Hilton’s Proposal Against Smartphones for Minors
Steve Hilton, the Republican candidate for governor, is championing a transformative social initiative aimed at eradicating smartphone ownership among children under the age of 16.
This proposal emerges amidst his aspiration to lead a state that is widely acknowledged as a global technology nexus.
Despite his skepticism towards comprehensive artificial intelligence regulation, Hilton envisions a future wherein youth exhibit reduced dependency on smartphones.
In an interview conducted on April 4, 2026, Hilton, who is currently a prominent contender for California’s governorship, articulated his concerns regarding what he perceives as “unfettered access” children have to technology through devices left “unsupervised.”
He asserts that the focus should pivot away from scrutinizing individual applications or platforms, a perspective emphasized in reports from SFStandard.com.
While Governor Gavin Newsom has recently enacted an executive order concerning AI regulation, and state legislators have proposed regulations surrounding chatbots, Hilton advocates for a grassroots approach to the smartphone debate.
He suggested that his initial efforts would leverage the governor’s platform, or “bully pulpit,” to reshape social norms rather than enacting stringent laws or imposing penalties, according to SFStandard.com.
When probed for details, particularly regarding the Raines family and their interactions with an AI chatbot, Hilton steered the discussion back to his overarching anxieties about children’s access to devices.
He argues that existing proposals aimed at safeguarding children, whether legislative initiatives or measures adopted in other countries like Australia, do not sufficiently tackle the fundamental issue of device accessibility.
Hilton’s stance on technology is not a recent development; this opposition to children’s smartphone ownership was previously articulated in his 2015 publication, “More Human,” and reiterated during appearances on Fox News in 2021.
He maintains that lawmakers should refrain from micromanaging technologies they do not fully comprehend, warning that such actions could give rise to “counterproductive and unintended negative outcomes,” as noted by SFStandard.com.
Critique of California’s Gas Prices
In a concurrent vein, Hilton has sharply criticized Governor Newsom’s approach to the surging gas prices in California.
On April 2, 2026, he implored Newsom to emulate Australia by diminishing the fuel excise tax, positing that this adjustment would afford immediate relief to beleaguered Californians, as covered by Yahoo.com and AOL.com.
The ongoing strife in Iran has severely impacted global oil supplies, exacerbating the increase in fuel prices worldwide. The Strait of Hormuz, a pivotal transit route for nearly 20% of global oil, remains inaccessible.
California finds itself particularly afflicted, with diesel prices reaching an unprecedented statewide average of $7.45 per gallon and regular gasoline soaring to nearly $6 at $5.88, as reported by the American Automobile Association.
Hilton holds California’s exorbitant gas prices accountable to the state’s climate policies, elevated taxation, and what he describes as the Democratic administration’s adversarial approach toward the oil sector.
He branded Newsom an “out-of-touch elitist climate fanatic,” asserting that his policies are inflating prices for consumers.
Despite garnering bipartisan support from both Republican and Democratic legislators to temporarily suspend the gas tax, which could save motorists approximately $1.08 per gallon, such measures were swiftly rejected by the Democratic-controlled state legislature.
State Representative Tony Strickland (R) voiced his disappointment, lamenting that Democrats “refused to aid struggling Californians” amid an affordability crisis.
In response, Newsom’s office has referenced earlier remarks wherein the governor suggested that a gas tax suspension in Florida merely resulted in savings being “pocketed by Big Oil,” rather than benefiting consumers directly.
The governor contended that the state’s gas tax is integral to funding improved roads, jobs, and infrastructure.
Nonetheless, Hilton remains resolute, declaring that he would not shy away from suspending the gas tax if elected, aspiring to achieve a gas price of $3 per gallon.
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