California Gov. Gavin Newsom spent months resisting enforcement of federal English language proficiency requirements for commercial truck drivers, defending the state’s approach as sufficient.
That resistance ended when $40 million in transportation funding was frozen.
California is now enforcing the rule.
According to reports on the funding freeze, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tore into California for its lack of compliance:
“California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement. This is a fundamental safety issue that impacts you and your family on America’s road,” Duffy said.
Federal officials tied the enforcement question directly to roadway safety and compliance with long-standing federal standards requiring commercial drivers to demonstrate English proficiency.
The dispute escalated after a deadly Florida crash involving truck driver Harjinder Singh. The report notes:
"An investigation launched after a deadly Florida crash involving a foreign truck driver who made an illegal U-turn on Aug. 12 found what Duffy called significant failures in the way California is enforcing rules that took effect in June after one of President Donald Trump’s executive orders."
Newsom’s office responded by arguing that California commercial truck drivers have a lower crash rate than the national average
That defense did not resolve the standoff.
Federal officials made the condition explicit. The Transportation Department stated:
"The Transportation Department said that to get this funding reinstated, California must adopt regulations to enforce the English rules and ensure that state inspectors are testing truck drivers’ English skills during roadside inspections and pulling anyone that fails out of service."
The financial pressure did not stop at $40 million. Another $160 million was also flagged as potentially at risk over commercial licensing practices
At that point, the standoff stopped being rhetorical and became fiscal.
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Newsom has built a national profile resisting federal immigration enforcement and casting California as a counterweight to Washington.
That posture shifted when $40 million in transportation funding was frozen, and more was put at risk. Federal officials tied compliance directly to funding. California is now enforcing the English requirement.
When the fight was rhetorical, Sacramento stood firm. When it turned financial, enforcement followed.
Editor’s Note: The Democrat Party has never been less popular as voters reject its globalist agenda.
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