Joe O’Dea is running as a Republican in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/colorado" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Colorado</a> Senate race against incumbent Democratic Senator Michael Bennet. O’Dea is a first-time politician and is the 30-year CEO of a Colorado construction company that employs 300 workers.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Question: When you talk to Colorado voters, what are they most concerned about right now?
Joe O’Dea: Look, all they&#8217;re talking about is inflation, crime, and parents. They&#8217;re talking about education a little bit, too, but mostly it&#8217;s inflation, cost of gas, cost of their heating bills coming up, cost of groceries. And then this record crime that’s taking over our city. It&#8217;s up 30% in the last two years.
Q: What can be done to increase access to housing? When you see that as an issue in the state, what&#8217;s your strategy there?
JO: Well, there&#8217;s two things. The cost of housing is being driven by the cost of diesel, cost of fuel, everything gets delivered to a building site in some kind of diesel truck, and those prices are up 30%, 35% — delivery is. And the other thing that&#8217;s really bogged down Colorado is some of the red tape that&#8217;s in the way of building affordable housing.
I&#8217;ll give you an example. Back in ’04,’03, they passed a bill in the state that was called Construction Defect and …extended the warranty for eight to ten years, depending on how you&#8217;re reading the bill. And so that put an enormous amount of cost onto builders. It basically eliminated the condominium product here in Colorado because of the cost of ensuring something like that so that you would have enough there to pay for any defect that showed up ten years later. That has eliminated a lot of people&#8217;s ability to buy a first home. My wife and I lived in a condo for the first four years of our lives, married life, and that product is gone. And so it&#8217;s a combination of government red tape and it&#8217;s a combination of cost of goods that has been driven up by a Democratic fuel policy that has more than put $1.50 a gallon onto the cost of gas, $2.50 onto the cost of diesel. And those two elements are driving this cost.
Q: What can be done to improve access to health care in Colorado?
JO: Well, we need innovation. We need to support competition. Again, government red tape is causing the cost of a lot of this health care to drive up. And the fact that working Americans that are buying their own insurance are having to subsidize people that don&#8217;t have insurance is driving the cost up for working Americans. We need to get [the] government out of the way so that we can promote good competition across the markets. We should allow multiple providers into different areas so that they have a choice. And when we do that, we flood the market with the availability of this health care that then the price is going to be driven down.
Q: What can be done to address inflation and the cost of those really essential items in Colorado?
JO: Well, the first thing we got to do is get government out of the way. Right now, the Biden-Bennet regime, they walked into office two years ago to basically kill the [Keystone] XL pipeline, killed permitting on federal lands, have made it extremely difficult to build any kind of energy source in our nation.
It&#8217;s taken 12 years to get permitting done for some of the windmill farms that they&#8217;d like to build. It&#8217;s taking 10 years, 12 years, for [a] solar panel farm that would generate good, clean energy. And at the same time, they’ve basically made it almost impossible to drill for good, clean natural gas here in Colorado and across our nation. That&#8217;s a fuel source that has helped to lower emissions more than any other fuel source in the last ten years. Across Colorado, it’s made an enormous difference in our emissions. If we were to flood the Asian market with good, clean natural gas, we would begin to lower worldwide emissions from some of the dirty energy that they&#8217;re using over in China. And so this is a chance for us to make a difference. Not only lowering inflation, it&#8217;ll have an extreme amount on inflation — right out of the gate — as soon as the supply goes up, the cost goes down, and it&#8217;ll help us manage this inflation as quick as we can turn this around.
Q: What do you think can be done to improve education and access to education?
JO: Well, this is really a personal issue for me. I&#8217;m a product of school choice. I got in some trouble when I was a kid in junior high school. My dad and mom moved me to an all-boys Catholic school where I could pay attention a little better because the nuns forced it on me, which was great. And it was a monumental change in my life.
And I believe that every parent, regardless of their zip code, should have that same choice to be able to have their kids put in a situation, whether it&#8217;s a charter school, a private school, or a public school. And I believe if we give them that choice, that’ll help our public schools as well because they&#8217;ll have to compete for students. Parents need a voice in what their kids are being taught. I believe that they are the ones that are going to make that decision. And if they want their kids to have a great life, they got to put their kids in a situation — they got to be allowed to put their kids in a situation where their kids have a choice and their kids can excel. I believe that&#8217;s at the core of our responsibility in the United States.
Q: What do you see as the most important climate goals for Colorado?
JO: I think it&#8217;s critical that we boost all energy sources in Colorado. We need more solar. We need more wind. We need to look at nuclear. That potentially is a good, clean source of renewable power that I think we should look at, geothermal. I&#8217;m a supporter of all of it. At the same time, we need to allow ourselves to be able to use good, clean natural gas because that can make the most difference in the emissions the quickest. It&#8217;s something that is very clean. Colorado has the cleanest gas molecule in the nation produced over on the Western Slope. And as soon as we start to use that, we&#8217;re going to lower worldwide emissions. And I really believe that.
Q: What can be done to lower crime in the state?
JO: This is really tied to our border. Right now, we’ve got cartels that are running our southern border. It&#8217;s time we secure our border, we get our immigration system back under control. It doesn&#8217;t currently work, but part of that is closing down the ability of cartels to be shipping fentanyl and illegal drugs right up by 25, coming across that border. They’re killing our kids. Colorado is the second worst state in the nation for fentanyl overdoses. In addition to that, we&#8217;ve lost 1,880 good Coloradans to drug overdose in the last year. Those are record numbers. It&#8217;s the number one cause of death in the nation for 18- to 45-year-old adults. We’ve got to get this under control.
When you talk to the Denver police, they&#8217;ll tell you that these cartels are in our neighborhoods now. They&#8217;ve moved in. They&#8217;re very worried about the record crime that we&#8217;re seeing. Colorado is the third worst state for crime in the nation. That didn&#8217;t happen by accident. It&#8217;s because we&#8217;ve allowed this border to leak across and it&#8217;s really causing issues here in Colorado.
Q: You recently talked about the migrants. What more do you think can be done to address illegal immigration in a positive way?
JO: Well, I think it&#8217;s a two-fold process, right? We&#8217;ve got to secure our border, which Democrats are just out of touch with. They&#8217;re talking about this issue, but they&#8217;re not addressing it. Meanwhile, our kids are dying. At the same time, we’ve got to improve our immigration system. It needs to be streamlined. People need to depend on a process. We need to know who&#8217;s coming into the country. They should be allowed to sign up legally. And if they&#8217;re not a felon, they&#8217;re not a criminal, and they&#8217;re going to come in and support this great nation, then we need to streamline that process and make sure that they can. This is a nation of immigrants. Everybody came here at one point or another, and I&#8217;d be supportive of that.
Q: What do you think can be done to address drug addiction problems in Colorado?
JO: Well, if I can get my bill across the finish line, I will take the Inflation Reduction Act that just passed and they&#8217;ve got funding in there to grow an IRS bureaucracy by $80 billion. … I would devote that money to securing our border. I would hire more border security so that they can secure the border. I would help implement an immigration policy that works so that we can get people here legally. And at the same time, I&#8217;d take a balance of those funds and I would put them into our communities in terms of cops. We need more cops on the street. Right now, the city and county of Denver has an opening for 240 cops. We need to fill those seats. It means paying them more. It&#8217;s a very risky job. And then the last piece of this would be making sure that we fund mental health. We&#8217;ve got to get these people off the street and into places where they can get help for drug addiction and alcoholism.
Q: What do you see can be done to help mitigate the impacts of the drought and wildfires that we&#8217;re seeing?
JO: That goes back to a permitting issue that&#8217;s just holding everything up here across the nation. I just got done working on a project. It&#8217;s called Chatfield mitigation. … Chatfield Reservoir, we worked out there to allow 12 additional foot [sic] of water to be put on an existing dam. That permit took 25 years to get approved before we could actually do the construction. I&#8217;m working on rerouting the Colorado River around Windy Gap dam up in Granby right now. That permit started in 1997 — we just broke ground in June — 25 years is unacceptable. Those are the type of projects we need to implement for water storage here in Colorado. The Gross Reservoir took almost 22 years for that permit to be put in place. So those are the kind of issues that are holding up these drought measures.
At the same time, I think it&#8217;s good to hear that we&#8217;re going to invest in irrigation systems that are much more efficient, water efficient, but we can&#8217;t do it alone up here in Colorado. Right now, that Colorado water pact is going to come up to be renegotiated in ’26. We&#8217;ve got to make sure that California does their part.
Colorado can&#8217;t do much more. We&#8217;ve had bans in place on watering your lawns one day a week, two days a week, for years. I want to see California do more.
Q: Is there anything else I didn’t ask you about that you’d like to mention?
JO: Well, just the fact that Senator Bennet’s been in the Senate now 13 years, and his badge of honor is $20 trillion in debt. He voted for the two bills that have caused record inflation. He was the 50th vote in the $1.9 trillion rescue plan that caused this inflation, and now he&#8217;s running on a platform of solving it. If he hadn&#8217;t caused it, we wouldn&#8217;t need to solve it. And so it&#8217;s really disingenuous. I think he needs to own those bills that he voted on that have caused the problems that we&#8217;re having here in Colorado.

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Q&A With GOP Colorado Senate Candidate Joe O’Dea

Q&A Interview With Republican Colorado Senate Candidate Joe O'Dea

2022 Election

2022 Midterms

Colorado

Republican Party

U.S. Senate

Since the Supreme Court decided on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/dobbs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization </a>case in June, effectively overturning <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/roe-v-wade" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roe v. Wade</a>, the landscape of abortion in the United States has shifted as pregnancy centers receive more calls and the conversation changes.
States have moved to restrict abortion or increase access to the procedure. California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-pitches-abortion-friendly-california-in-red-state-billboard-blitz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took</a> out advertisements in Republican-led states, telling women how to get an abortion in California.
Jessica Warner of Heartbeat International told The Daily Wire that pregnancy centers have seen a change since the Dobbs decision.
“According to an informal poll we conducted at the end of July, we found that 66% of centers have seen an increase in calls since the Dobbs decision,” she said over email. “Option Line, our 24/7 national pregnancy helpline, has not seen a significant increase or decrease in contacts who are at risk for abortion, however we have noted a slight increase in those who seem to be on the fence about abortion.”
Warner said they think there has not been more of an uptick “due to the censorship we have seen from Big Tech. Google has banned the [sic] our ability to advertise Abortion Pill Reversal since September of 2021, following the Texas Heartbeat Bill being put into law.”
Warner pointed out that it is too early to tell if more women are deciding to carry their pregnancies to term after Dobbs, and “[t]he number of reversal calls has remained steady since the Dobbs decision.”
“We know that more women have obtained abortion pills through telehealth and on abortion websites since the Dobbs decision. This means that fewer women have had medical screening or ultrasound prior to [an] abortion, which puts them at risk,” Warner added when asked about the number of calls regarding complications or concerns about the abortion pill since the ruling. Google banned Heartbeat from advertising the abortion pill reversal due to the Texas Heartbeat bill financially <a href="https://time.com/6189528/anti-abortion-pregnancy-centers-collect-data-investigation/">rewarding</a> abortion reports in a successful civil case, and with women calling the pregnancy center, they essentially admitted their attempt to get an abortion, which Google determined to be manipulative. However, Warner and other crisis pregnancy centers affected have stressed that they remained committed to protecting the privacy of every woman they counsel, no matter their previous abortion attempt.
Misinformation has also become a widespread issue when it comes to abortion and pregnancy as pro-abortion entities have attempted to skew the messaging about pro-life laws.
“Even though no pro-life laws or abortion regulation targets the mother for prosecution, we are hearing from the women the false legal concern that abortion laws are focused on women having abortions” Warner added. &#8220;There is fear of prosecution from those in states that have banned abortion if they seek reversal and report that they took the abortion pill.”
The political landscape has also changed, as Democrats seek to go after crisis pregnancy centers that help women and men facing unplanned pregnancies.
On Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/kamala-harris-praises-dem-ags-taking-crisis-pregnancy-centers-rocked-violence" target="_blank" rel="noopener">commended</a> attorneys general as people who are &#8220;fighting on the front lines to defend our rights.&#8221;
&#8220;You are taking on, rightly, the crisis pregnancy centers, launching public education campaigns,&#8221; she said. &#8220;And in the midst of the vast amount of confusion, the need of you as the truth tellers to sort out fiction from fact and combat misinformation and disinformation, which we all know often creates a situation that is ripe for predatory practice.&#8221;
Doctors are also weighing in on the debate, although they did in the past as well. The American Association of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/pro-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pro-Life</a> Obstetricians and Gynecologists (AAPLOG) <a href="https://aaplog.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/15-week-fact-sheet.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">notes</a> that when abortion occurs after 15 weeks, it involves “extreme and inhumane procedures.” The group also points out that “a fetus can experience pain at least by 14 weeks … and likely earlier by 10 weeks gestation.”
Stuart Derbyshire is a neuroscientist who co-wrote a study reportedly used by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). He has <a href="https://lozierinstitute.org/the-acog-should-reconsider-fetal-pain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> against the concept of fetal pain for decades, but changed his belief in recent years, instead co-writing a piece that <a href="https://jme.bmj.com/content/46/1/3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posits</a> fetal pain experience “from as early as 12 weeks.”
Abortion is much more dangerous for the mother the later it occurs in pregnancy and “the risk of death from abortion increases by 38 percent for each additional week beyond eight weeks,&#8221; AAPLOG states.
AAPLOG “opposes abortion,” but in circumstances where there is a severe medical emergency endangering the mother’s life, the <a href="https://aaplog.org/what-is-aaplogs-position-on-abortion-to-save-the-life-of-the-mother/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">organization</a> “believes in ‘treatment to save the mother’s life,’ including premature delivery if that is indicated,” pointing out that this is not the same as “abortion to save the mother’s life.” In this instance, AAPLOG says, “[w]e are treating two patients, the mother and the baby, and every reasonable attempt to save the baby’s life would also be a part of our medical intervention. We acknowledge that, in some such instances, the baby would be too premature to survive.”
&#8220;The intended ending of an abortion is to produce a dead embryo or fetus. The intended ending of an early separation of mother and fetus in a life-threatening situation is to save the life of the mother,” Dr. Christina Francis, Board Member and CEO-Elect of AAPLOG told The Daily Wire over email.
“If this occurs after viability (currently approximately 22-23 weeks gestation), then mom and baby can both be cared for and likely survive. In the very rare cases that this is needed pre-viability (an example would be an infection in the uterus), a separation of mother and baby can be done in a way that not only respects the dignity of both lives but also does not intend the death of the embryo/fetus. This is different from an elective abortion at these gestational ages, which is done in a manner that guarantees the death of that preborn child,” she added.

Baby

Abortion Landscape: Pregnancy Centers See Uptick In Calls Since Dobbs; Doctors Weigh In On Fetal Pain

Crisis Pregnancy Centers See Increase In Calls Since Dobbs V. Jackson Women’s Health Organization Ruling, Doctors Weigh In On Fetal Pain

Abortion

Dobbs

Kamala Harris

Pregnant

Roe v. Wade's Long And Brutal Legacy

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> is taking action to make it the first state in the country to get rid of natural gas water heaters and furnaces in houses.
A new proposal was <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-22/california-moves-to-ban-natural-gas-furnaces-and-heaters-by-2030" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> in a unanimous vote on Thursday by the California Air Resources Board. The state will prohibit the sale of new natural gas space heaters, as well as water heating equipment, by 2030, according to the new plan. The measure is part of efforts that California is moving toward in order to reduce emissions and meet federal air-quality baselines.
Now, California agencies must create a regulation for getting rid of the gas-fueled equipment that will be ultimately voted on in 2025. The measure does not incorporate gas stoves, even though around 50 municipalities around the state have reportedly created rules that either prohibit or frown upon using gas stoves in new construction.
&#8220;We need to take every action we can to deliver on our commitments to protect public health from the adverse impacts of air pollution, and this strategy identifies how we can do just that,&#8221; CARB Chair Liane Randolph <a href="https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/news/california-adopts-comprehensive-strategy-meet-federal-ozone-standard-over-next-15-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a <a href="https://thehill.com/changing-america/sustainability/energy/3658284-california-first-state-to-ban-natural-gas-heaters-and-furnaces/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
&#8220;While this strategy will clean the air for all Californians, it will also lead to reduced emissions in the many low-income and disadvantaged communities that experience greater levels of persistent air pollution. But to truly meet the ozone standard, California needs more federal action to clean up harmful diesel pollution from primarily federally controlled sources, from locomotives and ocean-going vessels to aircraft, which are all concentrated in communities that continue to bear the brunt of poor air quality. We simply cannot provide clean air to Californians without the federal government doing its part,” Randolph added.
Some believe this will create an outline for other states to follow.
“We’re really hopeful that this is the beginning of a domino effect and other states will follow California’s lead,” Leah Louis-Prescott, a senior associate at RMI, said, per Bloomberg.
As The San Francisco Chronicle <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/California-will-ban-the-sale-of-natural-gas-17460877.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed</a> out, regulators are pointing to heat pump technology as a main component of getting rid of the natural gas heaters. The method is used across Europe, but is not as widespread in the United States. The pumps work entirely off of electricity and essentially shift heat around.
However, the electric grid has been a problem in the state over the past several years. During a recent heat wave, residents were repeatedly asked to save power so as to avoid rolling blackouts across the state. The Golden State is also trying to entirely get rid of carbon emissions in its power grid by 2045. The quick shift to green energy has resulted in a less reliable electric grid in California.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-needed-natural-gas-during-heat-wave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that the electric grid in the state needed natural gas for nearly half of its electricity production to reach peak demand levels during the heat wave.

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California Takes Steps To Ban Sale Of New Natural Gas Furnaces, Heaters

California Air Resources Board Takes Steps To Ban Sale Of New Natural Gas Furnaces, Heaters

California

Economy

Energy

Gavin Newsom

Oil and Gas

Canadian Prime Minister <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/justin-trudeau" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Justin Trudeau</a> <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/watch-canadian-pm-trudeau-wants-to-help-american-women-get-abortions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wants</a> to assist American women in accessing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abortion</a>.
&#8220;In Canada, we support unequivocally women&#8217;s right to choose. It is a fundamental tenet of freedom,&#8221; Trudeau <a href="https://twitter.com/MariaLeaf/status/1572760543915556865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1572760543915556865%7Ctwgr%5Ee3ae06f8ac3af909b64a32ccc6ebdbdc91159f9e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/watch-canadian-pm-trudeau-wants-to-help-american-women-get-abortions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “[It] is a fundamental tenet of our society. We stand up for women’s rights.”
&#8220;As we see in the United States attempts to roll back rights that women have fought for for generations, the idea that there are young girls growing up in the United States who will have less rights over their own bodies than their mothers did is exactly what Canadians, Americans, and people all around the world are so concerned about,&#8221; he added.
“We need to make sure we are standing up for people’s rights and freedoms. In Canada, we will do that by ensuring access to abortion for every Canadian who wants it and we will make sure we continue to fight for better health and reproductive rights all around the world. It used to mean being there to fight for health and reproductive rights in the global south. We&#8217;ll help out in the United States if we need to, as well,&#8221; Trudeau told the press at the United Nations on Wednesday.
“In Canada, it is medical professionals who make determinations around what is best for mothers, particularly in late terms,” he said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Canadian PM <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JustinTrudeau</a> says he is willing to help ensure women in the U.S. who want an abortion can get one. Here’s what he told reporters at the United Nations. <a href="https://t.co/bvI5zIu5bu">https://t.co/bvI5zIu5bu</a> <a href="https://t.co/I59G495HqK">pic.twitter.com/I59G495HqK</a>
&mdash; Maria Leaf (@MariaLeaf) <a href="https://twitter.com/MariaLeaf/status/1572760543915556865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 22, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
This is not the first time the Canadian politician has weighed in on the abortion debate in the United States, <a href="http://politico.com/news/2022/06/24/trudeau-roe-v-wade-response-00042316" target="_blank" rel="noopener">calling</a> it “horrific” when the Supreme Court effectively ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade in its Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision this summer. 
“My heart goes out to the millions of American women who are now set to lose their legal right to an abortion. I can’t imagine the fear and anger you are feeling right now,” he reportedly said on Twitter. “No government, politician, or man should tell a woman what she can and cannot do with her body.”
Trudeau also mentioned the topic at a summit in Rwanda on the day the ruling was released.  
“Today I think of those generations of women around the world and specifically in the United States who fought so hard to gain rights … and are facing this devastating setback,” he said. “It shows how much standing up and fighting for rights matters every day.”
In Canada, there is no law <a href="https://nafcanada.org/history-abortion-canada/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">concerning</a> abortion. Rather, it falls under the same rules as other medical practices and is regulated in local jurisdictions and groups. In 1988, the <a href="https://nafcanada.org/history-abortion-canada/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">procedure</a> was <a href="https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/august-2022/abortion-access-canada/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decriminalized</a> in the country.

D3DA9E41-FBD1-4293-8D21-2EFDF8848A22_1_201_a

Trudeau Comes To The ‘Help’ Of American Women In Getting Them Access To Abortion

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Wants To Help American Women Get Abortions In Canada

Canada

Justin Trudeau

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California’s</a> Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/09/22/california-gun-control-office-violence-prevention/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) on Wednesday, making California the first state to establish such a group.
“This moment of crisis demands more than thoughts and prayers — we need action now,” Bonta <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/attorney-general-bonta-launches-office-gun-violence-prevention" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release. “That is why as California Attorney General, I am doubling down on California’s gun safety efforts: I am defending our commonsense gun safety laws in court and cracking down on the surge of untraceable ghost guns. I am proud to lead a team of special agents that remove firearms from the hands of dangerous individuals.”
“And today, I am establishing the Office of Gun Violence Prevention to advance a strong, statewide, public health-focused effort as we continue working together to put an end to this crisis once and for all,” he added.
In a vague description of the new office, the press release said the group will be “dedicated to developing strategies and working with stakeholders statewide to address the gun violence epidemic.”
The office will reportedly assist the Department of Justice’s continuing attempts to decrease gun violence, “including the Department’s seizure of firearms from dangerous individuals using the Armed and Prohibited Persons System (APPS), prosecution of firearms trafficking cases, and defense of California’s commonsense gun laws.&#8221;
Specifically, the release noted that Bonta supports those in California who will keep trying to reduce gun violence by taking guns from banned individuals in the <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/california-department-justice-releases-2021-armed-and-prohibited-persons-system" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Armed and Prohibited Persons System</a>, as well as carrying out multiagency sweeps in Los Angeles County and the San Francisco region.
The goal of the OGVP will be to “reduce and prevent gun violence, firearm injury, and related trauma,” according to a government <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/ogvp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">site</a> for the office. The office will also look at various factors “from firearm availability to effective resources for crisis prevention” in order to cut down on the pain allegedly caused by guns.
Sam Paredes, executive director of <a href="https://www.gunownersca.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gun Owners of California</a>, told The Daily Wire that “all the gun violence that they&#8217;re talking about is being committed by people that they either don&#8217;t want to put in prison or have let out of prison, and then they use all of the numbers to argue their case, not by using the numbers honestly, but by mixing them together in order to present a false narrative that achieves their goal.”
“This is Attorney General Bonta putting his quest to destroy the Second Amendment on steroids in the state of California and just making official the commentary of every group and organization that wants to destroy the Second Amendment, period,” he said.

C2A836C1-5665-4CC2-936C-92F4A692D5B7_1_201_a

California Announces Office Of Gun Violence Prevention

California Attorney General Rob Bonta Announces Office Of Gun Violence Prevention

Gun Control

Guns

Second Amendment

During <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California’s</a> recent heat wave, the state intensely relied on natural gas to keep the lights on despite the state’s quick promotion of renewable energy sources.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the state’s electric grid <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/california-relied-heavily-natural-gas-during-sept-heat-wave-eia-2022-09-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">counted</a> on natural gas for nearly half of its electricity production to reach peak demand levels.
During the week of September 4, for short periods of time, natural gas comprised up to 60% of the fuel mix of the California Independent System Operator (CAISO), contrasted with 32% for the year before the week of intense demand, the EIA said, per Reuters.
CAISO ordinarily <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=53939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">uses</a> hydroelectric power, electricity imports, solar, wind, and natural gas to create the levels required to reach peak periods of need, per the EIA. The group noted that units of natural gas are typically the last source used in the state because they can be utilized after the sun goes down when people still need to turn their air conditioning on in their homes. It added that when there are record high levels of need, the natural gas units, which it says are not as capable and cost more money, are necessary.
CAISO information revealed that during the peak time periods between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m., the amount of natural gas in the energy mix went up to over half during the September 4 week, per <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/california-relied-heavily-natural-gas-during-sept-heat-wave-eia-2022-09-21/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reuters</a>. The evening hours typically see a higher need for energy as solar power is not as available and more cooling efforts are needed.
The amount of renewable energy, like solar, wind, and nuclear went down to 24% for the week, compared to 40% for the year up to that time period.
CAISO utilized natural gas for up to 60% and never below 30% of the mix of power to reach demand needs during certain times of the week.
Leading up to the week of high temperatures, the mix had 40% from solar, nuclear, batteries, wind, and others. It involved 32% from natural gas, 20% from imports, and 7% from hydroelectric, according to the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=53939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EIA</a>.
Residents received several Flex Alerts, telling them to save power during certain periods of time, and the state avoided issuing rolling blackouts as it needed to do in August of 2020.
The state’s quick shift to renewable sources of energy has put an increased amount of strain on the electric grid, making it less and less reliable during periods of high temperatures, but Democratic Governor of California <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gavin Newsom</a> has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-slams-critics-of-california-energy-says-they-wished-blackouts-had-happened" target="_blank" rel="noopener">touted</a> the success of the state’s green energy initiatives.
During the week of the heat wave, Newsom <a href="https://apnews.com/article/technology-california-sacramento-gavin-newsom-power-outages-0c520b790860fac7326cfdcdb4d3a785" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> reporters that the “pretty extreme” situation made the state use additional natural gas a fallback resource.
“We all want to accelerate the elimination of the gas, but it’s a sober reminder of reality,” he said.

3B3756EF-B53B-4107-8CDC-BA23705C54A7_1_201_a

California Needed Natural Gas During Heat Wave

Energy Information Administration Says California Needed Natural Gas During Heat Wave

Europe is <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/europe-races-prepare-energy-crunch-this-winter-2022-09-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">heading</a> toward an energy crisis, and some <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/top-economist-mohamed-el-erian-184654610.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">economists</a> are even predicting the continent will experience a serious recession. 
“My best guess is we’ll have a recession in the United States but I’m much more confident that there’s going to be a recession and an element of stagflation in Europe that comes as a consequence of what is going to happen as a consequence of the staggering vulnerability that they created for themselves,” economist and former Obama adviser Larry Summers <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPsFCJjFFmI&amp;abj_channel=InstituteofPoliticsatHarvardKennedySchool" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. 
The situation is getting serious for many countries across the continent of Europe. Germany is trying to finalize liquefied natural gas contracts with Middle Eastern producers. Germany’s gas storages are currently around 90%, but its economy minister <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/germany-econ-minister-says-natural-gas-storage-nearly-at-90-but-will-be-empty-after-winter-report-11663597869?siteid=yhoof2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Monday that that will probably be “empty” after winter. 
France’s electric company is also <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/exclusive-edf-contractors-relax-radiation-exposure-limits-speed-up-reactor-2022-09-16/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">working</a> on fixing its nuclear reactors and the country’s energy regulator chief said that if there are setbacks in that process, then the country could be forced to take “exceptional” steps during the winter, including concentrated cuts to power — but she stressed that there will “never” be “gas cuts for households.”
The Spanish Industry Minister made a similar statement, saying that businesses which use a lot of power might be forced to shut down during peak periods this winter.
Finland’s grid operator also <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/finns-should-be-prepared-power-outages-this-winter-grid-operator-warns-2022-09-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicted</a> outages this winter. Finland gets some power from Sweden, but now a major Swedish power company said it&#8217;s putting off resuming its nuclear reactor for two months.
Experts are now saying that Europe could import the most thermal coal this year than it has in at least four years.
Russia’s actions are a major factor. Russia previously supplied about 40% of the EU’s natural gas, but in response to Western sanctions Russia has <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/09/06/energy-crisis-why-has-russia-cut-off-gas-supplies-to-europe.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut</a> off the <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/german-gas-buyers-resume-nominations-russias-nord-stream-1-data-2022-09-19/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">majority</a> of what it was exporting.
Gas makes up <a href="https://www.acer.europa.eu/gas-factsheet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">around</a> 21% of the EU’s main use of energy, but importantly, it’s the way many households get their power, so this is an extremely precarious position for Europe to be in.
Economist and former Obama adviser Larry Summers recently discussed the situation. He <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPsFCJjFFmI&amp;ab_channel=InstituteofPoliticsatHarvardKennedySchool" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the U.S. is mainly self-sufficient, but “Europe, on the other hand, is completely dependent on imports of fossil fuels.”
“In a decision that in retrospect looks inexplicable Germany decided to make itself completely dependent on natural gas as the basis of its industry and the basis of heating most of its homes and then it decided to make itself completely dependent on Russia as a supplier of natural gas. Well, that was asking for trouble…” he added.

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Energy Crisis Threatens European Countries Ahead Of Winter

Energy Crisis Threatens European Countries Ahead Of Winter After Russia Cuts Off Gas Supplies

Europe

Morning Wire

With the news that Democratic Governor of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> Gavin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsom</a> might be vying to run for president in 2024 if President Joe Biden is not the candidate, some are not as thrilled about the idea as others.
On Fox News’ “Fox and Friends,” contributor Leo Terrell <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/gavin-newsom-bound-lose-runs-president-2024-crime-education-crises-terrell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">claimed</a> that Newsom is “bound to lose” if he decides to go for the presidency in a few years, pointing to problems in California.
“Well, you know what? The good news for Americans, very simply, no California Democrat [has] ever won the presidency, so he&#8217;s bound to lose. But what is happening in California? There is no incentive to live in California with Governor Newsom,” he stated. &#8220;We’ve got high crime. We&#8217;ve got poor schools. We&#8217;ve got the homeless problem. And I&#8217;ll tell you right now, he&#8217;s taking California for granted. He&#8217;s up for re-election, Brian, in California, but he is ignoring California, thinking that he has a chance to win the presidency.”
Newsom has been fueling rumors of a presidential run as he attacks popular Republican governors and places ads for California in Republican-led states.
Newsom survived a recall campaign after his COVID lockdown policies made him increasingly unpopular in the state, all while he did not adhere to the policies himself. This was perhaps most evident during the French Laundry incident when he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/14/us/elections/french-laundry-newsom.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dined</a> at an elite restaurant while telling Californians to stay in their houses.
According to <a href="https://today.yougov.com/topics/politics/explore/public_figure/Gavin_Newsom?content=all" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouGovAmerica</a>, Newsom has 31% popularity, with 29% saying they dislike him.
A recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/top-democrat-undeniably-unequivocally-is-running-for-president-in-2024-if-biden-doesnt-run-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from TheWrap stated that Newsom is “undeniably, unequivocally” going to seek the presidency if President Biden decides to forego the election in 2024. A key fundraiser in California who is close to Newsom told TheWrap that “after this midterm election is over, he absolutely is going to announce that he is running for the presidency once Biden announces that he is not running.”
“No ifs, ands, or buts,” the person said. “He will run if Biden does not.”
The report likely comes as no shock to the American electorate who have been witnessing Newsom’s actions in recent months. He <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-pitches-abortion-friendly-california-in-red-state-billboard-blitz" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recently</a> took out billboard advertisements in Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Oklahoma, attacking the pro-life actions of the states and telling women to visit California to get an abortion. The billboards include a website that has all of California’s abortion clinics.
He has also singled out Republican Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis over his sending migrants to Martha’s Vineyard, and even <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-demands-desantis-debate-him-gets-mocked-by-his-own-ex-staffer-youre-losing-the-argument" target="_blank" rel="noopener">challenged</a> DeSantis to a debate.

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Leo Terrell: Newsom Is ‘Bound To Lose’ In 2024

Fox News Contributor Leo Terrell Says Democratic Governor Of California Gavin Newsom Is ‘Bound To Lose’ In 2024 With All Of The Problems In California

2024 Election

Fox News

Leftism

Since the early months of the pandemic, many residents have <a href="https://sfstandard.com/research-data/new-analysis-san-francisco-pandemic-population-decline/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left</a> San Francisco, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/californiak" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a>, and businesses have <a href="https://hotair.com/karen-townsend/2022/06/30/chevron-shrinks-san-francisco-headquarters-offers-to-relocate-employees-to-houston-n479943" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moved</a> the bulk of their presence out of the downtown area, drastically impacting San Francisco’s commercial <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/real-estate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">real estate</a>.
While many <a href="https://hotair.com/john-s-2/2022/09/06/san-francisco-is-facing-a-commercial-real-estate-crash-which-will-impact-city-coffers-n494779" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cities</a> saw people move out during the pandemic, the <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/san-francisco-braces-for-epic-commercial-real-estate-crash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">timing</a> for San Francisco is important, as right now, there is over 25 million square feet of commercial real estate currently vacant.
Even with business returning to normal, the city has seen a lot of empty office space recently, but many office leases that were signed during the peak of its economic growth are going to expire over the coming few years. This is going to severely impact not only how many offices are empty — but what those offices are worth. Some landlords are looking for their property values to be lowered and some want to have their taxes reduced since their properties have decreased so much in value. Drastic reductions in commercial property values will also have downstream effects on the tax base.
San Francisco gets most of its revenue from property taxes, so this could harm the funds available to fund programs and pay city workers’ salaries. Proposition 13, a California constitutional amendment, put limits on property taxes, so that might help avoid a sudden crash in the property taxes the state gets.
A <a href="https://itep.sfo2.digitaloceanspaces.com/20211101_PropertyTaxReport.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">November report</a> from the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy found that San Francisco could experience a short-term drop in commercial real estate values of up to 43%, which was the steepest forecast in the study.
Working trend shifts are contributing to the situation. Many companies have gone remote, and San Francisco disproportionately houses tech companies, which were most likely to go remote, and so they stopped needing as much office space. Yelp and Airbnb, for example, have gone almost entirely remote.
For years, San Francisco has been at times the most expensive place to live in the country. San Francisco has notoriously restrictive building codes that make it extraordinarily difficult to obtain permits for residential construction projects, so it&#8217;s not likely that these reductions in property values will translate to lower rents any time soon.
The city appears to be focusing on revitalizing the downtown. Community organizations and business groups are <a href="https://sfstandard.com/business/4-takeaways-from-the-new-plan-to-rescue-san-franciscos-downtown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pressing</a> the city to do more to bring people back to the downtown area with things like art spaces and cultural events, but that may prove to be a difficult task. A recent Urban Displacement Project report ranks <a href="https://www.downtownrecovery.com/dashboards/recovery_ranking.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the recovery of San Francisco’s downtown area</a> in last place of more than 60 cities.

239FC968-76DF-4231-87F3-A597B319C6CC_1_201_a

The Commercial Real Estate Crash Coming To San Francisco

The San Francisco, California, Commercial Real Estate Crash

Biden Administration

Real estate

San Francisco

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> has legalized the use of human remains for composting.
On Sunday, Democratic Governor of California Gavin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsom</a> signed <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202120220AB351" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AB-351</a>, which will permit residents to select to have their remains composted after they die, beginning in 2027.
Assemblymember Cristina Garcia, one of the bill’s architects and its author, implied she might go for the method herself.
“Trees are important carbon breaks for the environment,” Garcia <a href="https://a58.asmdc.org/press-releases/20220613-assembly-bill-351-burial-remains-passed-senate-business-professions-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “They are the best filters for air quality and if more people participate in organic reduction and tree-planting, we can help with California’s carbon footprint. I look forward to continuing my legacy to fight for clean air by using my reduced remains to plant a tree.”
The bill <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-18/will-california-allow-human-composting-the-decision-is-in">creates</a> a regulation method for the state with regards to the process.
The method is already legal in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington, and incorporates putting the deceased body in a reusable vessel with wood chips around it. It is ventilated in order to allow microorganisms to grow. After around a month, the body decomposes and will become soil, according to <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/california-legalizes-human-composting-17374470.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SF Gate</a>.
The practice is thought to be a more eco-friendly way to dispose of remains rather than burning them through cremation. Garcia cited climate change as a reason for it.
“AB 351 will provide an additional option for California residents that is more environmentally-friendly and gives them another choice for burial,” Garcia said. “With climate change and sea-level rise as very real threats to our environment, this is an alternative method of final disposition that won’t contribute emissions into our atmosphere.”
In a release, Garcia <a href="https://a58.asmdc.org/press-releases/20220613-assembly-bill-351-burial-remains-passed-senate-business-professions-and" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that for each person who selects natural organic reduction (NOR) instead of being buried or cremated, the method keeps the same mount as one metric ton of carbon from being released into the atmosphere.
The method has not been met without controversy, specifically from the Catholic Church, which has said it &#8220;reduces the human body to simply a disposable commodity.”
&#8220;NOR uses essentially the same process as a home gardening composting system,&#8221; Kathleen Domingo, executive director of the California Catholic Conference, said in a statement given to SF Gate. She noted that the practice was created for animals, not human beings.
&#8220;These methods of disposal were used to lessen the possibility of disease being transmitted by the dead carcass,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Using these same methods for the &#8216;transformation&#8217; of human remains can create an unfortunate spiritual, emotional and psychological distancing from the deceased.”
The church also noted that the method &#8220;risks people treading over human remains without their knowledge while repeated dispersions in the same area are tantamount to a mass grave.&#8221;

CD34B9C7-7E5E-4A83-A83E-37A4224F9BCC_1_201_a

California Legalizes Human Composting

Governor Gavin Newsom Signs Legislation Legalizes Human Composting In California

Climate Change

Lance Christensen is <a href="https://lancechristensen.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">running</a> to be the next <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> Superintendent of Public Instruction.
In a discussion with The Daily Wire, Christensen, a father of five, said he jumped into the race to solve some of the education problems plaguing the state.
“California, years ago, was the premiere place for K-12 education in the entire world — in fact, for all of education, higher education included — and a few generations of really progressive tactics have moved the state from the envy of the world to the pity of the world,” he said. “And we have an education system that went from being one of the top producers of scientists and mathematicians and artists to one that can barely put out kids that can read. We rank 50th in the nation in literacy.”
“And looking at all of that combined with a very … strong cultural shift in politicizing these kids with the teachers unions, we&#8217;ve now got a product that people are leaving the state in droves to get a better education,” he explained. “Just over the last two years, we&#8217;ve lost 271,000 kids out of our public school system and we went from growing from over six million kids to around 5.9 million, and it&#8217;s a complete disaster for a lot of school districts…”
Christensen is a proponent of school choice, and says “kids shouldn&#8217;t be held captive by their zip codes.” He also wants to appoint a chief parent advocate as his first action if elected. “The parent owns their child, not the school or the state. And parents should get the best education they can for their kid,” he said.
Christensen discussed how to empower parents more in their kids’ education, saying the first step is to get them to understand that public schools are not what they used to be. “Motivating them to action, taking control of their kids’ education is part two, and part three is speaking out,” he added.
He also said districts that can get teachers unions out of the equation and cultivate an environment of academic achievement while creating quality teachers will succeed, noting, &#8220;In California, the teachers union is so powerful and is so overwhelming that right now they control the whole system. And that&#8217;s largely why it&#8217;s failing.&#8221;
The morale among teachers has been low across the nation. He said that good teachers should be rewarded for their ability, while bad teachers should not be able to stay in a job as easily as they have been able to. “I say we pay good teachers a good salary, more money. I have no problem paying a good teacher a six figure salary,” he said, adding, “But that must also come along with getting rid of bad teachers easier than the two year tenure they have.”
He also said there should be more opportunity for people to be credentialed from other fields, especially those who want to teach after they retire. “I think there&#8217;s a multitude of opportunities to get grown professionals, mature, respectable people from the community, to get back into our public schools and to demonstrate opportunities for these kids to find success,” he said.
He also believes the pension system should be reformed, especially since it doesn’t benefit women who leave work to raise a family and return later on. He also noted that there are ways to help teachers feel safer in schools rather than letting students “run roughshod over their teachers and other students in the classroom,” as California laws are allowing them to do.
COVID lockdowns, in particular, negatively impacted students across the state. As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-students-scores-suffered-during-covid-lockdowns-but-newsom-accepts-an-award-for-education" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, Fox KTVU <a href="https://www.ktvu.com/news/student-test-scores-graduation-rates-decline-during-pandemic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> <a href="https://caaspp-elpac.cde.ca.gov/caaspp/DashViewReportSB?ps=true&amp;lstTestYear=2021&amp;lstTestType=B&amp;lstGroup=1&amp;lstSubGroup=1&amp;lstSchoolType=A&amp;lstGrade=13&amp;lstCounty=00&amp;lstDistrict=00000&amp;lstSchool=0000000" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> released earlier this year that showed test results went down over the past year and enrollment also decreased.
The data showed that only around 49% of students met or exceeded the standard for English Language Arts/Literacy, while about 34% did so in math during the 2020-2021 school year. During the 2018-2019 school year, those <a href="https://caaspp-elpac.cde.ca.gov/caaspp/DashViewReportSB?ps=true&amp;lstTestYear=2019&amp;lstTestType=B&amp;lstGroup=1&amp;lstSubGroup=1&amp;lstGrade=13&amp;lstSchoolType=A&amp;lstCounty=00&amp;lstDistrict=00000&amp;lstSchool=0000000&amp;lstFocus=a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">numbers</a> were over 51% for English and almost 40% for math.
Graduation <a href="https://www.cde.ca.gov/ds/ad/datasummary.asp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rates</a> also went down in 2020-2021 from the year before, with African American students being most negatively impacted.
Christensen said that while the world was shocked by COVID, after the initial few weeks, it was clear it wasn’t affecting children and “we shouldn&#8217;t have locked kids out.” He also said school districts would need to be held accountable for the recovery money they received, and people should be aware of where it was used.
While Christensen went to college and got a master’s degree — which he fully paid himself and worked on scholarships — he said he thinks “the time of sending every kid to college is over” and is a supporter of vocational education. “But I also believe that learning never stops, but it doesn&#8217;t have to happen in the classroom either,” he noted.

Perspectives on transportation for county public schools

California Candidate For Superintendent Of Public Schools Discusses How To Fix California’s Education System

California Candidate For Superintendent Of Public Schools Lance Christensen Discusses Fixing California Public Education

Education

Parental Rights in Education

Parenting

Public Schools

Democratic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> Governor Gavin <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsom</a> continued to pick fights with red states, launching a billboard blitz Thursday advertising the Golden State&#8217;s emphatic embrace of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/abortion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">abortion</a>. 
Newsom&#8217;s latest <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/09/15/ca-gavin-newsom-billboards-abortion/10391005002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">campaign</a> includes 18 billboards in Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Oklahoma, all of which have taken action to protect the lives of the unborn. The billboards urge women who want abortions to come to California and include a web address that lists all of the state&#8217;s clinics.
“Texas doesn’t own your body. You do,” declares a woman in handcuffs on one of the billboards.
Another says, “Need an abortion? California is ready to help.” It also includes the Bible verse, Mark 12:31: “Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.”
&#8220;Here is my message to any woman seeking abortion care in these anti-freedom states: Come to California,&#8221; Newsom said Thursday. &#8220;We will defend your constitutional right to make decisions about your own health.&#8221;
Newsom appears to be bidding to elevate his national profile in preparation for a potential 2024 Democratic presidential run. He also took out a television <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-buys-ad-space-in-florida-desantis-campaign-responds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ad</a> in Florida this year, telling Sunshine State residents their freedoms are being taken away. Additionally, he bought ads in three newspapers in Texas, criticizing Republican Governor Greg Abbott’s stance on gun control after the school shooting tragedy in Uvalde, Texas. 
The campaign is likely to have little effect on Republican-led states, where pro-life laws tend to reflect the conservative beliefs of many of the states’ residents. Cory Custer, deputy chief of staff for external affairs for Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R), said as much.
“It is very interesting to see Governor Newsom’s 2024 primary campaign extend to Mississippi,” Custer told Politico. “But we do suspect that most Mississippians will not be interested in what he is selling.”

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Newsom Pitches Abortion-Friendly California In Red-State Billboard Blitz

Newsom Takes Out Billboards Promoting Abortion In Pro-Life States Indiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Texas, South Carolina, South Dakota, And Oklahoma

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Charlotte Pence Bond