Voter ID law in conservative California city passes major hurdle



A law requiring voters to present identification in one California city has overcome a major obstacle after a judge tossed a state lawsuit against it.

On Friday, Orange County Superior Court Judge Nico Dourbetas granted a motion to dismiss the lawsuit against Huntington Beach filed by California Attorney General Rob Bonta earlier this year. The lawsuit challenged the validity of Measure A, an amendment to the city charter that requires voter ID for municipal elections beginning in 2026 and that passed with 53% of the vote, the LA Times reported.

Bonta previously argued that Measure A "disproportionately burdens low-income voters, voters of color, young or elderly voters, and people with disabilities."

The lawsuit also claimed it violates SB1174, which bars all local governments in California from "requiring a person to present identification for the purpose of voting or submitting a ballot." Far-left Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the bill into law in late September.

But Dourbetas ruled that the Huntington Beach ordinance and state law are not in "conflict."

"The City’s Charter is permissive ... and thus currently presents no conflict with state elections law," he said, according to the Orange County Register.

'We anticipate this fight isn’t over.'

Huntington Beach officials have since praised the ruling.

City Attorney Michael Gates called it "a massive black eye to the state of California."

"What the state of California needs to know, if they haven’t found out already, is Huntington Beach is not going to be intimidated or deterred," he said in a statement.

Mayor Gracey Van Der Mark claimed that her city and the judge's ruling stood up to "attacks by Governor Newsom and the State."

"This is a great day for our City," she and other officials said in a collective statement, according to the Times.

However, they likewise acknowledged that an appeal is likely.

"We anticipate this fight isn’t over," Gates said.

"We will not back down and will continue to fight for the City," added Van Der Mark.

Indeed, AG Bonta's office indicated as much in a statement about the ruling on Friday. "The court’s decision does not address the merits of the case. We continue to believe that Huntington Beach’s voter ID policy clearly conflicts with state law, and will respond appropriately in court," the statement said.

This is hardly the first time Huntington Beach, a Republican stronghold in otherwise purple Orange County, has defied woke policies in California. Folks there fought back against lockdown measures in 2020 and voted in March to outlaw the Pride flag on municipal buildings.

Earlier this month, they elected Lisa Lane Barnes to serve as city clerk. Lane Barnes, who was endorsed by the Republican Party of Orange County, made voter ID a central campaign issue.

H/T: Mario Nawfal

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Newsom Signs Law Barring Huntington Beach Voters From Deciding Their Own Voter ID Laws

Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., signed a law Sunday undermining the will of Huntington Beach voters who approved a measure requiring voter ID. The new state law bars cities from adopting such measures. In March, 53.4% of Huntington Beach residents approved a ballot measure that would require voters present identification in order to vote in municipal […]

California Passes Bill Preventing Huntington Beach From Requiring Voter ID

Both the state legislature and CA attorney general have gone after Huntington Beach's voter ID requirement.

California Sues Huntington Beach To Overturn Voter ID Measure Approved By Voters

California AG Rob Bonta sued Huntington Beach on Monday in an effort to prevent a voter ID law passed by city voters from taking effect.

Huntington Beach Voters Approve Voter ID For City Elections, Driving California Leftists Nuts

Voters in Huntington Beach, California appear to have passed a ballot measure implementing a voter ID requirement for local elections.

Liberals are melting down after California beach city votes to ban LGBTQ+ flags at city buildings: 'I hate this city'



Furious online critics lashed out at a beach city in California after voters approved a ban on flags displayed at city buildings, including those related to the LGBTQ+ movement.

The ballot measure changed the city's charter to exclude flying any flag from Huntington Beach city offices except the city's flag, the state's flag, the U.S. flag, and military flags.

The measure won with 58% of the voters while 42% voted to oppose it, according to the Orange County registrar.

Councilmember Pat Burns said in an interview that he supported the measure because he believed it was "demeaning" to the LGBTQ+ community to fly the Pride flag on city offices.

“Everybody has got something they can identify with, and I don’t believe it’s our government’s position to start playing those identity politics games," he added.

Peg Corley, the executive director of the LGBTQ Center Orange County, told the Los Angeles Times that refusing to fly a Pride flag led directly to hate crimes against the community.

“The LGBTQ community is not a political statement nor a special interest. We are people who wish to live our lives without suffering hate or discrimination for who we are," said Corley.

“The most recent Orange County hate crimes report documents a 125% increase in hate crimes and hate incidents against LGBTQ people," she added. "Cities can help reverse this dangerous trend with a public show of support such as flying the Pride flag during Pride month. The recent ban by the Huntington Beach City Council speaks volumes.”

"Yup, Nazi beach town"

Critics online angrily denounced the city and accused it of bigotry and hatred.

"The ban on pride flags really winning in Huntington Beach. I’m surrounded by a bunch of a**holes," responded one critic.

"The Huntington Beach City Council is run by a hateful majority whose only interest is advancing an agenda of intolerance for minority communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals," replied another detractor.

"Any place that chooses to exclude an entire segment of the population is not inclusive enough for us. See you never!" said a commenter who claimed he and his partner would boycott the entire city.

"For those not from California, Huntington Beach is absolute dog***t in terms of people," another tweet read.

"Yup, Nazi beach town Huntington Beach was already known for being racist & bigoted and now they’re leaving no doubt…," responded a woman who identified herself as "woke."

"I hate this city so much," read another tweet.

Some news sources misled readers with headlines suggesting the city banned Pride flags throughout the entire city by omitting that it was only at city offices.

Only 23% of registered voters showed up to the polls. Huntington Beach is a city of about 200k people in Orange County about 35 miles south of Los Angeles.

Here's more about Huntington Beach's vote:

Huntington Beach Measure B bans nongovernmental flags on city properties

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

California city bucks liberal agenda, votes to ban mask and vaccine mandates: 'Limited the freedoms of the citizens'



Huntington Beach, a beautiful seaside town in Orange County, will never again enforce a mask or vaccine mandate.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the Huntington Beach City Council voted to ban universal mask mandates and COVID-19 vaccine mandates in the city. Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark (R) introduced the resolution, which was approved by a 4-3 vote.

The concern? Not trampling on the freedoms and liberties of Huntington Beach residents.

"With the increase in reports that there now may be a COVID resurgence and spread by a new COVID-19 variant, and additional discussion of possible new broad (universal) mask-wearing mandates and pushes for vaccination boosters, the City Council of Huntington Beach should take a stand against government imposing on individual liberties and broadly imposing response measures on individuals that have been proven to have little or no effectiveness," the resolution says.

Previous mandates, the declaration explains, "unnecessarily limited the freedoms of the citizens of Huntington Beach — even those who were not around anyone who tested positive for COVID-19 or at risk of any exposure."

Those freedom-limiting mandates, the declaration goes on to say, had "little to no effectiveness on the spread of COVID-19."

"Individuals not directly at risk of direct exposure should have a right to choose whether to wear a mask or not, or whether to get vaccinated or not," the resolution declares.

With the resolution's narrow approval, the city manager will come to the next city council meeting to declare Huntington Beach a "no mask and no vaccine mandate City."

There is one small caveat, however. The new resolution will not apply to anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Opponents of the move have already tried to nullify it. Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley (D), for example, told the Los Angeles Times the resolution lacks authority because only state officials in Sacramento can set public health policies. It's unclear if anyone will attempt to challenge the legality of the resolution.

Huntington Beach, a rare Republican haven in the Los Angeles area, regularly rebelled against lockdown orders and mandates during the pandemic.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The American West Is Running Out Of Water. Will California Desalinate?

While landlocked states struggle to find solutions to the western water crisis, California is home to one of the longest coastlines.
The Princess Bride Fights Back

The Princess Bride Fights Back

After Nixing 50-Million-Gallon-A-Day Desalination Plant, California Demands Residents Use Less Water

California residents were slapped with tighter water restrictions Tuesday after officials spiked plans for a $1.4 billion desalination plant.