California’s Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, a fierce critic of former President Donald Trump, on Thursday called for lawmakers to convene a special session later this year to safeguard the state’s progressive policies on climate change,

Once one of the president-elect's most visible critics during his first term, Newsom announced a special session of the California legislature ahead of Trump’s inauguration. Newsom said the session would focus on shoring up protections for women, LGBTQ+ people and immigrants before Trump takes office.

California governor Gavin Newsom called for state lawmakers to assemble a special session on Thursday to prepare to defend the state’s progressive government from anticipated legal challenges brought by the second Trump administration The second-term governor urged the state legislature to allocate additional funding to the attorney general to defend against federal challenges to California policies on everything from climate regulation to immigration law.