“Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger often referred to California as a “nation-state.” Like a nation-state, California has often carved its own path on policy matters, coordinating with states like New York or even other countries rather than with the federal government.
California has forged innovative policy by diverging from federal law in many arenas. It has demonstrated time and again the potential of federalism — the division of powers between the states and the federal government — to support left-leaning action. It has crafted environmental policy and cap-and-trade programs in coordination with international governments. It has explicitly resisted contrary federal laws and policies in moving early to legalize medical marijuana and, more recently, to counter Trump-era immigration restrictions through sanctuary city policies.
The Supreme Court’s decision in overturning Roe v. Wade makes abortion the latest area in which California can model”
