CA Senators discuss Newsom's Capitol speech

(The Center Square) – California Gov. Gavin Newsom will give his annual State of the State address on Jan. 8, one year after the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County. Some lawmakers are voicing interest in what Newsom will say during his morning address before a joint session of the Legislature in Sacramento. In addition to fire resilience, top issues should include waste or abuse of taxpayer dollars, the environment and energy, according to legislators. “I hope he tackles a lot of the waste, fraud and abuse,” state Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Huntington Beach, told The Center Square on Wednesday. “Those are hardworking taxpayers’ dollars that are wasted.” Pulling taxpayer funds from paying for the California High-Speed Rail and instead using them for other transportation infrastructure projects would be a better use of that money, Strickland said. He also noted he hopes to see increased funding for enforcement of Proposition 36. That measure passed in 2024 and aimed to enforce mass