assuming it works like GDPR, that is presumptively acceptable on multiple grounds: (a) it is necessary to provide you business services (serving you the website) and (b) you are not retaining/logging it.

california didn't outlaw the internet guys, you're just being hysterical because you're going to have to ease back on your data collection a bit

It's presumptively acceptable, yes. But the comment I responded to was saying that you don't have to even explain it, and I don't think that's true; the law makes it pretty clear you do.

Except the _website_ doesn't have to know the IP address? It is perfectly sufficient for your IP stack to know it while the connection is established, and then immediately forget it.

If you delegate the processing to a service provider, you're still responsible for it. Someone has to do it on your behalf, which is isomorphic to you doing it.