House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, floated the idea of placing conditions on federal aid for California wildfire relief.

“I think there should probably be conditions on that aid. That’s my personal view. We’ll see what the consensus is. I haven’t had a chance to socialize that with any of the members over the weekend because we’ve all been very busy, but it’ll be part of the discussion,” Johnson said as reported by ABC News and other outlets.

Local Congressmember Jim Costa thinks that is a bad idea.

“Disaster aid should never come with conditions or be used as a political bargaining chip — lives are at stake, and Congress must act with urgency and compassion. Humanity must take precedence over partisanship,” Costa, D-Fresno, said.

Wednesday evening, Costa delivered a speech on the House floor, denouncing the idea.

David Valadao offered a more vague response.

“As a representative of California, I understand the urgent need for wildfire relief — especially as our state continues to face devastation,” Valadao, R-Kings County, said. “The federal government must act quickly to save lives and homes, and once we know how much federal support California will require to rebuild, it is imperative we move as quickly as possible to deliver aid.”

Bonta to Orosi Board: Get Out

Members of the Orosi Public Utilities District are overstaying their welcome, said two top state officials.

Incumbents Reynaldo Rivas, Maria Gonzalez, and Johnny Sandoval lost to Serafin Alejandro Brito, Nancy Cerda Serna, and Angela Ruiz-Alvarez respectively.

The losing members, according to state officials, refused to acknowledge the loss but missed their window to legally challenge the results.

Attorney General Rob Bonta and California Secretary of State Shirley Weber wrote the Orosi board a letter saying the three members must stand down.

“Few things are as un-American as refusing to accept the results of an election,” Bonta said in a news release. “If they do not (respect the will of the voters), the California Department of Justice and the Secretary of State’s Office stand ready to take legal action.”

The small district that provides water and sewer services in Orosi, a community in Tulare County, does not even have a website.

OPUD claimed not all residents in the district received ballots, Tulare County Registrar of Voters Michelle Baldwin told Politics 101. She said that it is up to the district to provide an accurate map to the elections office months ahead of time to make sure the correct ballots are sent. The district did not do so, meaning 218 people did not receive a ballot for the OPUD election.

The five board members run in separate elections, as opposed to an at-large ballot. However, all seats will appear on the same ballot for any district voter.

Brito won by 182 votes; Serna won by 297 votes; and Ruiz-Alvarez won by 486 votes.

OPUD said Sandoval and Rivas recently resigned.

Clovis Considers Becoming Charter City

The Clovis City Council is considering becoming a charter city, which would give it more power in deciding local issues.

Clovis is a general law city, meaning it must take direction on several issues from state law. Charter status allows a city to set more local rules such as land use, elections, and regulation of the police force.

The city council heard a presentation about the pros and cons of becoming a charter city, and how to make a transition. The first step is drafting a charter, which should be done by the spring of 2026, City Clerk Briana Parra said.

Once decided, city voters would have to approve, likely in November 2026.

How High Will Flag Fly?

Although Speaker Mike Johnson said the U.S. Capitol will fly flags at full staff on Inauguration Day on Jan. 20, the Fresno and Clovis city halls said they will abide by U.S. Flag Code.

That means Fresno and Clovis will follow the order to fly flags at half-staff, memorializing the late former President Jimmy Carter.

“The United States flag will remain at half-staff until Jan. 28 or until such time as directed by the President,” Fresno spokesperson Sontaya Rose said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the flags at the state Capitol will also return to full staff on Jan. 20.

Almost Everyone Loves Nav

Navkaran Gurm made his official announcement he is running for Fresno City Council in 2026 — apparently his announcement last year was unofficial. While he received plenty of praise and support on X, racist clowns felt emboldened to share their views.

Several focused on Gurm’s turban and questioned everything from his patriotism, immigration status (he was born in New Jersey), and other racist junk.

Naturally, no hater attached a real name, if they are even real.

Gurm, 25, is the only candidate to declare for the District 7 seat currently occupied by Nelson Esparza — who is termed out after the 2026 election.

A political consultant and law school student, Gurm raised at least $37,000 so far, including $15,000 from himself, and $5,500 from Fresno City Councilmember Tyler Maxwell.

The primary election is June 2, 2026.