California ‘Cancel Culture’ Bills Fail in State Senate A pair of bills designed to tackle “cancel culture” by designating political affiliation as a protected class have failed to pass the California Senate Judiciary Committee. Sen. Melissa Melendez (R-Lake Elsinore), who introduced the bills, told The Epoch Times that partisan politics played a role in the committee’s decision, which she said threatened freedom of speech. “I am extremely disappointed the majority party in the Senate Judiciary Committee could not see past their partisan blinders to protect everyday Californians from becoming victims of discrimination due to their party affiliations and beliefs,” Melendez said in an email.