When you're a Democrat, there is nothing you don't want to regulate.
A new bill is set to make its way through the California State Legislature, requiring companies like Google Maps and Apple Maps to redirect commuters through zones that local officials have deemed acceptable, in an effort to help fight climate change. The legislation would allow local officials to designate specific “slow streets” that prioritize walkers and bikers, and require GPS apps to direct commuters around them.
WOAH 🚨 California Rep Carl DeMaio says California Democrats are creating legislation to control Apple Maps and Google Maps to dictate the commute you take
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) June 16, 2026
The bill is ‘AB 2015’ and “The politicians want to pass a bill, I can't even believe that they're trying to do this to… pic.twitter.com/2p2ZJ4yGVT
"The politicians want to pass a bill, I can't even believe that they're trying to do this, to regulate and manipulate Apple Maps, Google Maps, or whatever software you use to plot out your commute. What business is it of government what route you take? Well, a lot of them are saying that they need to protect the environment," state representative Carl DeMaio said in a video posted to X.
"What it means is that your commute is going to take longer. Literally, they're going to probably tell your map software, well make sure we fight climate change. So let's add 30 minutes to the commute. This is absurd. Let's let technology figure out where the congestion is and get us from point A to point B as fast as possible. It doesn't take manipulation by government."
He went on to explain that the bill would allow local governments to direct tech companies to prevent drivers from being routed through streets that the local government has designated as prioritized for walking and biking.
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All right, what does this bill actually do? It allows local cities and counties to notify navigation companies to avoid routing drivers through designated slow streets. So what are slow streets? Slow streets are areas where neighborhoods or residential streets that they want to prioritize walking and biking. So they can just designate these areas as walking areas, and then these navigation companies will no longer be able to route drivers through these streets. Now, obviously, that can add a lot of time to people's commutes. Here's another thing to worry about. This can lead to more rules. In the future, Democrats can tell these apps that they must prioritize certain routes to avoid high pollution zones.
It remains unclear whether the bill will attract broad support, but it serves as a primary example of how California’s Democratic supermajority chooses to spend its time and taxpayer money. More importantly, it reflects their broader governing philosophy that spans regulation, economic policy, and cultural and social issues alike. For Democrats, policy is often only about forcing individual behavior toward their own preferred outcomes.
