DRIVING THE DAY: Another shooting has shaken Californians. Three people were killed and another five wounded last night during a shooting in an Orange County biker bar, The Associated Press reports. The gunman was also killed by deputies. As details come to light, state officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, say they are monitoring the situation. THE BUZZ — A Southern California Republican is harnessing the power of culture wars to propel himself to relevancy. Bill Essayli, a freshman assemblymember from Corona, has made himself a darling of conservative media this year by latching onto the rapidly growing momentum around the parental rights movement. His efforts at the state level to force schools to out transgender students to their parents have faltered. But his subsequent crusade in local government has led to appearances on Fox and Newsmax, giving him the spotlight in a state where Republicans tend to sulk on the sidelines. "There's definitely an element of the party that would like to just 'play safe',” Essayli said in an interview. It’s the kind of attention that has propelled Republicans before him to higher office. But Essayli, a former federal prosecutor and student of recently arrested Trump lawyer John Eastman, said he’s not in it for the notoriety. “The fact that we're getting attention, I think, is a byproduct of where the public is on the issue,” he said. Essayli’s policy proposals have been derided by Democrats and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups, who say it’s part of a troubling trend happening around the nation that threatens the safety of vulnerable children. In the past, Republicans might have shied away from this kind of playbook, said Jonathan Zachreson, a parents’ rights activist and recently-elected member of the Roseville City School District board. But the pandemic showed that lawmakers can not only get involved in polarizing issues — but capitalize on them. It’s similar to Rep. Kevin Kiley, who, while in the Assembly, seized on parental frustration during the pandemic and built his reputation on criticizing Gov. Gavin Newsom, mask mandates and school closures. "[The pandemic] shifted the dynamic,” Zachreson said. “Where you realize you actually could be successful by standing up and taking a stance on some of these more controversial, hot button issues.” There are Republicans in more moderate districts who feel these ideological fights distract from more important issues like public safety. But Essayli is far from alone in his caucus. Many fellow Republicans, including Minority Leader James Gallagher, back his efforts on parental rights. And if there’s one thing that’s undeniable about Essayli, it’s that he’s managed to exert influence in a state where Republicans have so few avenues to prominence. "We're shut out of any solution discussions," said Republican Assemblymember Megan Dahle. "So, he's just found a pathway on his own to go around that."
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