Though California is a relatively safe place for transgender youth, LGBTQ advocates warn that efforts to eliminate policies safeguarding transgender kids — led by right-leaning states and the Trump administration — may change that.
As CalMatters’ Carolyn Jones explains, a handful of California’s policies may be at risk of being reversed or undermined as lawsuits challenging transgender protections play out in court. Two major cases are:
Student athletes: The U.S. Supreme Court is currently reviewing a case based on a pair of lawsuits challenging Idaho and West Virginia’s bans prohibiting transgender women from playing on women’s teams. Legal experts say the high court appears poised to uphold states’ rights, allowing them to keep the ban.
Because California allows students to play on school-sponsored sports teams that align with their gender identity, a ruling upholding states’ rights would also uphold California’s policy. But it could also embolden the federal government to penalize states for protecting transgender athletes. Last year, President Donald Trump said he would withhold federal funding from schools that allow transgender females to play on girls’ and women’s teams.
Parental notification: In 2024 Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law banning schools statewide from requiring school staff members to inform parents if a child identifies as transgender without the child’s consent.
After the law went into effect, a pair of teachers from Escondido sued the state, arguing that it “violates their faith and ethics,” according to the law firm that filed the suit on behalf of the teachers.
A federal judge sided with the teachers in December, but the state successfully requested a temporary injunction on the ruling while it prepares an appeal. The plaintiffs have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reject the stay and implement the ruling immediately, but the court has yet to issue a decision.
CalMatters events: Mi Escuelita, a San Diego preschool, is transforming how young children recover from trauma. Join our event on Feb. 5, in person in Chula Vista or virtually, to hear from California leaders in trauma-informed care about what works, what it takes to sustain it and how policymakers can expand these programs. Register today.
What should justice look like in California today? Join us in Los Angeles on Feb. 25th for a conversation with L.A. County District Attorney Nathan Hochman, former CDCR Director Dave Lewis and Heidi Rummel of the Post-Conviction Justice Project, on prosecution, incarceration and whether reform or tougher policies will define the state’s future. Register here.
Other Stories You Should Know
How helpful is $200 million?
In his latest budget plan, Newsom earmarked $200 million to revive California’s rebate program for electric cars. Based on previous rebate models, that might not go very far, writes CalMatters’ Alejandro Lazo.
Using the state’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program model that ended in 2023 — which offered rebates of up to $7,500 toward some electric and hybrid cars — Newsom’s proposal would cover rebates for only about 20% of last year’s EV sales, a CalMatters analysis found.
That’s not going to be enough, said Christopher Chavez, deputy policy director at the Coalition for Clean Air: “Two-hundred million for a mass-market program will go very quickly.”
Chavez also warned that in the time it takes to approve the budget and set up a new program, consumers may not get rebates until 2027.
Shortcomings from previous incentive programs are also renewing questions from experts and lawmakers about who should get the money. State regulators ended the Clean Vehicle Rebate Program over concerns it benefited higher-income buyers, and while California had programs aimed at low-income buyers, advocates say some of these programs weren’t adequately funded.
Tijuana River cleanup efforts inch forward
A bill to speed up the doling out of funds from a multibillion-dollar climate bond cleared a legislative hurdle Thursday, advancing out of the Assembly’s appropriations committee, reports CalMatters’ Nadia Lathan.
The measure by Assemblymember David Alvarez would lift some regulations tied to Proposition 4, a $10 billion bond that voters approved in 2024 for water, wildfire and other climate resistant projects. The Chula Vista Democrat said he wanted to accelerate the release of Prop. 4’s money to address the sewage pollution issue in the Tijuana River, which affects his district. About $30 million from the bond is expected to be used for the river’s cleanup efforts, and Alvarez said his bill could help speed up funding by up to 18 months.
Over the past two decades, California voters have approved billions of dollars in bonds, some of which going toward projects that have been mired in regulatory obstacles that delay timelines and balloon costs. In 2014, for example, voters passed Prop. 1 to allocate $1 billion for a water storage project in the Sacramento Valley. It remains under construction.
The bill is backed by local governments and environmental groups, and has no formal opposition. It is expected to go before the Assembly for a floor vote next week.
And lastly: More like Balb-no way I’m paying for parking
San Diego this month imposed parking fees for the century-old Balboa Park to help pay for the park and its museums. Though the new fees are estimated to result in $2.9 million in revenue this fiscal year, backlash has been swift: Museum visits have dropped, vandals are defacing meters and San Diego County mayors are urging the city to reverse the policy. Read more from CalMatters’ Deborah Brennan.
California Voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: Newsom’s proposal to have the governor manage the state’s schools would streamline a governance system that is currently opaque, but it would also hold the governor more accountable for educational achievement.
Other things worth your time:
Immigration officers assert sweeping power to enter homes without a judge’s warrant, memo says // AP News
Newsom’s record is a problem // The Atlantic
The ‘nightmare’ budget scenario looming over CA — and Newsom // Politico
Fearing deficits, CA senators ask Newsom for budget transparency // The Sacramento Bee
After snub, Newsom completes Davos mission to excoriate Trump on world stage // The Sacramento Bee
CA sees 150,000+ sign-ups for new data broker deletion request tool // CBS News
At Yosemite, rangers are scarce and visitors have gone wild // The New York Times
No one knows who’s behind Sacramento Valley billboard message to 80-year-old Democrat // SFGate
Immigration agent shoots at suspect during operation in South LA // Los Angeles Times