Authored by Larry Sand via American Greatness,
In a stunning report, StorageCafe reveals that California remains the “undisputed leader in outbound migration nationwide, with nearly 683,000 residents leaving the state in a single year, according to the latest available U.S. Census data.” The evacuees’ top destination is Texas, which welcomed approximately 98,000 former Californians in 2023 alone.
Millennials are leading the migration to Texas, making up over 31% of all movers. They are followed by Gen Zers, who account for 20%, and Gen Xers, representing nearly 15% of those relocating. Interestingly, Californians moving to Texas tend to earn more than the national average across most age groups, highlighting the financial advantage of the move.
The news from StorageCafe isn’t unique. U-Haul has released a new report, and for the fifth straight year, California topped its Growth Index—meaning more residents of the Golden State rented one-way U-Haul trucks to leave the state in 2024 than residents of any other state. Texas was the top go-to state.
People are fleeing the formerly Golden State for various reasons—high crime rates, exorbitant taxes and insurance costs, clueless leadership, and a failing education system.
Businesses are also packing up and going elsewhere. Major companies, including Chevron, SpaceX, and Charles Schwab, have departed California. In total, 441 businesses have left the state since 2018 and moved their headquarters elsewhere. High taxes, skyrocketing rent, soaring costs of living for employees, and excessive red tape are some of the reasons cited by the businesses that have exited, with, again, Texas being the primary destination state.
On the education front, per the California Policy Center, 45 out of California’s 58 counties have experienced a decline in traditional public school (TPS) enrollment over the last decade. Over the past ten years, statewide TPS enrollment has decreased by more than 612,000 students.
It’s important to note that California introduced transitional kindergarten during this period, which increased TPS numbers. When considering only grades K-12, enrollment has dropped by more than 762,000 since 2015.
There are myriad reasons for parental dissatisfaction, but perhaps the most egregious is that the state has taken on a co-parenting role, perhaps best exemplified by AB 1955, which California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law in 2024. This troubling legislation prevents school districts from requiring staff to inform parents if their child chooses to change their gender. No other state in the country has enacted such a strict law. The “Support Academic Futures and Educators for Today’s Youth (SAFETY) Act” explicitly bans schools from enforcing any policies that mandate sharing “any information related to a pupil’s sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to any other person without the pupil’s consent.”
Still being considered by the legislature, AB 495, the “Family Preparedness Plan Act of 2025,” authored by Assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez (San Fernando-D), claims to offer compassionate solutions for immigrant families facing sudden separations due to detention or deportation. However, critics—including attorneys, parental rights advocates, and faith-based organizations—warn that it dangerously redefines guardianship, removes parental rights, and creates legal loopholes that facilitate child kidnapping.
Erin Friday, an attorney and president of Our Duty-USA, a parent-led advocacy group, calls AB 495 “a child trafficker’s and kidnapper’s dream bill.”
“There is no background check, no welfare check, no court oversight, and no verification. All you need is a piece of paper and some form of identification, with no obligation for the adult handing the child over to verify the identification, and presto, someone walks away with your child,” she warned.
Friday adds that a stranger can consent to medical treatments for the child, and the bill absolves the doctors from any liability if the adult giving consent does not have any actual legal connection to the child.
In addition to the state legislature, many school districts across the state have crossed traditional barriers. Parents of students at Sage Creek High School in Carlsbad, California, are seeking answers after a self-described BDSM (bondage, discipline, sadism, masochism) expert from a clinic offering trans surgeries was scheduled to speak at the school during a recent week dedicated to LGBTQ student support.
In late March, parents started voicing their opposition to a decision to have Mita Beach, a representative of DAP Health—a medical clinic that offers gender transition surgeries—speak. This occurred during a lunchtime event in the cafeteria and was open to all students.
As reported by RealClearPolitics, “After looking into his business websites and social media accounts, which contained at least one photo of Beach engaged in BDSM and listed workshops he’s led on ‘Kink 101’ and ‘Examining Self-Injurious Behavior, Erotic Play, and Body Modification,’ several concerned parents contacted the high school and district superintendent’s office.”
If a parent wants to opt out of their local public school, the state obstructs their efforts. One particularly onerous measure is in the works. If enacted, AB 84, authored by Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi (D–Torrance), would divert millions in state funding from charter schools—funds meant for classrooms—and redirect them toward excessive oversight costs and increased bureaucracy. The most impacted? Charter schools that offer flexible options like hybrid learning, homeschooling, virtual school, independent study, and drop-in centers.
Private choice in California? None, and not much hope for the future.
On July 4, President Trump approved legislation allowing the federal tax scholarship program to proceed. The Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) provides a tax credit that individuals can use to lower their tax bills by donating money for private school expenses for students. The program is scheduled to begin in 2027. Individuals (not corporations) who donate can reduce their tax liability by $1 for every $1 donated to accredited Scholarship-Granting Organizations (SGOs), up to $1,700. The SGOs must be federally recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
The scholarships cover a range of educational expenses, such as private school tuition, tutoring, educational therapies, transportation, and technology. They can also assist with additional costs for students attending public schools.
However, per the law’s final version, states can choose not to participate, meaning no students in those states would be eligible for the program. With California legislators in the pocket of the California Teachers Association, the powerful teachers’ union, participating in ECCA will not be an option for parents in the Golden State.
The state’s educational problems go beyond K-12 schools. Colleges in California also face widespread antisemitism. For example, UC Davis—a major research university with 40,000 students—has a well-documented anti-Jewish problem. In April of last year, the StandWithUs Center For Legal Justice filed a formal complaint with the Department of Education, alleging “a pervasively hostile, antisemitic campus climate, with incidents of unlawful discrimination and harassment, for students.”
Not surprisingly, in November, Davis was ranked as one of the most anti-Jewish universities in the country by the advocacy group StopAntisemitism, which gave Davis a grade of “F.”
In the legendary “Hotel California,” the Eagles’ Don Henley famously sang, “You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave.” Well, people are indeed leaving. Posthaste.
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