This story might prompt you to look out of your window to see if there are any pigs flying by. You might also be tempted to phone Hades to inquire about the weather. But as Twilight Zoneish as this may seem, it is true.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his hair gel blocked a measure that would have criminalized parents and others who “disrupt” school board meetings. After years of protests at these events against efforts to infuse far-leftist ideology into government-run schools, the authoritarians on the left tried to fight back in California. If it wasn’t for Newsom, they might have succeeded.

Senate Bill 596 sought to make a misdemeanor of misconduct that affects school employees.

The Portantino School Employee Protection Bill applies anywhere within the purview of a school employee’s place of work – any "disruptions" of classroom work or extracurricular activities and other facilities, including any meeting of a school board, a charter school, a county board of education, or the State Board of Education.

Such behavior "is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $500, nor more than $1,000, or by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or by both imprisonment and the fine."

After vetoing the proposed measure, Newsom stressed that there is a “need to be cautious” about imposing such a law and pointed out that actual threats of violence, regardless of their target, “can already be prosecuted as crimes,” which means “creating a new crime is unnecessary.”

The bill was introduced by State Sen. Anthony Portantino in response to supposed hostility and challenges faced by educators and administrators having to deal with people with the temerity to suggest that parents have rights that government-run schools should not be violating.

“Actions that incite fear amongst educators who are teaching in accordance with state standards are counterproductive, unacceptable and potentially dangerous,” said Mr. Portantino in a February statement. “Too many teachers are being intimidated and harassed for just doing their job. [Senate Bill] 596 will ensure that they can continue to be dedicated educators, helping their students thrive unencumbered by fear and intimidation.”

However, not all Californians saw things Portantino’s way. After Newsom vetoed the bill, a parent told The Epoch Times that the senator was pushing the bill “under the guise of protecting educators from ‘harassment,’ when it’s actually a bill that protects teachers from any criticism when they go rogue on their curriculum.”

So, why would Newsom veto a bill that was popular among progressives in the state legislature? Both chambers passed it with very few voting against it -- it sailed through the State Assembly with a 65-8 vote and the State Senate with a 30-8 vote. 

Perhaps he believes existing laws will be enough to ensure that parents are punished for exercising their First Amendment rights.

But also likely is the possibility that this is part of his shadow campaign for the presidency. His actions over the past year have led many to speculate that Newsom plans to throw his hat into the ring if President Joe Biden bows out of the race. Or he could be positioning himself for an eventual 2028 run.

But regardless of Newsom’s motives, the fact that progressive politicians would even attempt to pass such a measure reveals precisely what they think of those advocating for parental rights. 

This says it all. If you are vociferous in condemning the ideological material being presented in government-run schools, progressive authoritarians in California believe you should be thrown in a cage or otherwise punished by the state. Their objective is to continue weaponizing the government against their political opponents because they know selling the public on the idea that gender ideology and sexually inappropriate material in the classroom is appropriate won’t be easy.

Therefore, it is easier to simply sic the state on those brave enough to speak out loudly against it. In this case, they failed. But all they need is a governor who isn't running a shadow presidential campaign and won’t mind introducing a little more tyranny in the Golden State.