Some states (9 of them) drivers licenses aren't in compliance with the federal Real ID standards, a law from 2005 that has long been delayed from enforcement. CA is one of the states that hasn't met the standards. The woman was wrong in telling you that no other states' licenses will work.
No problem here, as I always use my passport for travel ID, and I don't feel oppressed.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2015/12/tsa-may-soon-stop-accepting-drivers-licenses-from-nine-states/
From the article:
However, nine states and several US territories are due to have their exemption expire on January 10, 2016. The states facing a January expiration are Alaska, California, Illinois, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Washington. Puerto Rico, Guam, and the US Virgin Islands face the same deadline. Minnesota and American Samoa are already listed as non-compliant.