Democratic governors are racing to legislate against Trump
Progressive governors and attorneys general are ready to challenge Donald Trump two months before the president-elect retakes the Oval Office. In California, Gov Gavin Newsom called on lawmakers Thursday to convene a meeting special session takes aim at “anti-Trump” state laws. Governor of New York Kathy Hochul announced one statewide initiative to counter “policy and regulatory threats” from the Trump administration. And in Illinois And Massachusettslawmakers said they will fight the federal government to protect vulnerable and undocumented residents, including against future deportation requests.
“Every tool in the toolbox must be used to protect our citizens, protect our people and protect our states, while certainly upholding the principle of democracy and the rule of law as a principle. basic principles,” said the Massachusetts Governor. Maura Healey speak.
The emerging battle lines are reminiscent of the first Trump administration — and upend conventional politics around “states’ rights.” Now, these same types of state laws could make places like California and New York a bulwark against Trump’s second-term progressive agenda. The president-elect has promised to begin mass deportations, roll back gun safety laws and roll back environmental protections. Critics fear his administration will also move to further restrict access to abortion services.
Blue states could theoretically fight those policies through state laws, lawsuits, ballot initiatives and executive actions by the governor’s office. According to indivisiblea group of progressive organizations formed in response to Trump’s first election, Democrats now control governors and legislatures in 14 states — making them potential flashpoints for action most anti-Trump. The three had moved to bolster progressive policies even before Trump’s victory, voting Tuesday to Respect the right to abortion in their state constitutions. Blue state governors also promised to pool financial and legal resources to defend against potential threats from the incoming administration.
They will face more obstacles in challenging Trump than they did five years ago. One thing, Trump performs much better than expected in progressive states, including New York and California. The president-elect also filled the courts with conservative judges during his first administration, which could stymie future legal challenges from the left. Healy seemed to acknowledge as much during a recent appearance on MSNBC: “In 2016, we had a very different situation in court,” she said.
However, blue state leaders remain hawkish. On Thursday, Newsom wrote on X that California’s special legislative session will develop strategies to “counter” any rollback of the state’s progressive civil rights, climate and reproductive health care policies under Trump. A day earlier, New York Attorney General Letitia James—whose office took nearly 100 legal actions against Trump during and after his first term—has vowed that New York will “not back down” from its battles with the incoming administration. “We did not expect this result, but we are ready to respond to this result,” she said. “We have faced this challenge before and we have used the law to fight back.”
