California’s Legislature took the first steps on Wednesday toward approving accelerated funding to assist with wildfire recovery in Los Angeles and prepare the state for court battles with the Trump administration.
The Senate Budget Committee approved four bills as part of a special session called by Gov. Gavin Newsom, a move that allows proposals approved by the Legislature to be fast-tracked into law. The bills allocate $2.5 billion for emergency response and disaster recovery after the fires and $50 million to fund lawyers working for the state and nonprofits for potential lawsuits against the federal government.
“This budget move is largely to protect our most vulnerable community members across the board,” said Sen. Aisha Wahab, D-Hayward. “Whether we’re talking about immigration, whether we’re talking about defending the rights we currently have, and going above and beyond for the victims who are currently dealing with some of these crises.”