The Newsom administration defines a hate act vaguely as “a hostile expression or action that may be motivated by bias against another person’s actual or perceived identity.” Examples include derogatory name-calling, bullying, hate mail, and refusing service, according to the website.

It’s unclear what the hotline will do. Potential callers are assured that the state will only involve police if specifically requested—the hotline’s primary goals, according to its website, are finding “help” for people and communities and gathering data about hate incidents and crime.

“Reporting will stop the normalization of hate in our communities, and ensure impacted individuals get the help they need,” the CA vs. Hate website says.

[This is a dangerous adventure into Wrongthink. If an actual crime is committed, people can already call 911 or a non-emergency number for local law enforcement. Anything else is none of the state’s business. Or at least that’s how it used to work until Newsom imposed a nanny-state approach to unfavored speech and thinking. Orwell would be aghast. — Ed]