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California Legislature’s Special Session on Fire Aid, Trump Lawsuits Faces Its 1st Test

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The California state flag with the Capitol cupola in Sacramento behind it.
The California State Capitol in Sacramento. Members of the state Assembly and Senate are holding the first hearings of a special legislative session called by Gov. Gavin Newsom — a move that allows proposals approved by the Legislature to be fast-tracked into law.  (iStock/Getty Images Plus)

Democrats in the state Legislature are taking the first steps on Wednesday toward approving accelerated funding to assist with wildfire recovery in Los Angeles and arming California for court battles with the Trump administration.

Members of the Assembly and Senate are holding the first hearings of a special session called by Gov. Gavin Newsom — a move that allows proposals approved by the Legislature to be fast-tracked into law.

Last week, Newsom expanded the session, which he initially called to budget for lawsuits against the federal government, to include proposals related to the fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena that have killed more than two dozen people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.

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“Given the scale of the devastation, it will be a massive undertaking to rebuild these communities,” Assembly Budget Committee Chair Jesse Gabriel (D–Encino) said at an informational hearing on Wednesday morning to discuss the contours of the wildfire relief. “So today, we are acting with urgency to deliver emergency aid, but this is only the first of many actions that will be required.”

The Budget Committee discussed a plan to spend $2.5 billion on emergency response and disaster recovery in the wake of the fires. The money, which could be reimbursed in part by the federal government, could pay for shelter for evacuees and efforts to prevent post-fire disasters such as debris flow and flooding. Gabriel said the Assembly would vote on the legislation on Thursday.

California state Assemblymember Heath Flora in Sacramento on May 15, 2017 (Bert Johnson/KQED)

At the hearing, Republican and Democratic members emphasized the importance of funding firefighting and programs that encourage residents to harden their homes against fire.

“I think we have a very unique time in history right now to make some massive changes on how we deal with these types of incidents,” the committee’s Vice Chair Heath Flora (R–Ripon) said. “I’m encouraged by the conversations, I’m encouraged by the bipartisanship, I’m encouraged by calling this extraordinary session on this issue.”

More partisan rancor is expected Wednesday afternoon, when the Senate Budget Committee will consider the Trump-related legislation in addition to the fire aid.

Newsom and Democratic leaders in the Legislature are proposing amendments to the state budget passed in June that would allocate $25 million to the state’s Department of Justice for anticipated lawsuits against the White House. On Tuesday, Attorney General Rob Bonta filed the first — a lawsuit challenging Trump’s executive action to end birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents who are not citizens or permanent residents.

A second bill would set aside $25 million for nonprofit legal service providers, with the goal of defending Californians at risk of deportation or detention as a result of federal action.

Republicans have criticized the legal-aid bills as an unnecessary political stunt.

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