SACRAMENTO >> California Democrats on Thursday resisted calls from Republicans in the Legislature to end a special session preparing for the upcoming administration of Donald Trump as wildfires raged in Los Angeles.

Instead, they continued their plan to provide aid to the state Department of Justice in preparation for lawsuits against the federal government. Gov. Gavin Newsom in December called on lawmakers to begin the special session.

Assemblymember James Gallagher, R-Nicolaus, said the special session needed to be shut down immediately.

“We have so much bigger issues right now that we really need to tackle,” he told reporters.

Lawmakers in the Assembly voted to move potential bills forward, including one that would give $25 million to the Department of Justice. Senators created a special committee and allowed for more time to make amendments to at least one possible bill.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Salinas, called the fires “heartbreaking and devastating” but did not answer questions about why his chamber was continuing to push forward on the Trump-related session.

“I’m here to address these wildfires,” he told reporters. “We are acting with great urgency to ensure that we’re providing much needed relief to Angelenos.”

He said that would include a bill related to fire insurance that was expected to be introduced later in the day.

On Wednesday, Assemblymember Bill Essayli, R-Corona, called on Gov. Gavin Newsom to call a special session focused on wildfire response.

Rivas said he had “had zero conversations” about a wildfire-focused special session and that it’s “a call for the governor to make.”

A debate over the need for a special session also broke out on the Senate floor.

“We shouldn’t be focusing on Trump-proofing California,” said Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones, R-San Diego. “We should be focusing on fire-proofing California.”

On Wednesday the president-elect blamed Newsom for the scale of the Los Angeles fires and for fire hydrants running dry as firefighters and homeowners battled the Palisades fire. Trump demanded on social media “that this incompetent governor allow beautiful, clean, fresh water to FLOW INTO CALIFORNIA!”