OPINION:
The California State Assembly is one of the most progressive institutions in the nation. Stacked with a 62-17 supermajority, assembly Democrats can steamroll the minority at will and impose whatever policies they dream up. This offers valuable insight into the leftist mindset and a preview of where the rest of the nation may be headed.
Last week, assembly Speaker Robert Rivas wielded his unchecked authority in booting GOP Assemblyman Bill Essayli from the Judiciary Committee, sticking the lawmaker on the Aging and Long-Term Care Committee instead — an obvious punishment.
Mr. Essayli’s offense was forcing Democrats to vote on his bill that would have deported any illegal alien convicted of crimes against children. It was shot down on a 36-14 vote.
“Apparently no one is above the law except illegal immigrant pedophiles who the democrats in Sacramento just voted to protect from deportation,” the lawmaker wrote on X.
Instead of protecting California’s youth from predators, the assembly on the same day passed AB 1840, which ensures that anyone seeking a share of $700 million in free housing benefits “shall not be disqualified solely based on the applicant’s immigration status.”
This means Golden State taxpayers will soon be handing cash to people who just hopped over the border so they can lay down permanent roots. Under the California Dream for All program, house-buying assistance of up to $150,000 per person is allocated through a lottery system.
As if that weren’t enough, another bill passed by the assembly, AB 2586, requiring the state’s university and community college systems to hire illegal aliens. This would nullify federal worker eligibility laws by unilaterally declaring them “inapplicable” in California. The state already lavishes student aid on anyone who infiltrates the country without an invitation.
Last year, California also gave illegal aliens the ability to apply for full-scope Medi-Cal, meaning they enjoy free health care at taxpayer expense. The state went so far as to hold focus groups with such aliens to make sure they were aware that others would be paying to take care of their needs.
No wonder California has become a magnet for millions of residents of other countries eager to come here for the freebies. Since the Texas governor began protecting the Lone Star State’s border, unlawful entries have begun shifting to San Diego, which has seen a 49% increase since last year.
While state law doesn’t confer voting rights to those who scale San Diego’s border fence, there is no barrier to doing so. Ballots are even offered in Spanish, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Tagalog, Thai and Vietnamese.
San Francisco allows “undocumented” residents to vote in school board elections, and the city of Santa Ana has a measure on the November ballot that, if approved, would allow them to vote for the mayor, the City Council and other offices. Residents in nearby Huntington Beach went the opposite route in March, approving a ballot measure requiring officials to implement voter identification and monitoring of ballot drop boxes.
Naturally, state Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, is suing Huntington Beach for daring to uphold ballot integrity. This exposes the goal of the left — a new permanent majority based on sketchy votes from people who have no business being in the country, much less the polling place.
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