On the 175th anniversary of California’s admission to the Union, marked on September 9, Governor Gavin Newsom delivered his annual “State of the State” letter to the Legislature. The message reflected growing tensions with the federal administration as well as local challenges following natural disasters.
“The state of California is strong, fully committed to defending democracy, and determined not to yield,” Newsom wrote in the message released from the Governor’s Mansion in Sacramento. He argued that the nation faces “pernicious threats against the very foundations of our democracy” and accused the current administration in Washington of “dismantling public services, punishing allies, and dragging the rule of law through the mud.”
Newsom denounced the deployment of the National Guard and the Marine Corps in Los Angeles, ordered by the president in June, describing it as a “cowardly attempt to scare us into submission.” He said California responded both in the courts and “with the raised voices of ordinary people” to halt what he called “a dangerous, anti-democratic assault on our values.”
The letter also outlined his vision for education and the economy. “We want minds hungry for knowledge, not children who are hungry,” he stated.
On the economic front, he highlighted that California’s gross domestic product has surpassed $4.1 trillion, maintaining its role as a global leader in technological innovation, clean energy, and manufacturing. “We imagine and implement the future. We build what others say is impossible,” he wrote.
Addressing the housing crisis, the governor said tens of billions have been invested in affordable housing projects and reforms to accelerate construction. “This must be a place where everyone can live, work, and thrive,” he said.
In a defiant tone, Newsom warned that despite attempts by the federal administration to undermine environmental standards, California will move forward.
The message closed with a nod to California’s historic legacy as a cultural and technological engine. “Each time this state has gone through darkness, we have created our own light. I am convinced that we will once again emerge stronger and more united,” he concluded.
THE 31st STATE
California became the 31st state of the United States on September 9, 1850, as part of the Compromise of 1850, a legislative package aimed at preserving balance between free and slave states amid rising national tensions.
Its admission followed the cession of the territory to the United States under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848 and was accelerated by the Gold Rush, which drew thousands of migrants and underscored the need for self-government.
In 1849, delegates gathered in Monterey to draft the state’s first constitution, declaring California a free state.
President Millard Fillmore ultimately signed the law formalizing its admission, setting a historic precedent for the nation’s expansion and marking September 9 as the state’s Admission Day.