Written by Amanda Angulo
On Friday, Newsom’s stage was set, literally, during his second attempt at forcing vaccinations on Californians. By standing in front of a shimmery gold and red curtain, and next to a Wheel of Fortune, Gov. Newsom was ready to announce the first 15 winners of $50,000 cash prizes from the Vax for the Win Program.
After his whole show with confetti after announcing the winners and holding up a supersized check, he was faced with serious questions from reporters on the state’s reopening day, June 15th, and what life would look like after the reopening of the state and economy.
When CalMatters’ reporter Laurel Rosenhall asked the question, Newsom clarified that he was not going to take executive action to overturn the state of emergency and put an end to it. There were also rules passed last Thursday by California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board, requiring employees to continue wearing their masks even after the state reopens.
By not removing California’s state of emergency by June 15th, the day we were all promised the return to normality, it will allow for the state to bypass certain rules and speed up federal funding, while Newsom claims to be necessary for the after-effects of a pandemic.
However, this is clearly an effort made by Newsom to continue his Draconian rule over the state and dictate what goes on in the state. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Newsom had affected over 400 laws and regulations, giving him a reason to use and abuse his power to declare a state of emergencies and lockdowns and shutting down the economy.
“That seals the coffin,” said a recall campaign manager, Anne Dunsmore, of Newsom’s decision to hold onto his emergency powers. “People don’t feel that he understands the pain they’ve been through.”
