January 1, Newsom Orders AI Kill Switch

Wyatt’s Take

• Governor Gavin Newsom is ordering California agencies to push an “AI kill switch” that could give government control over private companies.
• The order comes from the same man who locked down his state during COVID while ignoring the damage to working families.
• Heartland Americans see this as one more attempt by coastal elites to grab power over technology that should stay in the hands of free citizens.

California Democrat Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order directing state agencies to advance safety measures for artificial intelligence, including possible implementation of an AI kill switch.

The move forces AI developers to explore ways government officials could shut down the technology at any time.

While Congress sits on its hands, California is leading the nation on AI safety.

I'm issuing an executive order to accelerate third-party oversight of frontier labs and calling on world-leading experts to report back on proposals like "kill switches" for models.

That's building…

— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) September 18, 2026

Critics say the order hands Sacramento bureaucrats the power to decide what kinds of AI are allowed to exist.

Supporters claim the rules will protect the public from unknown risks.

Working families in the rest of the country worry the new rules will slow American innovation and hand an edge to China.

Wyatt Matters

Middle America built this nation on hard work, faith, and the freedom to solve problems without permission from coastal politicians. When government officials start demanding kill switches on new technology, they are really asking for control over the tools that could lift up ordinary people. Heartland families want safe progress, but they will never trade liberty for the promise of safety written by bureaucrats in Sacramento.