Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) had a moment of sanity on Friday when he vetoed an outrageous bill that would have provided loans of up to $150,000 to illegal immigrants who were first time homeowners. As Sarah covered last week, the bill known as AB 1840 passed the state legislature and made it to Newsom's desk.
Although Newsom had until September 30 to sign the bill, he returned it without his signature weeks before the deadline, on September 6.
BREAKING: Gov. Gavin Newsom VETOES AB 1840, which would have allowed undocumented people to apply for the state’s first-time home buyer’s assistance program.
— Ashley Zavala (@ZavalaA) September 6, 2024
His veto message basically says lawmakers tried to expand eligibility to a program with no money. pic.twitter.com/g2ouabtsh2
"This bill seeks to prohibit the disqualification of applicants from one of California Housing Finance Agency's (CalHFA) home purchase assistance programs based solely on their immigration status," Newsom wrote.
Newsom's veto does not appear raise issue with rewarding illegal immigration, but rather speaks to another issue: the state budget. "Given the finite funding available for CalHFA programs, expanding program eligibility must be carefully considered within the broader context of the annual state budget to ensure we manage our resources effectively," he continued in his veto letter. "For this reason, I am unable to sign this bill."
As Sarah also pointed out, California faces a budget deficit of $68 billion. The veto is currently a trending topic over X, with many users highlighting how Newsom focused on the cost involved.
Good decision, bad reason for @GavinNewsom . He cites budgetary constraints, not the unethical concept of incentivizing and rewarding those who break the law, all while ignoring the struggles of US citizens.#California #FactsMatter @realDonaldTrump @KamalaHarris @GOP @DNC… https://t.co/8pYLPH47qM
— Alex Villanueva (@AlexVilanueva33) September 6, 2024
A Fox News report from Friday about the veto included some rather outrageous but also particularly telling comments from Democrats in support of the bill and how they look to reward illegal immigrants:
However, Democratic lawmakers in the state have defended the legislation, arguing that it is simply designed to give illegal immigrants the same benefits afforded to everyone else in the state.
"It isn’t given out willy nilly to just anybody," Democratic Assemblymember Eloise Gómez Reyes said during a June hearing on the bill.
By giving illegal immigrants "the same benefits afforded to everyone else," when they shouldn't be in the country in the first place, is very much incentivizing illegal immigration though. If someone who lacks legal status is receiving such a loan, that seems to be the very definition of those loans being "given out willy nilly."