SACRAMENTO — A county judge on Monday preliminarily ordered Gov. Gavin Newsom to stop issuing directives related to the coronavirus that might interfere with state law. Sutter County Superior Court Judge Sarah Heckman tentatively ruled that one of the dozens of executive orders Newsom has issued overstepped his authority and...
New Law Sets Gun Control to Autopilot in California
Thanks to a bill signed recently by Gov. Gavin Newsom, California consumers are going to see fewer handguns for sale in the Golden State. Assembly Bill 2847 solves no problems but creates yet another gun control hurdle for law-abiding firearm manufacturers and the consumers that rely on their products. Since an absurd...
Death Penalty ‘Infected by Racism’ Newsom Tells Court
SACRAMENTO — California's process for imposing the death penalty “is now, and always has been, infected by racism,” Gov. Gavin Newsom declared Monday in a brief filed with the state Supreme Court. Newsom filed the brief in the case of Donte Lamont McDaniel, who was sentenced to death in 2009...
Governor’s Panel Urges Police to De-Escalate, Show Restraint in Protests
SACRAMENTO — Days after police and members of an unruly crowd were injured following the Los Angeles Lakers' latest basketball championship, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday released a report urging better communication and restraint by officers and warning that the use of tactical weapons for crowd control can escalate the...
With Federal Aid Stalled, No Help for California Budget Cuts
SACRAMENTO — When state lawmakers in July cut $150 million from the California court system, they offered this hope to stressed-out administrators: The cuts would vanish if Congress sent the state more money before Oct. 15. Riverside County Superior Court officials were optimistic. They stopped buying things and halted all...
In Latest Climate Move, Newsom Calls for Keeping 30% of State Land Open
LOS ANGELES — Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Wednesday to protect nearly a third of California’s land and coastal waters in his latest effort to fight climate change that he has blamed for recent record-breaking wildfires. He directed state agencies to pursue actions that will use the state's...
Newsom’s Staff Member Positive for COVID-19
SACRAMENTO — A member of California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office staff tested positive for COVID-19 this week and contact tracing has begun, the office said in a statement Wednesday. The staff member had not interacted with Newsom or with staff that routinely interacts with the governor, the statement said. Separately,...
Newsom Nominates 1st Gay to State Supreme Court
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated the first openly gay Black man to the state Supreme Court on Monday, potentially replacing one of the court's more conservative members with a former federal civil rights attorney who prosecuted cross-burnings and police misconduct cases under President Ronald Reagan. Martin Jenkins, 66, would...
California Wavers on Theme Park Opening Rules
SACRAMENTO — Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday delayed new operating rules for theme parks such as Disneyland that have been closed since the beginning of the pandemic as tourism industry officials warned the state was set to lose more than $78 billion in travel related spending this year. The Newsom...
Ban on Chokeholds Among California Criminal Justice Reforms
SACRAMENTO — Spurred by the slayings of George Floyd and other Black people in police custody across the country, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday banned certain chokeholds as he approved several new laws designed to increase oversight of the criminal justice system. But amid national calls to defund the police,...