When a truck jackknifes across a Florida highway and leaves three innocent people dead, you’d think that would be enough of a wake-up call. But in California, where political theater trumps public safety, the response is less “how do we prevent this” and more “how dare you question us.” Enter Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who just slammed the brakes on $40 million in federal funds headed to the Golden State for one simple reason: California refuses to ensure its truck drivers can read road signs in English.
Yes, you read that right. English proficiency—for people navigating 40-ton missiles down our interstates—is apparently too controversial for Governor Gavin Newsom’s crew. In a post on X, Duffy didn’t mince words: “The Golden State thinks it’s OK to ignore English language requirements for truckers. You can play all the games you want, but not at the expense of American lives.”
And he’s got receipts. Last month, Duffy warned California that it had 30 days to comply with rules already on the books: federal regulations requiring truck drivers to be proficient in English. But California, ever the rebel without a clue, decided it knows better than federal law. So now they’re $40 million lighter, and that’s just the opening salvo—Duffy says the total could reach $160 million in cuts this year alone.
Now, why is this even a thing? Because of a tragic, completely preventable incident: An illegal immigrant with a California-issued commercial driver’s license tried to make a U-turn in a no-go zone on the Florida Turnpike. His rig jackknifed. A minivan slammed into it. Three people died. The man shouldn’t have had that license. He shouldn’t have been behind the wheel. And he sure shouldn’t have been given a pass on English language skills.
But in California, where sanctuary policies reign supreme and logic takes a back seat, the reaction wasn’t to fix the problem—it was to spin it. Newsom’s spokesperson, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, fired back with a stat salad: “California truckers have a fatal accident rate nearly 40% lower than the national average,” she said, as if that somehow makes this tragedy acceptable.
Let’s unpack that. First, it’s a classic bait-and-switch. Instead of addressing the English proficiency rule—something required under federal law—they distract with aggregate crash stats. That’s like saying a restaurant has great Yelp reviews, so it’s fine if one meal gave someone food poisoning.
Second, even if the average is lower, that doesn’t change the fact that one preventable accident is still too many. Especially when the cause is as basic as a driver not understanding road signs or commands.
What’s really going on here? California wants to play kingmaker with its own immigration policies, even if it means ignoring federal safety standards. They issue commercial driver’s licenses to people here illegally, then turn around and cry foul when the federal government demands accountability. It’s a power game, plain and simple. Newsom and his team want to set their own rules for who gets to drive massive trucks across state lines—even if those drivers can’t read the road signs in English.
Duffy, to his credit, is calling the bluff. And it’s about time. For years, California has carved out its own little kingdom, complete with emissions rules, sanctuary cities, and now, apparently, bilingual big rigs barreling down I-5.
If California wants the perks of federal funding, it’s going to have to follow federal law. Otherwise, they’re welcome to go it alone—just don’t expect the rest of America to foot the bill.
The next time you’re on the freeway, ask yourself: Can the guy behind the wheel of that 18-wheeler actually read the sign that says “bridge out”? In California, the answer might be “no”—but hey, at least the crash rate is 40% lower.
For now.