California’s new “fridge law” (AB 628) will require every landlord to provide tenants with a refrigerator and stove starting January 1, 2026. Supporters call it a victory for renters’ rights — but Libertarians see it as another costly mandate that reduces freedom of contract and pushes rents higher. In most states, appliances are optional amenities decided by lease, not law. Once government dictates what a home must include, where does it stop?
California Governor Gavin Newsom has taken a page straight out of Donald Trump’s playbook. In recent weeks, he’s gone viral with all-caps posts, mocking nicknames, and self-aggrandizing declarations — a shift Bill Maher called “trolling Trump” on Real Time.
It might be funny, but it isn’t harmless. While Californians are distracted by the circus, state leaders are quietly redrawing district maps to protect incumbents and weaken voter choice. As the old Turkish proverb warns: “When a clown moves into a palace, he doesn’t become a king. The palace becomes a circus.”
Newsom’s antics may be good for his political brand — but they’re bad for democracy in California.