San Diego City Wire

Senate Minority Leader Brian W. Jones has criticized Governor Gavin Newsom's decision to expand the current special session to include Los Angeles wildfire relief alongside efforts to sue the Trump Administration. In a statement, Jones expressed his disapproval of combining these two issues.

"I’m encouraged that Governor Newsom heard our calls to take action on the LA wildfires in a special session," said Jones. However, he described the move as "unnecessary" and "insulting" to those affected by the wildfires. He argued that fire victims deserve non-partisan support and accused Newsom of politicizing the crisis.

Jones suggested that a separate special session should have been convened solely for addressing the wildfires, supporting recovery efforts, and preparing for future disasters. Despite his criticisms, Jones affirmed that Republicans are committed to collaborating with Democrats to secure wildfire relief for Californians.

Governor Newsom's action follows requests from Republican lawmakers who urged him to address both the wildfires' impact and California’s insurance market instability through a special session.