Should Clovis become a non-sanctuary city? The city council held a preliminary debate on Tuesday.

Councilmember Diane Pearce floated the idea on social media, encouraging members of the public to speak up. In 40 minutes of public comment, eight spoke in favor and four against.

But, the discussion was not official since it was not on the agenda. Whether to place the item on a future agenda yielded no consensus. Pearce wants the city’s law enforcement to cooperate with federal officials on immigration issues.

She railed against SB 54, the state’s sanctuary law.

“This state does not handcuff criminals. It handcuffs law enforcement. And unless this council stands up for our community and our law enforcement officers, and removes those handcuffs by acknowledging the supreme authority of federal law, I think we are derelict in our duty,” Pearce said.

She noted Clovis’s electoral support for Donald Trump, and said she will not ask Gov. Gavin Newsom or Attorney General Rob Bonta “for permission to protect our citizens.”

Councilmembers Drew Bessinger and Matt Basgall — both with law enforcement backgrounds — balked at both the idea and placing the item on a future agenda.

Bessinger said complying would only lead to lawsuits from Bonta. He would rather work with state and federal officials.

Basgall, the former Clovis Police Chief, said Pearce’s idea would require police to violate the law.

“We’ve all taken an oath that we are to uphold the laws of the state of California and the Constitution,” Basgall said. “There are a lot of state laws out there that we do not agree with, but it is the laws of the state of California provides to us.”

Pearce said federal law supersedes state law.

Lynne Ashbeck questioned the method Pearce used to bring the discussion forward. She would rather garner consensus to place an item on the agenda before pitching the idea to the public.

“I just think we’re upside down,” Ashbeck said. She did not comment on the non-sanctuary policy itself.

Pearce responded, saying she did not want to take up staff time and was reacting to public demand.

Mayor Vong Mouanoutoua did comment on the idea directly but said he would determine if the item could appear on a future agenda.

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Public Speaks

Resident Don Watkins called the state’s sanctuary city policy “a very bad and immoral law. We should be standing against this law.”

Jeni Kren, a member of the Fresno County Democratic Party Central Committee, said the undocumented tend to obey the law as to not draw attention to themselves.

Joe Hebert, member of the city’s planning commission and a former city council candidate, questioned the effectiveness of a non-sanctuary policy. He would rather see the city fight PG&E for lower energy rates.

McCarthy-Der Manouel Engage in Flame War

A local conservative pundit engaged in a good old-fashioned flame war with the former Speaker of the House.

Michael Der Manouel Jr. criticized Kevin McCarthy’s comments on Fox News about the Trump administration’s methods to cut the government.

“Kevin McCarthy on Fox talking about the outrage of Elon Musk’s discovery of all the wasteful spending when he was the Speaker that enabled it all during his terms as leader. Please, get off of my TV. Ridiculous,” Der Manouel wrote Tuesday on Facebook.

McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, replied. A source with knowledge confirmed the account belonged to McCarthy.

“I cut 2.6 trillion while the Democrats controlled the Senate. and White House How much did you cut?” McCarthy wrote.

The back-and-forth continued, with several others chiming in.

McCarthy recently started a public affairs firm, Watchtower Strategy.

Judge Corona Case Continues

A judge ruled that the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office can continue to prosecute a former judge accused of sexual assault.

Defense attorneys for Adolfo Corona asked Judge Joseph Kalashian — a retired visiting judge out of Tulare County — for the recusal. Kalashian declined.

A motion to dismiss the case because of insufficient evidence, known as a PC 995, is pending. Kalashian set a date of Feb. 26 for a possible decision. Corona did not appear Tuesday, but his defense attorneys Michael Aed and Margarita Martinez-Baly indicated he would attend the next hearing.

Even discussing the 995 motion — challenging evidence presented to a grand jury last year, which indicted Corona — remains secret. Kalashian ordered the public, including prosecutors and GV Wire, to leave the courtroom on Tuesday. When pressed by GV Wire, Kalashian expressed concern of pre-trial publicity.

Corona is accused of sexual assault in March 2024 at the main courthouse. He retired weeks later.