SACRAMENTO – It has been 365 day since Governor Newsom issued a stay-at-home order with the promise that it would be only for a few weeks to fight the pandemic and flatten the curve. Fifty-seven Executive Orders later, an estimated 19,000 businesses have shuttered their doors and others are teetering on the brink of closure, 1.7 million Californians are unemployed, and fraudulent unemployment claims climb to $31 billion dollars, and there is no end in sight with the Governor refusing to relinquish his ‘one-man rule.’
Senate Republicans introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 5 last December to end the Governor’s state of emergency power, and reestablish the Legislature’s Constitutional co-equal status, but so far, a hearing has not been set for this measure.
“A year ago, Governor Newsom shut down the state based on the prediction of a worse-case scenario. At the time, the Governor promised us his decisions would be based on sound science and data, but when the predictions did not pan out, he refused to pivot to a new strategy. Instead, he doubled down on his command and control policies. When questioned about the data driving his decisions, he claimed people would not understand — that it was ‘too complicated.’ What people do understand Governor is that your policies devastated our businesses, cost millions of jobs and have left our children with mental health problems and learning loss. It is time to end your ‘one-man rule.’” – Senate Republican Leader Scott Wilk (Santa Clarita)
“It’s time for the Governor to return power to the people and their representatives in the Legislature. The one-year anniversary of his commandeering of immense emergency powers highlights the arbitrary and haphazard nature of his one-man rule. With many small businesses on life support and in-class school instruction lacking in many communities, having the Governor continue his one-man rule is not working well for many Californians.” – Senator Patricia Bates (Laguna Niguel)
“Governor Newsom’s COVID shutdown took jobs from millions of Californians, shuttered the dreams of small business owners and left a generation of school children with a learning gap and struggling with the mental health effects of isolation. His government programs have been grossly-mismanaged. Millions of unemployed Californians had to deal with the bureaucratic EDD nightmare, which denied them timely access to critical benefits, all while the department allowed billions of dollars in fraud and waste. The Governor’s policies lurched from one proposal to another with confusing, conflicting and ever changing guidelines. While Californians had to comply with his rules, they did not always apply to the Governor himself who infamously dined indoors, unmasked, with powerful lobbyists and sent his children to an elite private school so they could receive in-person schooling. California deserves better than the one-man rule we have seen this past year.” – Senator Shannon Grove (Bakersfield)
“It’s been one year since Governor Newsom ordered California to shut down. Since then, Governor Newsom has issued 57 Executive Orders and unilaterally changed over 400 laws. California’s unemployment claims have skyrocketed, businesses have shuttered, and Californians have fled the state in record numbers. Children fell behind in their education as nearly every school across the state shut down. And even with all this sacrifice in the name of safety, California’s COVID-19 case and death numbers are no better than states that remained open. Leadership starts at the top. It is time we do better and end the one-man rule.” – Senator Brian Jones (Santee)
“It’s been a year since Governor Newsom declared a state-of-emergency for the state of California,” said Senator Melissa Melendez (Lake Elsinore). “Since that day, thousands of businesses have permanently closed their doors; millions of Californians have lost their jobs and are on unemployment; EDD has doled out billions of dollars in fraudulent claims; and shuttered schools have tarnished the educational experience for California children. It’s time we take this unilateral control away from the Governor for good because Californians have had enough!”
“As I reflect on California’s statewide shutdown anniversary, I am reminded that we are strong and resilient. We have seen many step up to support one another in unprecedented ways. Our state is slowly reopening, but there is still a lot of work to be done. I remain committed to helping every Californian get back to their everyday lives and will continue to work towards providing the tools necessary for our communities to thrive.” – Senator Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (Yucaipa)
