Newsom signs Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha into California law amid backlash over timing

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA: California Gov. Gavin Newsom just signed a bill that officially recognizes Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state holidays. California now follows Washington as the second state to do this. Thanks to Assembly Bill 2017, both holidays now join the state's official holiday calendar.

This means public schools and colleges can close for them, and state employees can take the day off to observe. However, it is not a requirement. Schools and businesses do not have to close, and courts will stay open.

Gavin Newsom faces GOP criticism over Eid holiday bill

Before signing AB 2017, Newsom had multiple bills on his desk that provided protections and exceptions for other religious observances, including Jewish holidays such as Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

For example, AB 395, which reached the governor days before AB 2017, would codify these Jewish holidays, among others, into state law and require state agencies and facilities like schools to "make every reasonable effort" to avoid scheduling significant functions for those days.

Though these bills were introduced and presented to the governor before AB 2017, Newsom did not sign the additional bills into law until Wednesday, prior to the midnight deadline.

Republican opponents criticized Newsom for appearing to prioritize bills recognizing Muslim holidays over bills allowing for equal treatment for Jewish holidays.

"The fact that Newsom chose to sign the Eid law before the law that protected other religious observance speaks volumes about the direction he is moving as he eyes a 2028 run for the presidency," Elizabeth Barcohana, chair of Jewish engagement for the California Republican Party, told Cleveland Jewish News (JNS) Thursday.

She also warned that these laws would give Muslim holidays additional privileges not afforded to other religions, which could include closing schools.

Jewish advocacy group responds to criticism

David Bocarsly, CEO of Jewish California, supported Newsom's actions, saying he was not concerned about the order in which the bills were signed because all three became law.

"With more than 1,000 bills in front of him this past month, we aren't concerned with the sequencing of Assembly Bill 395 and Assembly Bill 1763, as long as they got signed, and they did. We're thrilled to see these two critical religious freedom protections become law and to recognize three Jewish holidays in California statute for the first time," Bocarsly told Fox News Digital.

A spokesperson for Newsom's office told Fox News Digital, "This is not about manufacturing a scorecard among faiths. The Governor signs bills based on the substance of the legislation and the constitutional process governing when he receives and acts on bills. California is proud to continue strengthening its religious freedom, something our nation's founders strongly believed in, too."