SACRAMENTO — California has long styled itself as a bastion of progressive values and individual liberties. But a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom this month has critics charging that the Golden State has just dealt a crippling blow to investigative journalism and the First Amendment itself.
The measure, known as the “Stop Nick Shirley Act” and officially designated AB 2624, takes effect Oct. 1, 2027, according to the American Thinker. It passed the state Senate on Aug. 18 and the Assembly a day later, with Newsom signing it just days afterward.
The law is designed to shield “immigration support service providers” — nonprofits and other groups that receive government money for immigrant services — from harassment and scrutiny. But opponents argue its real effect is to criminalize the kind of undercover investigative work that exposed alleged fraud in Minnesota and California, and to make it nearly impossible for journalists and private citizens to hold public officials accountable.
What the law does
Under AB 2624, immigration support service providers are exempt from disclosing where their funding comes from or what they do to receive it. The law ostensibly protects these groups from harassment, but its practical reach extends far beyond that, according to the American Thinker report.
Journalists and citizens who attempt to investigate these providers — by gathering video, documents, or other evidence of wrongdoing — could be forced offline, dragged into court, financially ruined, and even jailed, the outlet reported.
“This legislation would have effectively criminalized the investigations undertaken by young citizen journalist Nick Shirley, inquiries that exposed the massive fraud schemes rampant across Minnesota and California,” the American Thinker wrote.
Shirley, a citizen journalist, gained notoriety for conducting undercover investigations into daycare centers and immigrant-service operations he believed were defrauding taxpayers. His critics have painted him as a dangerous intruder, but Shirley and his supporters insist he was uncovering real fraud and abuse.
Conflict of interest? Critics point to Bonta connection
The law was introduced by Assemblywoman Mia Bonta, who is married to California Attorney General Rob Bonta. That relationship has drawn sharp accusations of a conflict of interest, with critics noting that the attorney general’s office would be responsible for enforcing the law.
“Can you say, ‘conflict of interest?’ ‘Nepotism?’” the American Thinker asked, calling the law “preposterously anti-American and seemingly unconstitutional.”
The outlet said the measure “erases freedom of the press from the confines of California, at least partially repealing the First Amendment,” and compared it to laws in China, North Korea, or Iran.
A switch in tone
Just two days before signing the bill, Newsom had been vocal about what he called the Trump administration’s attempts to “shut down the free press,” according to the American Thinker. That timing, the outlet noted, underscores the irony of the governor’s actions.
“Democrats incessantly blather on about ‘saving our democracy,’ yet it is obvious to any sentient being that they detest democracy, this republic, freedom—and hate anyone who disagrees with them,” the opinion piece said.
Mainstream media outlets have largely ignored the law’s passage or attempted to frame it as reasonable, the report said, with at least one press account even posting an AI-generated meme depicting Shirley as a creepy man attempting to break into daycares.
The American Thinker countered that Shirley, in fact, investigated the daycare centers because he believed they contained no children—and that he was right. He was trying to expose “mind-boggling levels of fraud, abuse of taxpayer dollars, political cronyism, and worse,” the outlet said.
Broader implications
The law comes amid growing concern among press-freedom advocates about the chilling effect of state and federal laws on investigative journalism. The First Amendment’s guarantee of a free press has long been a cornerstone of American democracy, and the founders believed it was essential to a free republic, the report noted.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have one now, and they would be heartbroken,” the American Thinker wrote, referring to the founders.
For journalists like Nick Shirley—and for the broader public that relies on their work—the new law may mark a turning point, in California and beyond. As the report put it: “The ‘Golden State’ is no more. But don’t try to investigate what happened. Or else.”
The law is set to take effect in October 2027, but legal challenges are expected. Constitutional scholars and civil liberties groups are likely to test whether the measure can survive scrutiny under the First Amendment.
For now, critics say the message is clear: Investigate the government at your own peril in California—and don’t expect a media establishment that has “long ago picked sides” to have your back.
Source: www.americanthinker.com — https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2026/08/california-slays-the-free-press-repeals-the-first-amendment/