Latest news with #RobBonta
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
California tries again to overturn Huntington Beach's controversial voter ID law
After losing last month in Orange County Superior Court, the state of California is asking a state appellate court to overturn a Huntington Beach measure that could require voters to present photo identification to cast ballots in local elections. Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, the state's top elections official, have been tangling with Huntington Beach in court for more than a year over Measure A, which amends the city charter to say that local officials "may" require photo ID for municipal elections starting in 2026. In April, Orange County Superior Court Judge Nico Dourbetas said the state had not shown that "a voter identification requirement compromises the integrity of a municipal election." Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns called the ruling a "huge victory." Bonta appealed Wednesday to the 4th Appellate District, where the state hopes for a more favorable hearing. In February, a three-judge panel from the 4th District said that Huntington Beach's assertion of a "constitutional right to regulate its own municipal elections free from state interference" was "problematic," but kicked the case back down to Orange County Superior Court. More than 53% of Huntington Beach voters supported the charter amendment in the March 2024 election. The amendment also requires that Huntington Beach provide 20 in-person polling places and to monitor ballot drop boxes. The city has not shared plans on how the law could be implemented in next year's elections. A representative for Huntington Beach didn't respond to requests for comment Thursday. The city's lawyers have argued that the city charter gives local officials autonomy to oversee municipal issues, including local elections. Bonta and Weber contend that while California's 121 "charter cities" can govern their own municipal affairs, local laws can't conflict with state laws on issues of "statewide concern," including the integrity of California elections and the constitutional right to vote. The voter ID law is one of several fronts in the ongoing battle that conservative officials in Huntington Beach have waged against California since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The city has used similar arguments about its charter city status in fights over state housing laws, education policies for transgender students and "sanctuary state" immigration laws. The issue of voter ID has become a flashpoint with conservative politicians, including President Trump, who in January demanded that California enact a voter ID law in order to receive aid for the devastating Los Angeles area wildfires. California voters are required to verify their identities when they register to vote, and the state imposes criminal penalties for fraudulent registration. California does not require photo identification at the polls but does require that voters provide their names and addresses. The photo ID measure may also be invalidated by Senate Bill 1174, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last fall, which bars local election officials from requiring photo identification in elections. Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter. Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond, in your inbox twice per week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
California tries again to overturn Huntington Beach's controversial voter ID law
After losing last month in Orange County Superior Court, the state of California is asking a state appellate court to overturn a Huntington Beach measure that could require voters to present photo identification to cast ballots in local elections. Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, the state's top elections official, have been tangling with Huntington Beach in court for more than a year over Measure A, which amends the city charter to say that local officials 'may' require photo ID for municipal elections starting in 2026. In April, Orange County Superior Court Judge Nico Dourbetas said the state had not shown that 'a voter identification requirement compromises the integrity of a municipal election.' Huntington Beach Mayor Pat Burns called the ruling a 'huge victory.' Bonta appealed Wednesday to the 4th Appellate District, where the state hopes for a more favorable hearing. In February, a three-judge panel from the 4th District said that Huntington Beach's assertion of a 'constitutional right to regulate its own municipal elections free from state interference' was 'problematic,' but kicked the case back down to Orange County Superior Court. More than 53% of Huntington Beach voters supported the charter amendment in the March 2024 election. The amendment also requires that Huntington Beach provide 20 in-person polling places and to monitor ballot drop boxes. The city has not shared plans on how the law could be implemented in next year's elections. A representative for Huntington Beach didn't respond to requests for comment Thursday. The city's lawyers have argued that the city charter gives local officials autonomy to oversee municipal issues, including local elections. Bonta and Weber contend that while California's 121 'charter cities' can govern their own municipal affairs, local laws can't conflict with state laws on issues of 'statewide concern,' including the integrity of California elections and the constitutional right to vote. The voter ID law is one of several fronts in the ongoing battle that conservative officials in Huntington Beach have waged against California since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The city has used similar arguments about its charter city status in fights over state housing laws, education policies for transgender students and 'sanctuary state' immigration laws. The issue of voter ID has become a flashpoint with conservative politicians, including President Trump, who in January demanded that California enact a voter ID law in order to receive aid for the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. California voters are required to verify their identities when they register to vote, and the state imposes criminal penalties for fraudulent registration. California does not require photo identification at the polls but does require that voters provide their names and addresses. The photo ID measure may also be invalidated by Senate Bill 1174, which Gov. Gavin Newsom signed last fall, which bars local election officials from requiring photo identification in elections.
Auto Blog
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
California's Ban on Gas-Powered Cars is Dead
Senate Republicans pull a rarely used lever Senate Republicans last Thursday voted to repeal California's rule banning the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. The 51-44 vote, pushed through using the Congressional Review Act, nullifies a waiver granted under the Clean Air Act — something Congress has never done in the law's 50-year history. California's rule was part of an aggressive plan to shift the auto market toward electric vehicles, and 11 other states had intended to adopt it. Together, those states represent about 40% of U.S. auto sales. The decision marks a major victory for the oil and gas industry and a setback for climate advocates hoping to use state-level policy to push the national market toward cleaner technologies. Democrats cry foul as legal battle begins Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta said the state would sue the Trump administration over what they called an 'unlawful' congressional action. 'This is about our economy, it's about our health, it's about our global competitiveness,' Newsom said. 'It is, Donald Trump, about our national security, and it's about our ability to continue to innovate and outpace competition all across the globe.' California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California Governor Gavin Newsom. — Source: Getty Legal experts argue that the Congressional Review Act should not apply to California's waivers, which only affect one state. But Republicans said California's standards essentially dictated national policy, given how many automakers follow them. More votes, more damage to California's climate agenda The Senate also voted to block California rules requiring half of new trucks sold by 2035 to be electric and limiting emissions of nitrogen oxide, a key contributor to smog. All three measures passed the House earlier this year and are expected to be signed into law by President Trump. In response, Senator Alex Padilla of California placed a hold on several EPA nominees and warned of future retaliation. 'All bets will be off' next time Democrats hold a majority, he said. With two Rivian R1S SUVs in the background, a sign reading 'Vehicle Charging only' is seen in front of a charger that is part of the Rivian Adventure Network charging station on May 10, 2025, in Buttonwillow, California. While some automakers, like Ford and Honda, had agreed to California's emission standards, the industry as a whole pushed back against the 2035 mandate. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation said the targets were 'never achievable,' citing infrastructure gaps and market readiness. Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan was the lone Democrat to vote with Republicans, pointing to concerns from automakers in her state. A Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck is displayed for sale at a Ford dealership on August 21, 2024, in Glendale, California. — Source:Final thoughts The ruling leaves California scrambling to revise its climate strategy. Officials may look to cut emissions from factories and refineries or increase incentives for EV purchases. They may also consider penalties for gas car usage, such as higher registration fees. But a clause in the Congressional Review Act prevents California from adopting any rule 'substantially the same' as the one just repealed — a potential legal roadblock that could tie the state's hands for years. 'We're going to have to think pretty innovatively,' said Dean Florez of the California Air Resources Board. 'But there will still be a massive hole.'
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
DOJ launches Title IX probe into California over state law allowing trans athletes to play women's sports
The Justice Department opened an inquiry Wednesday into whether a California state law allowing transgender student athletes to compete in women's sports violates federal Title IX rules against sex discrimination. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, the Jurupa Unified School District and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) were informed of the investigation in 'letters of legal notice' sent by the DOJ. The CIF oversees high school sports in the state, and the Jurupa Unified School District is home to the school where a transgender track athlete recently won titles in the girls' long jump and triple jump. 3 Trump signed an executive order in February that threatened to strip federal funding from states that don't bar transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. REUTERS 'The investigation is to determine whether California, its senior legal, educational, and athletic organizations, and the school district are engaging in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of sex,' the DOJ said in a statement. The probe was opened in response to a lawsuit filed by the families of two girls at a Riverside, Calif., high school, alleging that the state statute 'is harming hundreds – if not thousands – of female students by removing opportunities for female athletes to be champions in their own sports, robbing them of podium positions and awards, and creating unsafe and intimidating environments in their bathrooms and locker rooms' — and is at odds with Title IX. One of the plaintiffs in the case – an 11th-grade female cross-country athlete – claims she was removed from her position on the Martin Luther King High School girls' varsity cross-country team to make room for a biological male athlete and, as a result, was prevented from participating in elite competitions and being recruited by colleges and universities. The lawsuit further alleges that the Riverside Unified School District, and Martin Luther King High School's principal, assistant principal and athletic director 'violated the constitutional rights' of the 11th-grader and another plaintiff, a 9th-grader, by ordering them to remove t-shirts protesting the girl's removal from the cross-country team. 3 The investigation was launched in response to a lawsuit alleging discrimination over the inclusion of transgender athletes in women's sports. AP 'Title IX exists to protect women and girls in education. It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls, invade their private spaces, and take their trophies,' Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said in a statement. 'This Division will aggressively defend women's hard-fought rights to equal educational opportunities,' she added. California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office and Bonta's office did not immediately respond to The Post's request for comment. 3 California Attorney General Rob Bonta was among several state officials notified by the DOJ of the investigation. REUTERS The investigation announcement comes one day after President Trump warned that he would consider stripping California of at least some federal funding if it continues to allow transgender athletes to compete in women's sports. 'California, under the leadership of Radical Left Democrat Gavin Newscum, continues to ILLEGALLY allow 'MEN TO PLAY IN WOMEN'S SPORTS,'' Trump fumed on Truth Social Tuesday. 'THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS. Please be hereby advised that large scale Federal Funding will be held back, maybe permanently, if the Executive Order on this subject matter is not adhered to,' he added. Back in February, Trump signed an executive order that threatened to strip federal funding from states that don't bar transgender athletes from competing in women's sports. Hours after Trump's post, CIF announced that it would expand the number of permitted participants at the upcoming track and field championship meet in order to allow 'any biological female student-athlete' who initially failed to qualify for the event, because of the participation of transgender athletes, to compete.
Fox News
4 days ago
- General
- Fox News
California AG responds to Trump's crackdown on trans athletes amid track championship chaos
California Attorney General Rob Bonta is facing a Department of Justice investigation over his state's laws allowing transgender athletes in girls sports. The DOJ announced the investigation Wednesday, one day after President Donald Trump threatened to pull funding from the state for allowing a trans athlete to compete in a girls track and field championship. Bonta's office responded to the recent pressure on him and the state of California over the issue in a statement to Fox News Digital. "We remain committed to defending and upholding California laws and all additional laws which ensure the rights of students, including transgender students, to be free from discrimination and harassment. We will continue to closely monitor the Trump administration's actions in this space," the statement said. The DOJ's announcement of its investigation against the state cited a lawsuit that includes Bonta as a defendant. The lawsuit, filed by the families of two girls at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, California, alleges the school's cross-country team dropped one athlete from her varsity spot in favor of a trans athlete and that school administrators compared their "Save Girls Sports" T-shirts to swastikas, Fox News Digital has previously reported. The suit, filed in November, seeks to challenge the state's current law that allows trans athletes to compete as girls, which has been in place since 2014. The lawsuit expanded a defendant list to include Bonta Feb. 1. Just days later, after Trump signed the "Keeping Men Out of Women's Sports" executive order Feb. 5, the U.S. Department of Education launched an investigation into the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) for openly defying the order. Now, the tension in the state figures to come to a head this weekend at the girls track and field state championship. The CIF has already made several rule changes that accommodate girls who would be displaced by the trans athlete, AB Hernandez of Jurupa Valley High School. The changes include giving medals to any "biological female" competitors who would have earned a podium spot if not for Hernandez placing ahead of them. Still, many families and activists are speaking out against the CIF for allowing the situation to continue at all, and the Trump administration has given no indication the rule changes will satisfy its demands on the issue. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
