Sure, California has great beaches, wine country, and Hollywood stars. But Gov. Gavin Newsom has lately signed some bills into law that make the Golden State look like an authoritarian vampire that sucks the life out of its residents by chilling free speech and making unusual demands about everything from gender quotas to law enforcement attire.

Let’s start with the most recent: A group called Right to Life of Central California, a pro-life organization dedicated to helping women, filed a lawsuit in federal court last week challenging a state law that Newsom signed Oct. 8.