As the Los Angeles area continues to burn, many are asking our leadership, “Why weren’t we better prepared?” One of those people is Republican Rep. Bill Essayli, who penned a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday urging him to: to convene special legislation to discuss “California’s ongoing wildfire crisis.”
He wrote:
Homes and businesses have been lost, insurers are leaving the state and fire insurance premiums have become unaffordable for many Californians. Despite these significant wildfires, California has not changed its approach to wildfire prevention. As the fifth largest economy in the world, this is unacceptable.
#AD63 Republican Rep. Bill Essayli sends a letter calling on Gavin Newsom to call a special legislative session to contain wildfires in California pic.twitter.com/wXtn2HreYX
— Rob Pyers (@rpyers) January 8, 2025
The Corona MP called for procedures such as controlled burns and other mitigation efforts:
Essayli called on Newsom to enact policies such as controlled burns and moving power lines underground… The Legislature returned for a special session last week to bolster legal resources for a possible legal battle with the recent president.
Incredible. They’re holding a legislative session to fight a recent president who just won all seven swing states, the popular vote and the electoral college, and meanwhile LA is burning. Essayli highlighted the elegantly coiffed boss on social media;
For those who say this is not the time to point blame, this is exactly the moment when the people responsible for the mismanagement of California’s fire safety policy must be held accountable.
Our governor was obsessed with holding a special session to make CA “Trump-proof”… pic.twitter.com/cPi10cGf6s
— Bill Essayli (@billessayli) January 8, 2025
In subsequent postsEssayli then provided a detailed analysis of the state’s wildfires and lawmakers’ flawed decisions, including their reliance on “pure suppression strategies” as opposed to more proactive measures.
Newsom called the “Trump-proofing California” special session for November 7, 2024, which met on December 2.
California attorney Julie Hamill said with a massive heart:
Currently, over 30,000 acres of 0% contained fires are raging through Los Angeles, destroying billions of dollars’ worth of homes in California. Also at this moment, the California Legislature is holding a special session at the behest of Governor Newsom to… https://t.co/3bXX2bkpxr pic.twitter.com/aBPm7QjWvO
— Julie Hamill (@hamill_law) January 9, 2025
Also at this moment, the California Legislature is holding a special session to “Fight Trump” at the behest of Governor Newsom.
I have to stay away from social media for a while because my brain can’t comprehend what’s happening.
WATCH: Tearful Gavin Newsom files hurt feelings report after Trump criticism hits too close to home
The factors behind this terrible tragedy have been studied, investigated and addressed for years. Some call the criticism of Golden State’s preparation a “politicization” of the disaster, but as Essayli points out, we need to start finding a recent forward immediately – we don’t have time to wait.
Because whatever we do now is 100 percent not working.
