
Assemblyman Robert Rivas. (Photo: Kevin Sanders for California Globe)
California Assembly Democrats Pass $50 Million ‘Trump-Proofing’ Slush Fund
‘We do not trust President Donald Trump’
By Katy Grimes, February 3, 2025 5:21 pm
Last week we reported that California Republicans blocked Thursday’s vote in the Assembly to “Trump-proof” the state. Democrats tried to pass $50 million to protect illegal immigrants from deportation, among other issues.
That was short-lived.
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced in early December his plan to “Trump-proof” the state against President Donald Trump’s anticipated policies. Newsom called the special session of the Legislature to grab another $50 million that the state doesn’t have so Attorney General Rob Bonta can spend more time and taxpayer money to file lawsuits against the Trump administration, litigate and “defend” California’s problematic policies, regulations and laws.
Monday, Assembly Democrats passed the $50 million slush fund.
Democrats describe their actions as needed to “protect California taxpayers and the state’s economy from Republican chaos in Washington, D.C.”:
California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas:
“As I said in December, our constituents don’t feel the state of California is working for them, and their primary concern is the cost of living here at home.
We all know that because they’re telling us that repeatedly. So our task is urgent and it’s clear: To make life more affordable for every resident.”
Oh, so now Democrats want to make California more affordable… they clearly don’t correlate their policies and legislation with the highest cost of living in the country.
Back to Speaker Rivas:
“Of course, we will face challenges that we don’t know are coming—like the horrific fires in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, we know that more challenges will come.
And these are times when we must come together to find consensus. Not rush to social media, to point fingers, or to dis-inform.”
Of course they don’t want anyone pointing fingers after the “horrific fires in Los Angeles.” It was their water restrictions, their empty reservoirs, their bills to make illegal desperately needed brush removal, tree removal, controlled burns, and other wildfire prevention measures.
“Our job, above all else, is to protect our residents whether the threat is wildfires, other natural disasters or threats to their civil liberties and freedoms.
Let me be blunt – right now, Californians are being threatened by an out-of-control administration in Washington—that doesn’t care about the Constitution… and thinks there are no limits to its power.”
After naming wildfires and natural disasters, Speaker Rivas claims Republicans in Washington “don’t care about the Constitution?” They are the problem?
“Increasingly, our own residents are being threatened by actions taken by the Trump administration, and it is our duty to rise to the moment.
We must ensure that our residents receive the federal services and benefits that they have contributed to and that they deserve.
Given the many executive orders that have been issued over the past two weeks I can say with clarity that we do not trust President Donald Trump.
Consider the words and actions coming from our President: He has referred to undocumented immigrants as animals.”
First, they are not “undocumented,” they illegally crossed into the United States. Many are criminals are preying upon legal Americans and Californians. So yes, the illegal alien criminals are “animals.” Just ask their victims’ families…
“And as we all know, President Trump pardoned violent criminals who viciously attacked US Capitol police officers with metal pipes, baseball bats, and flag poles, leading to injuries, deaths, and suicides.
How can we trust a President who calls for law and order – yet pardons his own supporters when they attack law enforcement?”
Okay, now Speaker Rivas plays the Jan 6 card claiming those who have been sitting in prison for 3-4 years for attending the January 6, 2021 Capitol Rally in which an unarmed veteran was murdered by a member of the Capitol police – they are the criminals? I can’t wait until the FBI records on Jan 6 are released.
Here are the two funding bills Speaker Rivas supports appropriating $50 million to “Trump Proof” California:
- SBX1-1 would amend the 2024 Budget Act to include a State Litigation Fund, allocating $25 million to the Department of Justice to assist in protecting California residents and taxpayers. For instance, if the federal government withholds emergency aid after a natural disaster, such as the L.A. firestorms, the fund will allow the DOJ to pursue legal recourse to secure the emergency aid from the federal government, providing California taxpayers with billions of dollars.
- SBX1-2 amends the Budget Act to add funding for Legal Services, including $25 million for legal assistance for Californians and immigrant communities. Our Assembly’s direction is crystal clear and in writing: This funding goes toward supporting free legal services for especially vulnerable Californians, including veterans, people with disabilities, unhoused youth, those facing eviction, seniors, and victims of domestic violence, wage theft and human trafficking. Per the Legislature’s direction, funding will not be used for legal services defending those convicted of a violent or serious felony.
SBX-1-1 allocates $25 million to the Department of Justice “to assist in protecting California residents and taxpayers.” The Senate Floor Analyses of SBX1-1 says this:
“Appropriates up to $25 million for the purpose of defending the state against enforcement and legal actions taken by the federal government, filing affirmative litigation challenging actions taken by the federal government, and taking administrative action authorized under state law to mitigate the impacts of actions taken by the federal government.”
Trump Proofing.
Senate Floor Analyses of SBX1-2 says this:
“Appropriates $10 million to the Judicial Council, to be distributed through the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission to qualified legal services projects and support centers, as defined.
FYI – another taxpayer-funded legal services program, “The Legal Services Trust Fund Commission is dedicated to closing the justice gap in California by increasing equitable access to legal services for low-income and underserved communities.”
“…the funds will be used to provide legal services to vulnerable persons at risk of detention, deportation, eviction, wage theft, intimate partner violence, and other actions that put their safety at risk, as a result of potential or actual federal actions.”
California already has a funded program to do what the additional $10 million purports to do…
California taxpayers will be paying millions of taxpayers funds to provide lawyers for illegal aliens at risk of detention and deportation.
Here is how the $25 million is allocated:
- $10 million to the Judicial Council
- $10 million to the Department of Social Services for immigration services funding
- $5 million to the Judicial Council, to be distributed through the California Access to Justice Commission to nonprofit providers of legal services.
Speaker Rivas conflates legal and illegal, referring “to the millions of immigrants who call California home”:
“Chaos has no place here. Fear and hatred have no place here. We will be professional, collaborative, and focused. We will not be distracted from our mission to protect our residents, our economy, and to deliver the best possible public services to 40 million Californians.”
Ah, he’s apparently referring to California’s “undocumented residents.”
“These votes show just how out of touch the Democratic supermajority has become,”said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher. “There is no reason to oppose these policies other than petty partisanship. It’s a shame Democrats would rather play politics than support practical safeguards to protect the public and their tax dollars.”
Assembly Republicans forced votes on two issues, exposing Assembly Democrats’ misplaced priorities:
SBX1-1 Amendment (DeMaio): Would have prohibited taxpayer dollars in the Department of Justice’s anti-Trump slush fund from being used to defend public officials who willingly violate federal law.
SBX1-2 Amendment (Castillo): Would have barred the use of legal aid funds to defend illegal immigrants with felony convictions from deportation.
“Rather than adopting these policies, Assembly Democrats chose to continue pandering to the far left by green lighting $25 million to spend on lawsuits against the federal government and another $25 million to liberal legal aid groups.”
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ur a fucking nazi go kill yourself
It’s laughable that Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas blathers about “making life more affordable for every resident” while the criminal Democrat mafia thugs in the legislature (most of whom are crooked lawyers) steal millions of dollars of taxpayer funds to create a slush fund that nominally prioritizes illegal aliens over legal Californians but that mostly only protects themselves and their cronies?
All these Assembly Democrats are evil, but Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas especially exudes evil? Look at that photo of him above with his black lifeless eyes that reflect that he must have sold his soul to the satanic dark side?
This action by seriously unhinged and backward-thinking Democrat legislators is COMPLETELY OUTRAGEOUS and UNACCEPTABLE.
We’re not exhausted enough from their thoroughly childish and unreasonable antics, right? – which do not AT ALL reflect what Californians want and need in an unnecessarily challenging time in this state. Especially now when so many are painfully strung out, worn down, and daily challenged by the recent fire disasters for which they can legitimately blame local and state politicians who clearly failed to do even the bare minimum to prevent loss of life and property, which by the way is their ONLY JOB.
I sincerely hope that the next time the Democrats who have foolishly voted to spite-spend 50 MILLION of their constituents hard-earned dollars appear on a ballot that we are fortunate enough to finally have elections that are clean and fair enough to soundly and thoroughly reject them.
What’s the statistical probability that men in the state legislative and executive branches have the same optometrist?
Asking for a friend.
Democrats fail at reading the room. America has swung to the right. Gender politics, sanctuary states and cities, cries of racism and misogyny ring hollow. The progressives are out of ideas. Watch the DOJ Civil Rights Division led by Harmeet Dhillon attack and destroy Bonta and his version of California values.
They still don’t get The Donald.
You hit him, he hits back twice as hard.
………….and his stick is a lot bigger!
When your enemy is making a mistake, don’t interrupt them.
How come their mistakes always cost us taxpayers money. How about a tax revolution in Cali. Everyone quit paying State tax. If we all stopped what could they do. They wouldn’t have any money to pay someone to come after us. Also I can’t wait for Doge to come to town. I would like to know who and their families are in on the take. That is all the highs peed rail is. It’s just Californias version of USAID
FAFO
It’s astonishing that most or all of these Democrat state legislators got re-elected 3 months ago despite the legislature’s very low approval rating. What would it take for the voters to change their voting habits? When their homes get burned down? When they become victims of crime?
So our legislators go into emergency sessions to steal $50 million dollars from us, the taxpayer, to Trump proof the state against what?.. Common sense? Who exactly will they be helping? Certainly not the people of the Pacific Palisades, or Altadena who have been devastated by the recent catastrophic wild fires. I mean after all, just because they’ve been paying property taxes forever doesn’t mean the state owes them anything.. $50 million dollars would go a long way in helping the residents of those communities begin to rebuild their lives. It might even show that our legislators actually care about the people who pay their salaries, and support other government programs to help the less fortunate.. But no, they’d rather support all the attorneys who will be making boat loads of money litigating everything the Trump administration does, (and by the way, the majority of Americans support), to fight the evils of common sense.. Stupid things like, I don’t, how about securing our borders, deporting criminal illegal aliens, increasing our states water storage capacity. How about widening I-5, between Tracey and the Grapevine… you know… stupid stuff like that .. How about shutting down the high speed rail to nowhere.. We, the taxpayers, don’t want it nor do we need it.. The Democrat politician of this state are not only clueless, they are without a doubt.. totally and completely useless… May God have mercy on they’re pathetic souls…
It is not “Trump Proofing” it is Citizen Proofing!
They have chosen wasteful spending and defending people who came into our country UNLAWFULLY!
I think with following through with this action the enemies of the citizens have revealed themselves! Here’s looking at you Robert Rivas!
We need to DEMOCRAT-PROOF California…
Starting with this clown, Rivas…
He has the same dead-eyes as Buffy Wicks and Nancy Skinner and Scott “Let me show you my” Wiener….
It always amazes me that so many people, including media, place blame on the legislators (they do deserve it also) that vote all our taxpayer money for unwanted things, when the REAL blame is on the people that vote for them.
So let’s see…$25 million of TAXPAYER money to protect CRIMINALS from being sent back to where they came from and other $25 million of TAXPEYR money to virtue signal in the courts. This state is run by a stupid, evil cabal. Sad part is, most of the people in the state will continue to vote for them because they are so brainwashed into thinking that if they do, it will assuage their own self assumed guilt and self-loathing for being shallow and vain. Not even having their homes burn down due to the incompetence of this same cabal will persuade them overwise.
While Newsom goes to Washington to beg for wildfire relief from President Trump, the calif-4-nia legislature designates $50 million to “trump proof”, what?? wouldn’t putting that money toward rebuilding LA be wiser? where do you think that money will go: Litigation against the constitution? Wonder if Bondi can arrest the entire Ca legislature for obstruction? I wonder how the residents who lost their homes feel about sacramento putting undocumented before tax paying citizens?