California is fighting threats to democracy, Gavin Newsom says in annual address

As the fight for democracy rages overseas, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday touted California as a great defender of equity and justice in his annual State of the State address.

Speaking from the state natural resources building in downtown Sacramento, Newsom noted that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is not the only threat to democracy. Authoritarian and “illiberal impulses” are growing here in the U.S.,“stoking fear and seeking to divide us,” he said.

The “agents of a national anger machine” are eroding voting rights, scapegoating minorities, conjuring conspiracies, and actively exploiting the anger of anxious people, the governor said.

“Foundationally, this is a threat we must all face, together, and prove there is a better way – a California Way – forward,” Newsom said. “The California Way means rejecting old binaries and finding new solutions to big problems.”

This was Newsom’s fourth address in a tenure marked by crisis and political tumult. A year ago, he delivered the address to an empty Dodgers Stadium to signify the loss of life due to the pandemic, condemning those who sought to recall him from office, in part, because of his coronavirus restrictions.

This year, heading into reelection and a potentially difficult midterm year for Democrats, the governor positioned California as a model for the rest of the nation: a state that works to protect the environment, minorities, and workers while still providing economic opportunity to its residents and the rest of the globe.

Climate change

Newsom said California has long been a leader in climate change solutions, but the problems can’t be solved with short-term thinking.

The Democratic governor acknowledged that the political uncertainty in Ukraine is fueling rising gas prices, and said he will work with the Legislature on a proposal to “put money back in Californians’ pockets.” According to his office, it will take the form of a tax rebate.

In 2020, Newsom announced a plan to make a full transition to electric cars by 2035. Last fall, the governor signed a $15 billion climate package, which included money for wildfires and droughts, and making communities more resistant to the effects of climate change.

This year, he is asking the legislature to approve $22 billion to spend on a wide range of environmental causes, from electrifying school buses to retrofitting buildings to capping oil wells, and $10 billion for zero-emission vehicles.

“At a time when we’ve been heating up and burning up, one thing we cannot do is repeat the mistakes of the past,” he said. “Embracing polluters. Drilling even more oil, which only leads to even more extreme weather, more extreme drought, more wildfire.”

Economy

Throughout the pandemic, Newsom and California leaders were slammed for their restrictions on business, which were tighter than many states.

During his address, the governor pointed out that the Golden State still dominates in research, innovation, entrepreneurialism and venture capital. And despite the chaos of the past two years, he noted that California is still the world’s fifth-largest economy.

According to the back to normal index from Moody’s Analytics and CNN Business, California’s economy is operating at 90% of its pre-pandemic levels, while Texas and Florida are at 95% and 97% respectively.

“Our GDP growth has consistently outpaced not only the rest of the country – but most other large, western democracies,” Newsom said. “Nearly a million new jobs in the last 12 months. In December alone, 25% of America’s jobs were created right here in California. More new business starts during the worst of the pandemic than Texas and Florida combined.”

The pandemic also reaffirmed California’s support for workers, Newsom said.

“You know what makes us different than those states? It’s that as our businesses grow, we don’t leave our workers behind,” he said. “Just consider what we did last year for middle class Californians sending $12 billion back – the largest state tax rebate in American history. We didn’t stop there. We raised the minimum wage. We increased paid sick leave, provided more paid family leave, expanded child care to help working parents and this year, with your support, we will do something no other state in America has done - provide health for all – regardless of immigration status. “

Homelessness and crime

Last week, Newsom debuted a new plan for helping some of California’s most vulnerable residents. The governor is proposing each county open a branch of the civil court known as Care Court, which would allow a superior court judge to order counties to provide support to people with severe mental health problems. It would also compel the person to take advantage of those services.

Some county behavioral health officers say it’s not more legal tools they need to treat the community, but more resources. But Newsom on Tuesday said it’s part of his comprehensive strategy to address a problem that has been largely ignored by the state in the past.

Last year, the state passed a $12 billion package for housing and homelessness. This year, Newsom wants to spend another $2 billion, with much of it focused on clearing encampments and giving people shelter while other, more permanent housing solutions are being built.

“Just a few years ago, California lacked any comprehensive strategy. No accountability, and no meaningful state resources to solve the problem. But that’s all changed,” the governor said Tuesday. “In just the past three years, we not only have a comprehensive plan, we also are requiring new accountability, and providing unprecedented investments for cities and counties on the front lines.”

California has also seen a rise in violent and property crime over the last two years, similar to an increase seen across the rest of the nation. Newsom spoke forcefully about the importance of safety, invoking the memory of a longtime political role model, Bobby Kennedy, who was shot in Los Angeles while on the presidential campaign trail.

“Our approach is to be neither indifferent, to the realities of the present day, nor revert to heavy-handed policies that have marked the failures of the past,” Newsom said.

“We’re funding local law enforcement and prosecutors, to investigate and solve more crime. Bolstering the Attorney General’s Office, prosecuting organized theft rings, and getting illegal guns off the streets, but we’re also investing hundreds of millions of dollars in new programs to tackle the root causes of crime, doubling down on proven violence prevention programs.”

Newsom’s speech on Tuesday was shorter than his previous State of the State addresses, clocking in at about 18 minutes long. He ended with a call to embrace California values.

“Embrace diversity but also seeking common ground. Pursuing greater connection, not exploiting division with performative politics and memes of the moment, but by unifying toward a common purpose,” he said.

Republicans were skeptical following the address, saying the governor’s speech painted an unrealistic portrait of California.

“Gavin Newsom’s glowing self-assessment lacked any semblance of reality,” said California Republican Party Chair Jessica Millan Patterson in a statement. “California today has America’s highest unemployment rate, highest gas prices, and holds more than a quarter of the nation’s homeless population. Crime is surging, schools are failing, and life-long Californians are moving to states where they can afford to live.”

This story was originally published March 8, 2022 at 5:38 PM with the headline "California is fighting threats to democracy, Gavin Newsom says in annual address."