Note to Governor Davis: Slavery was NEVER legal in California (Unless you count today's taxpayers).
Not only was slavery never legal in California, the whole reason it was brought into the Union in 1850 was precisely because it was a Free state. But major characteristics of American history are completely unknown to today's "Americans" in California because, well, a lot of them
aren't Americans.
Simon's response to Desperate Davis is a good one. A generation ago, the whole thing would have been laughed off in the first place.