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Sacramento, CA – In a significant move, California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas announced that he and a large group of Democratic state lawmakers are abandoning X, formerly known as Twitter. This decision comes amid growing concerns about hate speech and disinformation on the platform.
Rivas stated that his office, along with 57 other Democratic assemblymembers, will cease using their official state accounts on X. He cited the platform’s inadequate content moderation, the prevalence of hate speech and racist content, and the spread of disinformation as primary reasons for the departure.
“There are real risks with relying on a private company, owned by Elon Musk, as a channel for communications,” Rivas explained. “Democracy depends on impartial information, not the shifting whims of one billionaire. Hate speech is everywhere on X, the company has no accountability, and the flood of misinformation from fake accounts is just that — fake. I don’t think taxpayer resources should go to X.”
While Rivas framed this as a major exodus, it’s worth noting that many Democratic assemblymembers already primarily use their personal X accounts for engagement. State accounts are often managed by staff.
For instance, Assemblyman Rick Zbur, who recently shelved a controversial bill, used his personal X account to clarify his intentions. Zbur’s state account, which he will no longer use, has approximately half the followers of his personal account.
Not all Democratic assemblymembers are leaving X entirely. Assemblyman Isaac Bryan, a regular user of the platform, stated his intention to combat hate with “love and compassion.”
In response to the Democrats’ departure, the Assembly Republican Caucus has established a presence on BlueSky, a platform gaining traction among former X users.
“Democrats can run, but they can’t hide from being called out for their out-of-touch agenda that’s made California less safe and less affordable,” said Assembly Republican Minority Leader James Gallagher.
Meanwhile, key figures like Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire and Governor Gavin Newsom remain active on X. Newsom’s office even has dedicated staff focused on combating disinformation on the platform.
This decision follows Rivas’ recent removal of Republican lawmakers from prominent committee positions, a move he has yet to address publicly.
Stay tuned for further updates on this developing story.
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