California Assembly. (Photo: Katy Grimes for California Globe)
California’s Stupid, Ridiculous, Abusive, Nanny State, and Absurd New Laws for 2026
Because the cost of living in California is so high, Democrat lawmakers think increasing the minimum wage to $16.90 per hour will help hourly workers afford a median-priced $900,000 home
By Katy Grimes, December 30, 2025 9:31 am
California residents will be impacted by more than 900 new laws effective January 1, 2026. Because we need 900 new laws in the leading regulatory hell state in the nation.
Minimum Wage
Because the cost of living in California is so high, Democrat lawmakers think increasing the minimum wage to $16.90 per hour will help hourly workers afford a $900,000 home – the median home price in the Golden State. Even if that hourly worker put in a full-time year, they will only make $35,152, which is less than $3,000 monthly, which barely covers the median cost for a studio apartment. Currently, the average rent in California is $2,155 for Studio, $2,284 for 1 Bedroom, $3,240 for 2 Bedroom, $4,147 for 3 Bedroom, and $5,103 for 4+ Bedroom, according to Rentometer. California’s absurdly high cost of living will not be offset by a $16.90 minimum wage. It just makes Democrats feel better about themselves.
Plastic Bag Ban
Because plastic bags are killing the environment, California Democrats are finally putting the plastic bag out of its misery with a Plastic Bag Ban. The authors of SB 1053, Democrats Assemblywoman Bauer-Kahan and Senator Blakespear, claimed studies found that most Californians were either not recycling those bags or were still using the thicker bags as one time only bags, despite being designed to be used multiple times. Their supposed studies (which there are no links for) claimed volunteers have collected over 300,000 plastic grocery bags in the last three decades. Everyone I know uses the plastic bags many times.
I have been covering the “Paper or Plastic” game since George W. Bush was President. And it’s only gotten more ridiculous.
First California lawmakers banned paper bags because they “killed” trees, which are the ultimate renewable resource. They replaced paper with plastic bags, and promoted that the bags were made out of recycled plastics… which they are now banning to go back to tree-killing paper bags. Or, you can reuse your own filthy multi-use cloth bags. Banning plastic grocery bags does not reduce disposal and recycling costs, studies over the years have shown. Yet, California is banning plastic grocery bags entirely. And stupidly.
Enforcing litter laws would go much further to helping the environment.
Parking Ticket forgiveness for Homeless Vagrants
If Downtown Sacramento is any measurement, parking in California cities is a b*tch…and expensive. Parking meter maids are ruthless. Effective January 1st, Democrats, in their infinite wisdom, will reduce or waive parking fines if the vehicle owner can prove they are unable to pay for the ticket in full due to homelessness or financial hardship. This is largely to address the myriad RVs and beater cars lining city streets which are makeshift crack houses and homes to the 200,000 homeless, drug-addicted vagrants in California.
According to the author of AB 1299, Assemblyman Bryan: “Unpaid parking tickets can pose a significant burden for low-income individuals. For people living in poverty, parking tickets pose are a severe financial burden that can quickly spiral from a $52 fine to a vehicle registration hold. This bill gives local agencies the ability to look at a person’s whole circumstance when deciding an action on a parking ticket. For situations where a parking ticket can push an individual from poverty to financial crisis, local jurisdictions should have the ability to do what is best for their constituent.”
The state government flips the bird at starving students, struggling single moms, and other low wage workers who get parking tickets. You’re on your own while the homeless drug addicts get special consideration.
Food Delivery Services
Assemblywoman Rebecca Bauer-Kahn, the author of AB 578, says “The rise of food delivery platforms has led to increased consumer complaints about undelivered orders, lack of refunds, and unreliable customer service.” She claims Grubhub, DoorDash, and Uber Eats dominate the food delivery market, yet none of these platforms have a clear refund policy. Therefore she wrote the bill requiring food delivery services to provide a full refund to a customer if an order is not delivered or if the wrong order was delivered. And, food delivery companies must provide customer service by humans if their automated systems do not resolve the customer’s concern.
The free market used to sort out crappy service. But never fear, Assemblywoman Bauer-Kahn is here to save you from capitalism and free markets. How about consumers stop using food delivery services if they suck or are unreliable. They will get the message and improve or go broke.
Nanny State: Adding Folic Acid to Corn Tortillas in CA only, forever changing the taste
Because a lack of folic acid puts Latina women at higher risk of giving birth to babies with birth defects like spina bifida and anencephaly, according to the State of California, the California Legislature passed AB 1830 by Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) in 2024 requiring tortillas and corn masa products sold in the state to contain folic acid beginning January 1st.
But the taste of folic acid does not enhance the tortilla. At all.
“Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano put it to the test last year — and the results weren’t pretty,” the NY Post reported. “In a blind taste test between a regular tortilla and one loaded with the B vitamin, he and tortilla factory owners could immediately spot the difference.”
Reminiscent of government ordering fluoride in water, how about we just make sure Latina mothers get folic acid supplements instead?
This bill, as with the others above, demonstrate just how useless California lawmakers really are. They spend their days looking for issues to legislate.
Expanded coverage for in vitro fertilization for queer couples
SB 729 by Senator Caroline Menjivar (she/her/Ella) (D-Burbank) mandates expanded coverage for in vitro fertilization by large employer health plans “for all individuals regardless of marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity and single parents by choice.”
According to the author, this bill “will ensure that queer couples no longer have to pay more out of pocket to start families than non-queer families. This bill is critical to achieving full-lived equality for LGBTQ+ people.”
“The California Association of Health Plans, the Association of California Life and Health Insurance Companies, and America’s Health Insurance Plans write in opposition to this along with other health insurance mandate bills, that state mandates increase costs of coverage, especially for families who buy coverage without subsidies, small business owners who cannot or do not wish to self-insure, and California taxpayers who foot the bill for the state’s share of those mandates. The California Chamber of Commerce and others write that employer-based health care coverage is usually one of the most formidable expenses a business experiences and, while this bill is well-intentioned, it will unintentionally exacerbate health care affordability issues. Their concern stems from the massive premium increase associated with the new coverage that California’s employers and employees will have to pay for.”
No comment.
Get your Claws Out of me: No Declawed Cats Allowed
In 2026, California cat owners won’t be able to declaw their cats after passage of AB 867 by Assemblyman Alex Lee (D-Palo Alto). Most veterinarians won’t declaw cats anyway.
Interestingly, the California Veterinary Medical Association opposed the bill, writing: “While this bill is aimed at prohibiting veterinarians from performing a surgical declawing procedure on cats under certain circumstances, it would—if passed—have a far-reaching and precedential impact on a veterinarian’s ability to practice veterinary medicine.” CVMA states that it is “deeply concerned that the veterinary profession is being singled out among our fellow healing arts professionals with legislation proposing to ban specific medical and surgical procedures in statute, which is a dangerous precedent.”
No words.
K-12 Schools Gender Neutral Bathrooms
SB 760 by Senator Josh Newsom (D-San Bernardino), passed by the California Legislature in 2023, now requires on January 1st that all K-12 public schools and charter schools have at least one gender neutral restroom at each school site.
According to Sen. Newman, “SB 760 is a measure that aims to create a safe and inclusive environment not only for non-binary students but to all students by requiring each public school to establish at least one all-gender restroom.”
Becasuse while California public schools are secretly transitioning your son from a boy to a girl without your knowledge or consent, they will need a gender-neutral restroom to use while at school – but notably, cannot be forced to use it.
Newman says, “This issue originated in 2021 when a member of the Chino Valley Unified School District introduced a measure that would have banned non-binary and transgender students from using restrooms corresponding with their gender identity. During the midst of this proposal, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond warned that the Chino Valley Unified School District’s proposed resolution to exclude non-binary students from sex-segregated restrooms would violate state law. Although the proposed measure failed, the Superintendent and I believed there was an opportunity to create an inclusive environment for all students. In response to Chino Valley Unified School District’s proposed resolution, the Superintendent launched the Safe School Bathrooms Ad Hoc Committee.”
It’s lawsuit time, and well past time to get back to California public schools teaching the classical liberal arts education which has turned into an afterthought, and not allowing gender distractions. This is being fomented by crazed and mentally-ill educators and lawmakers who need psychotherapy, not surgeons to resolve their gender dysphoria.
There are 893 more bills to cover besides the seven I noted in this article. In the next few weeks, the California Globe will cover the bills we know will impact California taxpayers, parents, employees, workers, and school kids.
A California native and Navy mom, Katy lives in Sacramento, CA.
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“There are 893 more bills to cover besides the 7 I noted in this article. In the next few weeks, the California Globe will cover the bills we know will impact California taxpayers, parents, employees, workers, and school kids.”
Yes, indeed KG. I am hopeful that in 2026 ALL of this nanny-state crap will be struck by a federal whirlwind (as it is now happening in fraud-ridden Minnesota) splattering the shit on our Democratic and Rino establishment politicians, their minions and benefactors. It is high time to start making this shit-hole state great again. MCGA.
Raymond, I agree with your comments. To that end I have started asking folks what percentage of voters on the California voter rolls do they think are illegal voters. My guess is about 35%. Newsom has told us that there are illegals here in California on the Medicaid, so it isn’t much of a leap to believe that they are on voter rolls as well. With today’s election technology it is easy to monitor who voted and who didn’t vote so strings can easily be applied to them for supposed freebies. With illegals also on the voter rolls it also gives the SEIU doors to knock on to easily qualify their ballot petitions. I am interested in your opinion. Thanks,
Thank you, Raymond —– YES, let’s watch in 2026 for that federal whirlwind that will begin to Make California Great Again. And some internal state shakeups would be nice, too. It could happen!
Great frustration-punching piece from Katy Grimes to round out our horribly, horribly governed state in 2025. Praying this won’t be the case for TOO much longer. Sigh!
Happy New Year to all ———–
Hal and Showandtell, I believe that the purge will begin to happen if and when someone at the TOP is indicted and convicted. The first one may be Newsom’s former Chief of Staff. In Minnesota, it could be Ilhan Omar or Tim Walz or preferably BOTH. If Omar is charged and convicted, she should be thrown out of congress and deported back to Somalia where she can run for president (or warlord or whatever). If successful there, she can then declare war on the USA and lose…..qualifying Somalia for foreign aid, AGAIN…..which is what her scams are currently producing. If the fraud wasn’t so sickening it would be a comedy…..The Mouse that Roared: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053084/
https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/doj-has-charged-nearly-100-people-in-minnesota-fraud-scandal-85-of-somali-descent-5964021?src_src=morningbriefnoe&src_cmp=mb-2025-12-31&est=lkkVfnjVV9qCGcM15vqfoThSE2w%2BwGeL2PIIwccP1NvwIKadJOmU%2FAAr%2BHme
Pols won’t have to eat folic acid tortillas but the real ones, just as they were able to eat Caesar dressing with raw eggs after banning raw eggs for ordinary humans.
That sounds quite racist. Why is it assumed that Latina women eat so much tortilla that folic acid will prevent birth defects ?
A quick search states “…Since it is difficult to obtain sufficient folic acid through diet alone, health organizations recommend that women of childbearing age take a daily supplement containing 400 micrograms of folic acid.
This is especially important for populations at higher risk, such as Hispanic women, who have a higher incidence of NTDs…”
So, ruining the taste of tortillas won’t be a benefit anyway.
and
If Folic acid in tortillas is good for Hispanic women, why isn’t it also added to BBQ sauce and fried chicken breading to benefit black women, because they have a similar issue/deficiency.
“Nanny State: Adding Folic Acid to Corn Tortillas in CA only, forever changing the taste.
Because a lack of folic acid puts Latina women at higher risk of giving birth to babies with birth defects like spina bifida and anencephaly, according to the State of California, the California Legislature passed AB 1830 by Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula (D-Fresno) in 2024 requiring tortillas and corn masa products sold in the state to contain folic acid beginning January 1st.”
Maybe they should be eating more healthful foods than tortillas. How about a weight reduction bill? How about an exercise bill? Being fat does not result in healthy babies. Feeding your kids garbage food does not result in healthy children.
So far not one bill that benefits tax paying U.S. citizens. I’m shocked!
Yes, Protect Freedom —– SHOCKING, isn’t it?
These people. It’s WAY past ENOUGH.
Folic acid in my tacos. There goes my weekly taco truck treat.
Ughhh! I knew about the other ridiculous tyrannical, laws, but messing with my corn tortillas is a bridge too far!
Honestly, who got the folic acid kick-back? This is how insane California has become!
Tacos just like our streets and neighborhoods will never be the same!
I am seriously angry about this!
Does Newsom want his tortillas to taste like the sh*tty Wonder-bread, he supposedly grew up on?!
where is a list of all the new laws to take effect in 2026? I’ve done searches and all I find are the few the tv news covers. How can we “obey” laws if they are never presented to us. Every year it seems to be a big secret.
That’s how the Democrat/Media cabal WORKS, Jimmy… one hand washes the other and low-information California voters remain ignorant and gullible to teevee commercials that outright lie to them (see Prop 50 and anything by Tom “Boss BS” Steyer for proof…
Well, now they are going to ruin tortillas. Democrats destroy EVERYTHING they touch. Sigh….
“Unpaid parking tickets can pose a significant burden for low-income individuals.”
I’m, maybe TRY parking your damn car legally, like the rest of us have to???
How effing stupid ARE these legislators, and who votes them in? Dominion? More like DUMBinion!!!
The weather is nice, but this state infuriates the hell out of me…
We gotta get these dumbasses out of office… seriously…
For those trying to understand the whole minimum wage / living wage scam of the last decade or two those pushing for the increases dont give a damn about entry level workers / unskilled workers / small business workers who make up a large chunk of traditional low wage earners. The only reason Big Labor and related front organized push this subject so hard is because so many of the non government employer unionized wage agreements are benchmarked against the minimum wage. The agreement rates are some differential dollar rate over minimum wage. Like minimum wage plus $4 per hour. etc. So every time minimum wage goes up the union members get an automatic pay increases without have to give anything in return.
Which given the very back track record of labor unions in getting better pay / conditions over the last two generations is pretty much the only way they can get wage increases on most contracts without serious trade-offs with the employer.
Another part of the labor union scam with the minimum wage which was mostly derailed by the state getting involved, no longer at the city level, was Big Labor forcing through minimum wage increase ordinances which union agreements were exempt from. So labor unions would approach non union private employers offering them below minimum wage agreements in return for become a union shop.
So just the typical labor union scams.
How many constituents of these Democrat’s were clamoring for this legislation? Few to none?
Take AB 1830 for example. Probably few of Democrat Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula constituents in Fresno were demanding that folic acid needed to be added to the tortillas and corn masa products that they buy especially since it negatively affects the taste? Some manufacturers, like Mission Foods, have already been fortifying their products. Maybe Democrat Assemblyman Joaquin Arambula received payoffs from folic acid supplement manufacturers, most of them based in China and India, to push this legislation?
Probably next to none of former Senator Josh Newman’s constituents in San Bernardino were demanding that their K-12 public schools and charter schools have gender neutral restrooms? Who was paying him off to sponsor that legislation? Maybe big pharma and medical facilities that perform transsexual mutilations? Maybe the CCP?
How many California voters, many of whom are struggling to survive in Newsom’s high cost California, were demanding that plastic bags be banned? Few to none? Maybe Democrats Assemblywoman Bauer-Kahan and Senator Blakespear, both of whom are wealthy coastal lawyers, were paid to push SB 1053? Possibly from radical leftist environmental groups that receive funding from nefarious sources?
Well, just hold on a minute. Democrats have mandated increasing folic acid in tortillas to do what? Protect a clump of cells from having birth defects? Everyone knows that it’s the magic in the birth canal that converts these cells into a human being. So, this will clearly not help. lol
Considering Democrats are all about aborting babies and performing trans mutilations on children, it’s curious that Democrat Senator Caroline Menjivar pushed a bill like Senate Bill 729 to increase fertility care in California by including treatment for infertility and in vitro fertilization by large employer health plans “for all individuals regardless of marital status, sexual orientation or gender identity and single parents by choice”?
Who is Democrat Senator Caroline Menjivar? Her bio states that she’s a homeowner in Panorama City in the San Fernando Valley where she resides with her wife. After graduating with a Master of Social Welfare degree from UCLA, she went to in the LA Mayor’s Gender Equity Office. During the COVID lockdowns, she hosted nightly conference calls to update residents and organized socially distanced community events such as the San Fernando Valley’s LGBTQ+ Pride Car Parade. She’s another Marxist Democrat who has never started or ran a business. With her thin resume, she had to have been installed with the help of Democrat voter fraud and manipulated voting machines? Maybe she’s pushing this legislation to have taxpayers pay for fertility care and treatments for herself and her wife?
Well, just hold on a minute. Democrats have mandated increasing folic acid in tortillas to do what? Protect a clump of cells from having birth defects? Everyone knows that it’s the magic in the birth canal that converts these cells into a human being. So, this will clearly not help. lol
I swear to flipping God we are being led by the biggest group of morons a society has ever produced. Certainly it has to be close to ax handles and torches time by now. Our state motto should be “ Omnes a stultis ducimur.” and our state symbol the “dunce” cap. Make tar and feathering great again and run them all out on a rail.