SACRAMENTO, CALIFONIA: As California lawmakers return to Sacramento on Wednesday, liberal dreams of expanding safety-net benefits and providing health coverage to immigrants are giving way to a new vision revolving around a feverish push to protect gains made in the past.
After years of pushing forward a progressive agenda, legislative Democrats will instead be consumed by pushing back against conservative policies from President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican Congress.
Instead of expanding Medi-Cal health coverage to adult immigrants who can't prove they're legally in the country, Democrats are now concentrating on how to retain health coverage for those who already have it.
Anti-poverty groups are now focused on preventing cuts to food stamp and welfare programs rather than trying to expand them as planned.