Bill Maher Critiques California Democrats on Education and Green Energy

Bill Maher criticized California Democrats on his show, “Real Time with Bill Maher.” He pointed out that Mississippi and Texas surpass California in areas like education and green energy, which are traditional Democratic campaign issues.

Maher stated, “Democrats, these are your issues: education, race, and the environment. And I say this with love: you’re losing to the Waffle House, car-on-the-lawn states.” Maher challenged California’s education record, highlighting that a Black fourth grader in Mississippi is significantly more proficient in math and reading than one in California.

Did you know that a Black fourth grader in Mississippi is two and a half times as likely to be proficient in math and reading as one in California? Mississippi is kicking our a– in education and for way less money. We’re 37th in fourth-grade reading. They’re ninth.

Maher referenced a New York Times article, citing that 19% of Black fourth-graders in Mississippi are proficient in reading, compared to just 7% in California. Similarly, in math, 22% of Mississippi’s Black students are proficient, while California stands at 10%.

Maher also discussed renewable energy, saying, “Texas has passed California in solar and blows away California when it comes to wind and energy storage.” Texas produced more gigawatt-hours from solar in 2025 than California, based on data from the Energy Information Administration.

Maher attributed these differences to permitting and building policies. “You’re allowed to build there,” Maher explained, comparing California’s bureaucratic hurdles to Texas’s more permissive environment.

He referenced San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan, noting a UC Berkeley poll showing Mahan trailing in the California governor’s race. Maher criticized the influence of unions, bureaucrats, and regulators in California, which hinders infrastructure development.

Maher did not spare Republicans in his critique. He mentioned Senators Thom Tillis and Bill Cassidy, commenting on the press’s interest in Republicans critical of Donald Trump, but noted these were retiring senators.

Fox News Digital sought comments from Governor Gavin Newsom without immediate response.