Assemblyman Bill Essayli (R-Corona) called out Governor Gavin Newsom for seemingly agreeing with Republicans on the issue of trans athletes in women’s sports on a recent podcast, but failing to support the effort when it came before state legislators.
California State Assemblyman Bill Essayli’s (R-Corona) AB-844 was written to protect elementary to college-level students in their locker rooms and out on the field. The bill aimed to change existing law, which allows a pupil to use facilities on the basis of gender identity rather than sex, and require that use of “bathrooms, locker rooms, showers, and overnight accommodations instead be based upon the pupil’s sex.”
State legislators shot it down last week.
“Assembly Democrats just BLOCKED my bill AB 844 which would protect girls in sports and in locker rooms,” Essayli said in a recent Twitter/X post. “79% of Americans believe boys should NOT be allowed to play in girls sports, but out-of-touch Sacramento Democrats choose radical gender politics over common sense.”
When the bill was introduced to the California Assembly in a forced vote, Essayli stated that “we cannot ignore that there are real biological differences in the human body.” He went on to cite the injustice of a female high school athlete in his district who was displaced from a women’s varsity team by a biological male.
Essayli figured that such a flagrant example of unfairness toward women would have left Assemblymembers outraged. Evidently, that was not the result for California’s Democrat-controlled supermajority which has, for the most part, fought tooth-and-nail to fight local school districts’ ability to segregate on the basis of sex.
The Assemblyman went on to call out Governor Newsom, who recently engaged in a conversation on this very matter with Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk, and seemingly came to an agreement—to the chagrin of many Newsom supporters. In particular, the Governor called the practice of trans women competing in women’s sports “deeply unfair.”
However, when the vote on AB-844 was held, Newsom remained silent.
“Where is Gavin Newsom?” asked Essayli. “He called out this unfairness on a podcast but is absent when we need leadership.”
‘Newsom is only concerned with 2028 now. He will not stoop to get involved with this,” one Twitter/X user stated.
“I called the entire committee this morning and one of the assistants told me they’re getting tons of support for this bill,” said another. “They’re ignoring the will of the people.”
When asked about the governor’s motivations, Essayli responded: “He’s either lying or he’s ignorant. He does whatever he thinks is politically expedient at the time,” he responded to the question. “He’s trying to have it both ways. It’s not going to work, I think the governor will end up with no friends at the end of this process.”
Though the vote this week proved that the bill is highly unpopular among Assembly Democrats, the Assembly’s Arts, Entertainment, Sports and Tourism committee agreed to hear AB 844 on April 1st. The chairman of the committee happens to be the leader of California’s legislative LGBTQ caucus, Chris Ward (D-San Diego). Ward argues that trans athletes make up a very small percentage of student athletes across the state, and that Republicans have blown the issue out of proportion.
“Somehow viral videos can blow that up to make it seem like there is this overwhelming activity out there when in reality, a few individuals that are seeking their own fulfillment and the ability to be well and participate in sports, are really being targeted and harassed,” Ward stated.
In and out of California, that remains largely untrue. The growing list of high profile women who have come forward about the issue include NCAA Division 1 swimmer Paula Scanlan and NCAA All-American swimmer Riley Gaines, both of whom were forced to compete with trans-identifying swimmer Lia Thomas; LPGA golfer Lauren Miller; Olympic-level boxing coach Cary Williams; cyclist champion Natalie Church; Roanoke College swimmers Bailey Gallagher, Lily Mullens, and Kate Pearson; Southern Utah State University cross country runner Madison DeBos; world champion track athlete Cynthia Monteleone and her daughter, Margaret Monteleone; University of Kentucky swimmer Kaitlynn Wheeler and her sister, Abbigail Wheeler; Southern Utah University track runner Linnea Saltz; Connecticut high school track athlete Alanna Smith; and countless more.
“We’ll find out if Sacramento Democrats will do the right thing and stand with Governor Newsom and me on this commonsense issue, or if they’ll cling to their failed radical politics that lost them the last presidential election,” concluded Assemblyman Essayli.
