be waiting to happen?

“The costs of hosting the Olympics have skyrocketed, while the economic benefits are far from clear,” the Council on Foreign Relations recently reported. “A growing number of economists argue that the benefits of hosting the games are at best exaggerated and at worst nonexistent, leaving many host countries with large debts and maintenance liabilities.”

The 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles cost $287 million. Today’s Olympics cost billions. Japan hosted the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, costing $3.1 Billion – $3,100,000,000.

With a $2 billion deficit, and her hat in hand with the California Legislature for a bailout, how will LA Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom make the Olympics happen without bankrupting the city?

“These costs have led some cities to withdraw their bids for upcoming games,” the Council on Foreign Relations said.

“Once a city is chosen to host, it has around a decade to prepare for the influx of athletes and tourists. The Summer Games are far larger, attracting hundreds of thousands of foreign tourists to watch over ten thousand athletes compete in about three hundred events.”

LA28, the Los Angeles Olympic Games website is a little short on details. “The updated LA28 Games Plan reflects the bounty of existing world-class venues in LA, offering the best possible experience for athletes and fans, while supporting LA28’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and sustainability,” LA28 says. “When LA28 won the bid back in 2017, we shared a Games Plan that reflected the best venues for the sports anticipated in the LA28 Games. Since then, LA28 has introduced new sports, new disciplines are being considered, and new venues have been built.”

LA28 is very inclusive:

I wonder what the Trump Administration thinks about such a colossal potential disaster, and glittering example of Democrat Know-How. “The Democrats have shown everyone how they deal with fire prevention and response. Let’s not get dragged into this smoking hot mess,” a political friend said when discussing this with the Globe.

President Trump met with LA28 in February following the Pacific Palisades, Eaton and Los Angeles fires, “and received what he called an ‘unwavering commitment’ to continuing with plans for the Games,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

“We look forward to partnering with [Trump] and his administration to deliver a safe and successful Games our nation can be proud of,” said Casey Wasserman, chairman of the LA28 organizing committee. But it doesn’t appear that budget deficits were discussed.

The Globe made an inquiry with LA28 early Wednesday morning asking, “How is LA28 funded? How much of the funding has already been committed and spent in preparations for the infrastructure needed, 7 years into the 10 years of preparation?” We did not receive a response but will update the article if and when we do.

Regarding the Los Angeles budget deficit, it’s serious. As City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo laid bare for council members:

  • A decline in overall revenues brought on by “downward economic trends” led to a revenue gap of $315 million.
  • Increased spending on legal payouts brought in another loss of $100 million because of liability claims.
  • Adding to this was $275 million that Szabo said was needed to replenish the city’s reserve fund as it had been depleted in recent months to balance the 2024-2025 budget,
  • which was decimated by an estimated $282 million in wildfire expenses stemming from the Palisades fire in January.
  • The city also stands to lose another $80 million in solid waste fee subsidies.
  • On top of all that was an additional $250 million in scheduled pay raises for city employees.
  • Szabo also said that the huge budget gap all but certainly means mass layoffs of city employees, likely in the thousands.

It appears obvious that Gavin Newsom does not care about what he leaves behind. He’s all about living in the here and now, and denying his past, as his vanity podcast confirms, as he tries to rewrite his own history and lengthy record of wreckage.

How will Gov. Newsom and Mayor Bass escape accountability this time? Will they wait until it is a five-alarm emergency, beg for a bail out and then blame any and all consequences on Trump? That seems to be standard operating procedure.

That won’t work this time – we want answers now. It’s not 2028 yet.

Members, It Is Time To Pay Your Dues Clubs, Please Turn In Your Per Capita Reports Thank You

Copyright © 2025 California Federation of Republican Women, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you are a member of the California Federation of Republican Women.

Our mailing address is:

California Federation of Republican Women

428 J St Ste 400

Sacramento, CA 95814-2394