California governor signs gender notification ban

California Governor Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 1955, which bans schools from notifying parents when students transition. 

Opponents of gender notification ban in California schools promise legal fight | KCRA | Orko Manna: 

July 16, 2024 - "Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1955 into law Monday. It prohibits school districts in California from having policies that require teachers or staff to disclose a student’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression to the student’s parents, without the student’s consent. That includes nonbinary and transgender students. LGBTQ advocates said the law is a good step forward in protecting students....

“'Young people should really be in control of their own destiny and what it is that they’re ready for, in being able to disclose what their identities are to teachers, their peers, to their parents, and so this really puts that kind of control and autonomy back with the students,' Sacramento LGBT Community Center CEO David Heitstuman said. 'It’s super important for young people to be the ones in control of when they disclose and how they disclose, that that’s so important'.... 

"Sabrina Naves is the president of PFLAG Sacramento, an organization that supports the parents and friends of LGBTQ people. Naves said she is thrilled Gov. Newsom signed AB 1955 into law.... Naves came out as transgender in 2018. While she is the head of an LGBTQ organization now, Naves said when she was younger she was not ready to be open about who she was.... 'I know that if I had been forcibly outed to my parents, that would have definitely been an issue of safety for me,' Naves said.... 

"However, opponents of the new law said that excluding parents from those conversations is unacceptable. California Family Council, a Christian public policy organization, said the law creates a divide between parents and their children. 'Basic common sense tells us that parents have the ultimate responsibility to protect and defend their children, and we believe that this law not only takes away those parental rights, but it actually will put children in danger,' California Family Council president Jonathan Keller said. 'Children need their parents. A teacher, a school administrator is not a substitute for a mother and a father.'

"'I think we’re going to be looking at all of our legal options,” Keller said. “We absolutely anticipate future legal challenges for this.'

"Assemblymember Bill Essayli, R-Riverside, who opposed the bill as it worked through the legislature, posted on X Monday, vowing to challenge the law in court. He said, in part, 'Governor Newsom signing #AB1955 is both immoral and unconstitutional and we will challenge it in court to stop the government from keeping secrets from parents'....

"Late Tuesday, the Liberty Justice Center announced it had filed a lawsuit challenging the law.

"In the wake of the governor signing AB 1955 into law, billionaire Elon Musk said he is moving the headquarters of SpaceX and social media company X to Texas from California. 'I did make it clear to Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and companies to leave California to protect their children,' Musk wrote.

Read more: https://www.kcra.com/article/gender-notification-ban-california-schools-reaction/61617437

Transgender notification ban signed into law | FOX 11 Los Angeles | July 16, 2024:

California law regulating doctors' speech repealed

A California law which empowered the state medical board to take away the licenses of doctors who challenged 'contemporary scientific consensus' on Covid-19, passed with much fanfare a year ago, was quietly repealed on the weekend.  

California repeals COVID misinformation law, bowing to legal pressure | Washington Times | Sean Salai:

October 2, 2023 - "California has repealed a misinformation law that restricted the advice doctors could give patients about COVID-19, bowing to mounting legal pressure. The legislation was signed into law in September 2022 and took effect in January. It tried to define COVID disinformation as 'unprofessional conduct' and empower the Medical Board of California to revoke the licenses of physicians who diverged from 'contemporary scientific consensus.' A federal judge halted the law in January pending court challenges.... 

"California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signed a state Senate bill repealing the section of the state’s Business and Professions Code containing the law, according to a Saturday post on the governor’s website that offered no comment on the action. The nullification should take effect in January, one year after the law took effect.

"Attorneys from the Liberty Justice Center, a Chicago nonprofit legal firm that argued against the legislation in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on July 17, announced its repeal Monday. 'We’re glad California repealed this bill before it could spread to other states, and we’re proud to have defended our clients’ First Amendment rights,' said Jacob Huebert, president of the Liberty Justice Center....

"In a signing statement appended to the law on Sept. 30, 2022, Mr. Newsom acknowledged it could have a 'chilling effect' on free speech. But he said lawmakers had carefully drafted it to deal with abuses and entrusted its interpretation to the Medical Board of California.... Several California physicians disagreed and challenged the board’s right to define treatment. They filed three separate lawsuits against state officials to overturn the legislation in October, November and December 2022. 

"Drs. Tracy Hoeg, Ram Duriseti, Aaron Kheriaty, Pete Mazolewski and Azadeh Khatibi argued in a November 2022 suit that the law interfered with their ability to give patients timely advice as new COVID variants emerged. The New Civil Liberties Alliance, a public interest law firm, represented them in the Eastern District of California. U.S. District Senior Judge William B. Shubb, a President George H.W. Bush appointee, granted them a preliminary injunction against the law in a Jan. 25 ruling....

"Liberty Justice Center filed the first suit against the legislation on Oct. 4, 2022 — a few days after Ms. Newsom signed it into law — in California’s Central District. Drs. Mark McDonald, a Los Angeles psychiatrist, and Jeff Barke, an Orange County primary care physician, argued in that complaint that the law violated their constitutional right to free speech and the spirit of scientific inquiry. 

"In statements on Monday, the two doctors expressed mixed feelings about their legal victory. 'What a shame that it required the precious resources of time, money and stress to preserve our constitutional rights of free speech and medical freedom,' Dr. Barke said. 'We need real accountability, or this will happen again,' added Dr. McDonald.

Read more: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/oct/2/california-repeals-covid-19-misinformation-law-bow/

California's Medical Misinformation Bill | A Doctor Explains | September 14, 2022:

Teen sues hospital over mastectomy at age 13

A detransitioned teen is suing a California hospital and four doctors over a mastectomy performed on her when she was thirteen years old. 

California woman, 18, sues doctors for removing her breasts when she was just THIRTEEN because she thought she was trans after seeing influencers online | Daily Mail | Will Potter:

June 17, 2023 - "A California woman is suing the hospital that removed her breasts when she was 13, claiming her doctors pushed her into the procedure under the 'erroneous belief' she was transgender. Kayla Lovdahl, now 18, says she underwent the invasive surgery after being urged to 'entertain' the plans by medical professionals when she was just 11-years-old.

"According to a lawsuit filed by Lovdahl against Kaiser Foundation Hospitals and four doctors, it is claimed they 'handed Kayla the prescription pad, and allowed her naïve, emotional, childish, rollercoaster of feelings to dictate the so-called "treatment" that she would receive'....

"After years of battling mental health issues, Lovdahl claims she was 'exposed to online transgender influencers' who prompted her to 'erroneously' believe she was transgender when she was 11. With her parents unsure how best to support her, the tween sought medical help, rapidly sending her down a path of risky treatments. By the age of 12, she was on puberty blockers and testosterone despite never receiving a proper psychological evaluation, per the lawsuit.  

"Amid concerns over the potential surgeries, it is alleged that Lovdahl's physicians told her parents: 'It is better to have a live son than a dead daughter'. Her entire transition evaluation lasted just 75-minutes, she claims, as Lovdahl alleges the process that led her to surgery is 'ideological and profit-driven medical abuse'. Within six months, Lovdahl underwent a double mastectomy, a decision she now regrets after detransitioning a year ago. 

"Her lawsuit condemned the system that allowed her to undergo the invasive surgery at such a young age, saying: 'There is no other area of medicine where doctors will surgically remove a perfectly healthy body part and intentionally induce a diseased state of the pituitary gland misfunction based simply on the young adolescent patient's wishes.'"

"After detransitioning, she says she began regular psychotherapy sessions to help her mental health, 'which is the care she should have been receiving all along', the lawsuit states. 'The vast majority of cross-gender identified children, if medically treated in early adolescence, risk regretting the decision after they are old enough to realize their losses,' Lovdahl added. 

She said the ordeal left her with 'deep physical and emotional wounds and severe regrets'. She also claims the hospital and doctors did not provide her and her parents proper 'informed consent', which would have introduced therapy sessions, something she says was never offered." 

Read more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12206847/Woman-pressured-breast-removal-13-erroneous-belief-transgender-lawsuit.html

We shouldn’t let kids undergo irreversible gender transition surgeries | DFX News | June 20, 2023:

Covid emergency declared over in California

Poll: Majority of Californians worse off since COVID emergency began | San Joaquin Valley Sun - Daniel Gligich:

Frebruary 28, 2023 - "California’s state of emergency for the COVID-19 pandemic is finally over, ending on Tuesday after nearly three years in place.  And after three tumultuous years, a new survey from the Public Policy Institute of California found that the majority [of] Californians have a bleak economic outlook for the future....

"California Gov. Gavin Newsom first issued the emergency order in response to the pandemic on March 4, 2020, giving him the power to issue sweeping mandates without needing the approval of state lawmakers. Newsom announced last October that he would end the emergency on Feb. 28....

"According to the PPIC survey, California has seen dramatic swings in economic conditions throughout the three-year emergency, starting with severe job loss that eventually rebounded, leading to the economic volatility of the past year as inflation remains high..... At the start of the pandemic the PPIC survey found that around 80 percent of Californians had poor economic expectations. That number was cut in half in 2021, but now has risen up to 66 percent. 

"California’s poor economic outlook can be seen in the state’s jobs report. According to the PPIC, the state lost 2.8 million jobs in the first two months of the pandemic, but by October 2022 California had regained 2.8 million jobs. The rebound in the job market, however, was not a one-for-one ratio for jobs lost to jobs gained. 

"Food service, arts and entertainment are still well below their pre-pandemic jobs levels, and government, retail and manufacturing jobs have still not returned to their pre-pandemic numbers. Transportation and warehousing jobs are up 16 percent, on the other hand. 

"The survey reported that 53 percent of Californians report themselves to be worse off financially than they were at the onset of the pandemic, compared to just nine percent who report as better off."

Read more: https://sjvsun.com/california/poll-majority-of-californians-worse-off-since-covid-emergency-began/

California voters approve flavored vaping ban

 California's Vaping Flavor Ban Could Be Lethal | Reason - Jacob sullum:

November 16, 2022 - "The campaign for Proposition 31, a ballot initiative that Californians approved by a wide margin last week, urged voters to 'protect kids from candy-flavored tobacco.' That slogan packed an impressive amount of dishonesty into five words. 

"The initiative's main target was nicotine vaping products, which do not contain tobacco and were already legally restricted to adults. Proposition 31 decrees that adults may not buy such products in flavors other than tobacco, thereby undermining the most promising harm-reducing alternative to cigarettes.

"Proposition 31 was a referendum on S.B. 793, a 2020 law that restricts 'characterizing flavors' in 'tobacco products.' California counterintuitively defines 'tobacco product' to include 'an electronic device that delivers nicotine,' whether or not the nicotine is derived from tobacco. Under S.B. 793, 'the taste or aroma of tobacco' is the only 'characterizing flavor' that can legally be added to vaping products. That rule ... will ... discourage smokers from switching to a far less hazardous source of nicotine....

"The bill's author, state Sen. Jerry Hill (D‒San Mateo), declared that the industry 'wants to keep killing people with its candy-, fruit-, mint- and menthol-flavored poison.' Contrary to those warnings, there is no evidence that nicotine vaping products are 'killing' anyone. In fact, they are much less dangerous than cigarettes.... According to a 2018 report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 'Laboratory tests of e-cigarette ingredients ... suggest that e-cigarettes are likely to be far less harmful than combustible tobacco cigarettes.' The British Royal College of Physicians likewise says 'vaping isn't completely risk-free but is far less harmful than smoking tobacco.' 

"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) acknowledges vaping's potential to reduce smoking-related deaths. 'E-cigarettes, as a general class, have markedly less risk than a combustible cigarette product,' says Brian King, director of the FDA's Center for Tobacco Products. The FDA nevertheless seems determined to ban nicotine vapes in flavors other than tobacco, the same policy that California has adopted....

"According to survey data, three-quarters of adult vapers prefer the flavors that California has banned. A 2022 study asked 851 vapers how they would respond if the government banned the flavors they prefer. While 29 percent said they would switch to whatever flavors were still allowed, 28 percent said they 'would find a way' to obtain forbidden flavors, which suggests that California-style bans could drive consumers toward potentially dangerous black-market options; 17 percent said they would 'stop vaping and smoke instead,' which would expose them to a potentially deadlier risk; and 13 percent said they were not sure.... 

"Last year in the American Journal of Public Health, 15 prominent tobacco researchers warned that ... 'While flavor bans could reduce youth interest in e-cigarettes, ... 'they could also reduce adult smokers' vaping to quit smoking.' Supporters of California's ban were so focused on portraying themselves as righteous protectors of children that they did not even acknowledge this danger. The consequences may prove lethal."

Read more: https://reason.com/2022/11/16/californias-vaping-flavor-ban-could-be-lethal/

"Why California Wants to Ban Vaping," The Truth about Vaping, Apr. 13, 2015:

CA legislators want to regulate doctors' speech

California Tries To Make It Illegal for Doctors To Spread COVID-19 'Misinformation' | Reason - Robby Soave:

August 31, 2022 - "The state of California is attempting to outlaw doctors from communicating what authorities deem COVID-19 'misinformation' to their patients. AB 2089, which passed the California legislature earlier this week, designates the dissemination of 'misinformation or disinformation' relating to COVID-19 as 'unprofessional conduct' for doctors. The text of the bill explains that its aim is to prevent doctors from giving patients information that contradicts the 'contemporary scientific consensus.'

"If California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, signs the bill, doctors who violate its tenets could lose their licenses. It is unclear whether the governor currently supports the bill.

"'Misinformation' is a highly dubious and debatable category. The scientific consensus has often expressed views relating to COVID-19 that were later contradicted. Official guidance with respect to masks has changed frequently. During the early days of the pandemic, White House coronavirus adviser Anthony Fauci initially downplayed the need for masks. Then, for more than a year, the scientific community urged people to wear any mask at all. Today, it is widely believed that only high-quality masks are offering meaningful protection. At various stages of the masking discourse, what many scientific experts had to say on the subject turned out to be inaccurate or at least incomplete.

"The same is true of the COVID-19 vaccines. While they remain remarkable tools for preventing severe disease and death, particularly among older and more vulnerable populations, they do not substantially reduce COVID-19 case counts, contrary to what was said about them in late 2020 and early 2021.

"Science is a deliberative process, and medical professionals need to be allowed to dissent from mainstream orthodoxies and challenge dominant perspectives. Patients deserve expert care, but it's unreasonable for the government to compel ideological conformity in this field.

"Besides, the state has shown no particular aptitude for discerning what constitutes genuine misinformation. On the contrary, government actors have frequently instructed social media companies to be wary of perfectly legitimate points of view. This happened with the lab leak theory, which was brutally suppressed on social media at the behest of the government, and it happened with The New York Post's Hunter Biden laptop story, which was wrongly branded Russian disinformation by top law enforcement agents, and punished accordingly.

"It's also likely that this bill violates the First Amendment. Governments have the power to regulate medical care, but the compelled speech component of AB 2089 would probably perturb the Supreme Court. Even some legal experts who support the bill's goals concede that it will have a hard time surviving scrutiny.... Policing misinformation is a fraught task, and the state inserting itself between doctors and their patients is usually a recipe for disaster. Newsom should let this bill die."

Read more: https://reason.com/2022/08/31/california-tries-to-make-it-illegal-for-doctors-to-spread-covid-19-misinformation/

SF Covid data shows no effect of mask mandate

Do mask mandates work? Bay Area COVID data from June says no | SFGATE - Eric Ting:

June 29, 2022 - "In early June, during an uptick in COVID-19 cases, Alameda County was the only [San Francisco] Bay Area county to bring back an indoor mask mandate. At the time, county Health Officer Dr. Nicholas Moss said, 'Putting our masks back on gives us the best opportunity to limit the impact of a prolonged wave on our communities.' But regional case data provides no discernible evidence that the rule, which was lifted June 25, succeeded at that goal.

"The graphs below compare Alameda County’s seven-day average case rate from the past two months to rates in neighboring Contra Costa, Santa Clara and San Francisco counties. Contra Costa and Santa Clara, in particular, are natural comparisons to Alameda, because they have similar vaccination rates and demographic data. San Francisco, on the other side of the bay, provides an additional point of reference. All data comes from the California Department of Public Health.

"The case rate curves for Alameda and Contra Costa counties are near-identical. Because the neighboring counties are similar in so many respects, if masking policy had an impact on pandemic outcomes, one would expect to see some sort of discrepancy in the graph.

"San Francisco and Santa Clara had higher case rates than Alameda County throughout the current surge, including pre-mask mandate. Once the mandate was introduced, the three counties all followed the same trend line, casting doubt on whether the mask mandate did anything to curb transmission at the community level.

"SFGATE sent Moss these graphs via email and asked whether he can point to any evidence that his county’s mandate had an impact on reducing caseloads. 'We believe the recent mask order contributed to the improvements we are now observing with COVID-19 in Alameda County,' Moss said in a statement. 'Published evidence shows that high levels of community masking lowers transmission rates and survey data displayed an increase in masking during the recent Order timeframe,' he added. 'In fact, Alameda County observed higher masking rates than anywhere else in the Country at the time.' The Alameda County Health Department did not respond to follow-up questions on ... how, if that statement were true, the graphs wouldn't cut against the claim that 'high levels of community masking lowers transmission rates'....

"After viewing the case rate graphs, UCSF’s Dr. Bob Wachter — one of the region’s more cautious COVID-19 experts and a supporter of mask mandates — echoed many of that article’s sentiments, stating that mandates don’t appear to increase the 'probability of people wearing good masks correctly.... If the mandate came with enforcement of wearing a good (N95 or equivalent) mask correctly, it might demonstrate a significant advantage in preventing cases,' he wrote to SFGATE in an email. 'But there is no real enforcement (certainly not of correct masking using a good mask), which means that the rates of effective masking probably isn’t very different in [the Bay Area counties being compared].'

"If, in order to have an impactful mask mandate, enforcement teams must ensure that people are correctly wearing N95s indoors, it seems like a policy doomed to fail whenever implemented. It also raises questions of whether the costs of such enforcement would exceed the benefits.... Over the past two months, hospitalizations across the Bay Area have come nowhere close to the winter omicron numbers, which may not have accurately reflected the actual impact of the disease on hospitals. Alameda County's hospitalization-per-capita numbers are comparable to Contra Costa's and Santa Clara's....

"Wachter’s UCSF colleague Dr. Jeanne Noble, too, is a proponent of high-risk individuals protecting themselves through careful mask usage. Mandates, she told SFGATE in April, drive people to wear low-quality masks, which are 'not likely to make any measurable difference in viral transmission so it doesn’t matter whether you or others are wearing one.... Mask mandates may create a false sense of reassurance to those who truly need the extra protection,' Noble said in April. “The severely immunocompromised person ... should not opt for a cloth or surgical mask because other people around them are masked and therefore assume it is 'safe enough' to avoid the tight fitting and uncomfortable N95.'"

Read more: https://www.sfgate.com/coronavirus/article/bay-area-mask-mandate-results-17271294.php 

California town nullifies Covid mandates

Historic Downtown Oroville - public domain,Wikimedia Commons.

To protest COVID mandates, this California town declared itself a ‘constitutional republic’ | Santa Rosa Press Democrat - Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times: 

November 29, 2021 - "For Oroville Vice Mayor Scott Thomson, the father of two young boys, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s mandate requiring schoolchildren to be vaccinated against COVID-19 was the final straw. He believed the government had no right to tell him what to put into his, or his children’s, bodies. Many of his constituents agreed when it came to pandemic mandates. And so, he came up with a grandiose, headline-grabbing nom de guerre for his small Northern California city.

"Oroville declared itself a constitutional republic. A place where the local leaders pledge to fight mandates they say go too far. 'Any executive orders issued by the State of California or by the United States federal government that are overreaching or clearly violate our constitutionally protected rights will not be enforced by the City of Oroville against its citizens,' read the declaration passed this month by the City Council....

"For some, the declaration was a stand for freedom. But others in town saw it as a reckless tantrum amid an ongoing pandemic that has killed more than 73,000 Californians. Butte County, population about 220,000, has one of the state’s lowest vaccination rates. As of Saturday, 47% of its residents were fully vaccinated, compared with 64% of all Californians. Butte County’s largest hospital, the 298-bed Enloe Medical Center in Chico, has averaged 26 COVID-19 patients over the last week — more than all but one hospital in Los Angeles County, home to 10 million people....

"Oroville, a city of 20,000, is now one of a growing number of rural California communities in recent years to label itself a sanctuary or a place otherwise exempt from some liberal ideal. Two years ago, the desert town of Needles became a 'sanctuary city' for the 2nd Amendment in a rebuke of California’s strict gun-control laws. And in defiance of pandemic shutdown orders, the Central Valley towns of Atwater and Coalinga last year declared themselves, respectively, a 'sanctuary city for business' and a town where all businesses are essential — with both losing emergency COVID-19 funding in the process. Designed to benefit from the buzz of California’s 'sanctuary' designations used in the context of protecting undocumented immigrants, the labels reflect tensions between rural towns and the Newsom administration — and the left in general. Oroville’s constitutional republic resolution is mostly symbolic, with no power over schools, which are regulated by the state.

"At the Oroville City Council meeting at which the constitutional republic resolution was approved, a city staffer had to clarify to one commenter that the resolution was not 'beginning the effort for Oroville to secede from California and from the Union.' One speaker was an older man who compared the resolution to the decades-old State of Jefferson movement, which calls for California’s rural, conservative northern counties to secede and form their own state. 'These "constitutional republic" people would probably prevent mask mandates,' the man said, citing the county’s vaccination rate. 'In other words, they’re looking to kill people.' The audience broke out in laughter. When the resolution passed, they cheered.

"Thomson said the impetus for the declaration was vaccine mandates, especially the one for schoolchildren, which has been opposed by multiple Butte County school districts and has sparked protests across the state, including in cities like Los Angeles. 'Now that the mandates have gone from not just putting something on the outside of your body or modifying how you run your business, but now shoving something inside your body that nobody knows the long-term effects of, that’s just like, OK, now you’re, in my opinion, crossing the line,' Thomson said. Thomson, the pastor of an Assembly of God church, said he is not anti-mask or opposed to the vaccine for people who want it. He said he and his sons are not vaccinated but that they now have antibodies after a mild bout with COVID-19 in August. 'There are people out there who are like, "This whole thing is a hoax,"' Thomson said. 'We are not like that'.... He said that unvaccinated city employees are tested weekly for COVID-19 at the city’s expense. And his church has handed out hundreds of masks to congregants....

"Councilwoman Krysi Riggs said she cast the sole no vote against the declaration because she believed the best way for city leaders to push back against mandates is through the judicial system, not through a resolution. But, she said, she understands the frustration with the mandates.... When wildfires broke out across Butte County last summer, the smoky air in Oroville was toxic — but indoor dining was banned across the state because of the virus, leaving local restaurants in a bind, Riggs said.

"Brian Wong, who opened the Union Bar & Grill in Oroville in fall 2019, said he thought the city’s statement about the mandates was 'very courageous.' As a small-business owner, Wong said he felt like he had to navigate complicated and ever-changing state rules on his own.... Wong, who also owns the 109-year-old Chinese restaurant Tong Fong Low, said he spent a lot of money to build a patio for outdoor dining and required his dozens of employees to wear masks for more than a year, until vaccines became widely available."

Read more: https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/to-protest-covid-mandates-oroville-declared-itself-a-constitutional-repub/

Vaccine mandates worsen nursing shortages

Vaccine mandate complicates California's nursing shortage | Becker's Hospital Review - Kelly Gooch:

August 30th, 2021 - "Many California hospitals are experiencing staffing shortages as the pandemic takes a toll on healthcare workers, and the state's new COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers is adding another layer to the issue, CalMatters reported Aug. 28. 

"Workers are emotionally and physically exhausted amid the public health crisis, according to the news organization. This is causing more nurses in the U.S., including in California, South Carolina and Mississippi, to leave their profession, retire early or take other assignments.  While burnout is contributing to shortages of nurses and other workers at hospitals, hospital administrators in California say the state vaccine mandate is also a factor, according to CalMatters. 

"The California Department of Public Health issued an order Aug. 5 requiring workers in healthcare to be ... fully vaccinated or receive their second shot by Sept. 30. Workers can apply for  an exemption for religious beliefs or qualifying medical reasons. Exempt workers must meet testing and safety requirements."
Read more: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/workforce/vaccine-mandate-complicates-california-s-nursing-shortage.html

Nurses Are In Short Supply. Employers Worry Vaccine Mandate Could Make It Worse | NPR - Andrea Hsu:

September 23, 2021 - "As part of his push to get more Americans vaccinated, Biden has essentially told 17 million health care workers: Get vaccinated or get out. He has not offered them the testing option he's given workers in most other industries. Details about how the federal vaccine mandate will be enforced have yet to be released, but already protests have become regular events outside hospitals, and employers are warning they could see large numbers of workers quit just when they're needed the most....

"In June, after a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit brought by health care workers at Houston Methodist Hospital over its vaccine mandate, more than 150 workers quit or were fired. Lewis County General Hospital in upstate New York said it would stop delivering babies this month after six people in the maternity department quit over New York's vaccine mandate. In Maine, where the governor announced a vaccine mandate for health care workers in mid-August, hospitals are so far reporting only a handful of resignations, but enforcement of the mandate is still more than a month away.

"'I can't afford to lose anyone,' says Ted LeNeave, CEO of Accura HealthCare, which operates 34 nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota. Because of staffing shortages, they've had to limit admissions, turning down patients coming from hospitals.... 'I just don't see how I can lay off a thousand people," says LeNeave. I'd have no one to take care of the patients, and there's nowhere to send the patients.' He expects many will change professions to avoid getting the shots. Certified nursing assistants, who bathe, feed and groom nursing home residents, are among the lowest paid workers in the U.S. There are plenty of other options for those who want out."
Read more: https://www.npr.org/2021/09/23/1039228806/nurses-are-in-short-supply-employers-worry-vaccine-mandate-could-make-it-worse 

B.C. nurses say dire staffing crisis will worsen with health care vaccine mandate | CityNews 1130 - Liza Yuzda, Denise Wong, Nikitha Martins & Lisa Steacy:

September 14, 2021 - "While the BC Nurses’ Union is sounding the alarm, saying the province can’t afford to lose a single nurse due to the vaccine mandate for health care workers, the health minister says the move is necessary to contain COVID-19. Responding to concerns that losing unvaccinated staff could cause a systemic crash, Adrian Dix says they are preparing for the worst, which would be thousands of workers choosing not to be vaccinated for their job.... Dix says regardless, this is what must be done....

"Nearly 50,000 long-term and acute care workers have until Oct. 12 to be fully vaccinated. About 150,000 other workers in provincial health care facilities have until Oct. 26 to do so. On the heels of the announcement, the BC Nurses’ Union said while vaccinations are key, they can’t support any action that could lead to any nurses leaving their jobs. 

"Union vice-president Aman Grewal says all members are encouraged to get the vaccine, but the mandate comes amid a dire staffing crisis. 'The union is not in a position to support an order which will serve to remove even a single nurse or other health care worker from the health care system at a time of severe crisis, it’s just not something that we can do,' she says."
Read more: https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/09/14/bc-health-care-mandatory-vaccine-nurses/

LA County to ban unvaccinated from retail stores

Los Angeles to Create Ordinance Requiring Vaccination to Enter Restaurants, Retail Stores | Epoch Times - Micaela Ricaforte: 

August 11, 2021 -"Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted Aug. 11 to prepare an ordinance that will require people to show proof of at least partial COVID-19 vaccination to enter public indoor spaces in the city, including restaurants, bars, gyms, entertainment venues, and retail stores. The ordinance is more restrictive than a policy recently enacted in New York City, which ... excludes retail stores.

"The motion was introduced last week by Council President Nury Martinez and Councilman Mitch O’Farrell. 'It’s our responsibility to protect the public, that includes protecting them from the unvaccinated,' Martinez said in a statement.... 'The decision to not get vaccinated doesn’t just affect you. We have kids under the age of 12 who are not eligible for the vaccine yet, and someone’s decision to not get vaccinated affects them as well'.... During the meeting, O’Farrell called choosing not to get vaccinated against COVID-19 'immoral,' saying some people choose to 'listen to some delusional rant on Twitter.'

"A number of Los Angeles residents called into the council meeting to oppose the ordinance. Some expressed distrust in the vaccines, while others claimed requiring proof of vaccination is a form of discrimination or segregation. Resident Elizabeth Elliott, who called into the meeting to give public comment, disagreed with O’Farrell on both the ethical and economic impact of the ordinance, saying it is 'unethical to force' people to inject a vaccine into their body. 'People should have medical freedoms to research and make their own health decisions. We as citizens have a right to privacy, especially with our health information,' Elliott said.

"'This ordinance will be detrimental to our economy as well. If 30 percent of people are unvaccinated, then that means businesses who are still struggling from the government shutdowns to stay afloat will likely lose 30 percent of their customers or worse; in some communities, people will lose 50 percent of their customers.'

"Others who called into the meeting in opposition of the mandate said the council would likely see pushback from residents as a result of the mandate. 'We have people talking about segregation because we know that the majority of people in this community refusing to get vaccinated are minorities, because they know history,' said one caller, who identified himself as Justin. 'Going down this road right now is really dangerous. We’re going to see lots of serious backlash, including lawsuits.'"

Read more: https://www.theepochtimes.com/los-angeles-county-to-require-proof-of-vaccination-to-enter-indoor-public-spaces_3944870.html

Closing private schools was unconstitutional, U.S. appeals court rules

California’s school closure rules violated private school families’ rights, appeals court rules | Los Angeles Times - Kristen Taketa: 

July 23, 2021 - "An appeals court Friday ruled that state leaders violated the rights of parents by forcing private schools to stay closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.... The appeals court ruling is the latest development in the lawsuit Brach vs. Newsom, which was filed against Gov. Gavin Newsom last July by California public school and private school families.... 

"A national conservative group called the Center for American Liberty led the lawsuit effort. The lawsuit challenged the state’s rules preventing K-12 schools from offering in-person instruction in counties with high coronavirus case rates. The plaintiff families argued that the rules deprived their children of a meaningful education and violated their due process rights and equal protections under the 14th Amendment. While K-12 schools had to remain closed in counties with high coronavirus case rates, other educational facilities could remain open, including child-care programs and K-12 schools in low-COVID counties. The plaintiffs argued that the state’s rules were therefore arbitrary and treated people unequally. In San Diego County, some school districts reopened as early as last fall and remained open throughout the pandemic, while others had to wait until spring to reopen because of state restrictions....

"In December, a district court dismissed all the plaintiffs’ due process claims for public and private school families. The district court said the 14th Amendment’s due process clause does not recognize a fundamental right to basic education, and the plaintiffs had failed to explain how distance learning constituted a wholesale denial of a basic education. The appeals court reversed that lower court’s decision pertaining to private schools and remanded the matter back to the lower court.

"'California’s forced closure of their private schools implicates a right that has long been considered fundamental under the applicable caselaw — the right of parents to control their children’s education and to choose their children’s educational forum,' wrote Judge Daniel Collins in the appeal court’s opinion Friday.... The court also said the state was justified in having different closure rules for public schools, child care centers and other facilities....

"Harmeet Dhillon, chief executive of the Center for American Liberty, called the appeal court ruling 'a huge victory for parents’ rights.' 'The Ninth Circuit rightly ruled in parents’ favor, affirming that they — and not Gavin Newsom or faceless bureaucrats — have the right to decide how best to educate their children,' she said in a statement. But Dhillon said she is disappointed that the appellate court ruled only in favor of private school families, not public school families.

"'While we are thrilled for our clients whose rights are vindicated by today’s decision, we are disappointed the Ninth Circuit did not rule that all students, including those in public school, have a basic right to an education. We will continue to advocate for the educational rights of all students,' Dhillon said."

Read more: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/education/story/2021-07-23/appeal-court-rules-in-favor-of-private-school-families

Read court decision: https://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2021/07/23/20-56291.pdf

Newsom ends lockdown, keeps lockdown powers

Gov. Gavin Newsom Clings to COVID-19 Emergency Powers | Reason - Scott Shackford:

June 7, 2021 - "California Gov. Gavin Newsom has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with a controlling, micromanaging leadership style that few other governors can match.... [T]he California Democrat is ordering the state to re-open on his terms, not easing up the rules until June 15. And even though Newsom has declared that the state will be 'reopening' that day, he announced Friday that he won't be declaring an end to the emergency and — the big issue here — won't be surrendering his emergency powers.

"California's Emergency Services Act grants the governor extremely broad powers when he declares an emergency: 'complete authority over all agencies of the state government and the right to exercise within the area designated all police power vested in the state by the Constitution and laws of the State of California.' The act is explicit that when these emergencies are declared, the governor's orders 'shall have the force and effect of law,' albeit with some restrictions — he cannot suspend the Constitution or confiscate legally owned firearms.

"'We're still in a state of emergency,' Newsom said Friday. 'This disease has not been extinguished. It's not vanished. It's not taking the summer months off.' Many diseases have not been extinguished or vanished, but it would be absurd for a governor to take near-complete control to respond to all of them. New COVID-19 cases and deaths in California have plunged to levels that can be managed without the governor's intrusive involvement....

"Distressingly, the pushback against Newsom's move has fallen along partisan lines. Two Republican lawmakers introduced a bill in December that would limit the duration of a governor's emergency orders to 60 days, after which the governor would need to seek lawmakers' approval for each new regulation. The bill went nowhere. A Senate bill to terminate Newsom's original emergency declaration, also introduced in December, has similarly gone nowhere. The eight senators co-sponsoring that bill are all Republicans....

"The Los Angeles Times adds some useful context demonstrating the problems with giving the executive branch this much control. The state's Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board is recommending rules that ... would require workplaces to maintain vaccination records for their employees. If any employee is unvaccinated, everybody has to wear masks. These rules are stricter than the CDC's recommendations, and infectious disease experts say they could be looser. But because of Newsom's emergency powers, the legislators' ability to force changes to these rules is limited.

"Newsom is facing a recall in the fall, so the voters will get an early opportunity to decide whether he has abused his authority. The politicians who have been calling the recall an attempt to 'undermine democracy,' as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I–Vt.) put it, should stop and take stock of what Newsom is doing here: He is deliberately excluding legislators from their constitutional role in crafting the state's laws. Who exactly is undermining democracy here?"

Read more: https://reason.com/2021/06/07/gov-gavin-newsom-clings-to-covid-19-emergency-powers/

Never Let a Plague Go to Waste

Never Let a Plague Go to Waste | Toronto Sun - Victor Davis Hansen: 

June 3, 2021 - "During America’s first-ever national lockdown, thousands of unelected bureaucrats, as well as federal and state governments, assumed enormous powers not usually accorded to them. They picked and chose which businesses could stay open without much rationale. They sent the infected into nursing homes occupied by the weak and vulnerable. Their rules for prosecuting those who violated social distancing, sheltering in place, mask wearing or violent protesting often hinged on political grounds. Their spending measures ... were excuses to lard up redistributive entitlements.

"Conservatives moaned that left-wing agendas were at work beneath the pretenses of saving us from the pandemic. And the giddy left bragged that it was true.

"After the 2008 financial meltdown, Barack Obama spoke of 'fundamentally transforming' the country. Now he’s back, weighing in on the panic-driven, multitrillion-dollar spending that has pushed America’s debt to nearly $30 trillion. 'There’s a teachable moment about maybe this whole deficit hawk thing of the federal government,' Obama said in a recent interview with Ezra Klein of The New York Times. “Just being nervous about our debt 30 years from now, while millions of people are suffering — maybe that’s not a smart way to think about our economics'....

"Last year, California Gov. Gavin Newsom boasted about leveraging California’s statewide quarantine. 'There is opportunity for reimagining a progressive era as it pertains to capitalism,' Newsom said. 'So yes, absolutely, we see this as an opportunity to reshape the way we do business and how we govern.'

"Hillary Clinton said something similar early in the pandemic: '… This would be a terrible crisis to waste as the old saying goes'.... The 'old saying' she cited was actually a recycled quote from Rahm Emanuel, who was Obama’s chief of staff. His exact quote was: 'You never want a serious crisis to go to waste'....  Emanuel clarified that crises allow radical changes that had never been considered or were considered impossible....

"The Davos crowd responsible for the World Economic Forum has talked of using the global crisis to push 'the Great Reset.' These self-appointed guardians wish to create global rules governing the world’s economy, energy, transportation, education, climate, wealth distribution and media. In other words, a few elites will seek to override local laws.

"What do all these efforts have in common? One, they are all top-down agendas. Polls show that average Americans are worried about massive borrowing. They fear the government gaining new powers under the pretext of a pandemic. Two, our elites are anti-democratic. They talk of forcing change down the throats of citizens through edicts, executive orders, court decisions or bureaucratic directives. Obama, Newsom, Clinton and the Great Resetters don’t want to put up their agendas for discussion before the people and their elected representatives. 

"Three, behind fancy slogans about not wasting crises, teachable moments and resets is the panic-porn reality that these initiatives are not popular in normal times.... Four, our rich revolutionaries have no record of policy success. Massive borrowing, increasing government powers, restrictions on personal freedoms, higher taxes and more regulations don’t appeal to most Americans. Brexit and pushbacks against the European Union suggest that the same is true abroad.

"Many members of the left-wing elite became wealthy by monetizing their political careers through lucrative insider networking. A cynic might conclude they didn’t go full reset until they first got filthy rich — allowing them not to live like, think like or listen to the rest of us."

Read more: https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/hanson-never-let-a-plague-go-to-waste

California children disguised as illegal migrants

Parents Disguising Kids As Illegal Immigrants So They Can Receive In-Person Teaching | Babylon Bee: 

March 31, 2021 - "Upon hearing that San Diego teachers were providing instruction to migrant children but not American citizens, many clever parents began disguising their kids as illegal immigrants in hopes that their kids could finally see the inside of a classroom.

"'OK, Aiden, remember -- if they ask you what your name is, just say, "No hablo ingles",' said one parent as she dropped her kid off near the Mexican border in Chula Vista. 'And don't pick at your fake mustache; it'll fall off'.... 

"After waving goodbye to the kids, the parents peeled out in their minivans as they experienced their first taste of freedom in over a year -- the kids happily being taught by teachers as the moms went out and got mimosas for brunch.

"Unfortunately, the kids do have to sleep in cages with foil blankets now, but the parents say it's a sacrifice well worth making."

Read more: https://babylonbee.com/news/san-diego-parents-disguising-kids-as-illegal-immigrants-so-they-can-receive-in-person-teaching

A tale of two states

 The Florida Versus California Showdown | American Institute for Economic Research - Amelia Janaskie:

February 22, 2021 - "Florida and California are remarkably similar for their warm climates, beaches, tourist destinations, immigrant populations, and more, but both states could not be more different with respect to the management of the Covid-19 pandemic. Florida operates on close to zero pandemic-related restrictions whereas California maintains strict lockdown policies. In California, virtually all public schools are closed, restaurants must follow unwavering capacity limits, travelers must quarantine for ten days, and on the list goes. Meanwhile, Florida’s schools are all open for in-person instruction, state-wide restrictions do not exist for restaurants, and there is no travel quarantine implemented by the state....

"While the media labels California Governor Newsom a 'lockdown fanatic' for his authoritarian approach, they call Florida Governor DeSantis 'DeathSantis' for being too relaxed. The two governors are polar opposites in how they handle Covid, but their outcomes are peculiarly similar. In total, California experienced more cases per 100,000 people, while Florida had more deaths per 100,000 people. During the summer of 2020, cases and deaths spiked higher in Florida, but the course switched from November through January as cases and deaths peaked in California.... 

Graph courtesy The Dossier

"Rather, the outcomes suggest that lockdown measures might not have a significant impact on lowering the number of Covid cases and deaths. But a more comprehensive look at the economic and social well-being of the states potentially reveals a greater disparity. 

• "First, the unemployment rate in Florida remains consistently lower than California’s. As of December 2020, Florida’s (preliminary) unemployment rate was at 6.1% while California’s was 9%. This means that a staggering 1,700,383 people are unemployed in California, compared to 614,327 in Florida. (The gap between the states is still immense when the numbers are adjusted for population.)
• "The gross domestic product (GDP) of both states is similar, though Florida’s annual rate is slightly higher. California ranks as the largest economy – in terms of GDP – of all US states and even exceeds the United Kingdom’s. So, the drop in California’s GDP is not only steeper than Florida’s but also takes a greater toll on the entire United States economy.
• "Another revealing factor is inbound and outbound migration. According to 2020 data collected from two moving companies (U-Haul and United Van Lines), Florida is among the top states for inbound migration, and California ranks high for outbound migration. While these migration patterns follow previous 2019 moving trends, lockdown policies still might play into other factors for why people are leaving California, including taxes, cost of living, and affordable housing. Florida conversely attracts movers for having no income tax, low housing prices, and agreeable climate....

"While Governor Newsom keeps his state at high level of lockdowns despite glaring consequences, Californians are becoming increasingly irate as they sign a petition for a recall against him. As of February 2nd, Newsom’s approval rating rests at 46%, a sharp drop from September’s rating of 64%. Meanwhile, DeSantis is in the green with an approval rating of 54%....

"California and Florida provide a clear example for the dubious efficacy of Covid-19 restrictions. Their disparities elucidate the enduring costs of lockdowns with regard to the economy and livelihoods of residents. The states also pave the way for us to better understand whether authoritarian measures truly work in controlling a virus and, on a greater scale, the trajectory of human behavior."

Read more: https://www.aier.org/article/the-florida-versus-california-showdown/

Court dismisses CA county's anti-lockdown suit

San Bernardino County sues Gov. Newsom to stop coronavirus lockdown | San Bernardino Sun - Ryan Hagen: 

December 15, 2020 - "San Bernardino County is going to the California Supreme Court in an attempt to stop the stay-at-home order that went into effect in Southern California on Sunday, Dec. 6. In a lawsuit filed directly to the state’s top court late Monday night, Dec. 14, the county argues that Gov. Gavin Newsom had no authority to ban all gatherings except protests and religious services, close many businesses designated as nonessential, end in-person dining at restaurants and cap restaurant’s occupancy at 20%. It asks for a decision by Monday, Dec. 28, when the three-week stay-at-home order is set to either expire or be renewed.

"Newsom’s press office did not respond to an email seeking a response to the lawsuit or the legal authority for the orders.

"Not only does the county think those closures lacked legal authority, it thinks they hurt businesses while only worsening the spread of the novel coronavirus, said Curt Hagman, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors.

"'We feel that we in local government have a better feel for what would work in our communities,' Hagman said in an interview Tuesday. 'When you say people can’t go to restaurants, stores, churches, you’re basically forcing people indoors.' And indoors is where the virus spreads worst, especially if people aren’t wearing masks — which authorities can’t realistically force people to do inside their home, Hagman said.

"In announcing the stay-at-home order — which went into effect when a region has less than 15% of its intensive care unit capacity remaining and last at least three weeks — Newsom said it was necessary to slow the spread of the coronavirus. The virus has spread rapidly since."

Read more: https://www.sbsun.com/2020/12/15/san-bernardino-county-sues-gov-newsom-to-stop-coronavirus-lockdown/

California Supreme Court denies San Bernardino County’s lawsuit to overturn stay-at-home order | East Bay Times - Steve Scauzillo:

January 14, 2021 - "The California Supreme Court ruled against San Bernardino County on Wednesday, Jan. 13, denying its petition to overturn the state’s current stay-at-home order, court records show.... San Bernardino County filed a lawsuit Dec. 14 arguing the order — intended to slow the spread of the coronavirus by banning all gatherings except protests and religious services, closing many types of businesses and halting outdoor dining at restaurants — is illegal and an abuse of power.

"Reasons for not granting the county’s petition were not given. 'I am surprised we didn’t get some kind of legal opinion. I expected the Supreme Court would’ve put some thought behind the denial,' said county Supervisor Curt Hagman on Wednesday....

"In December and earlier this month, the county had received supportive court filings from Yucaipa and Chino Hills. The cities agreed with the county that business closures were hurting the livelihood of proprietors, causing joblessness and were not effective in slowing the spread of the virus. The court’s ruling came down a day after Rancho Cucamonga became the third city to join the lawsuit by filing an amicus curiae, or 'friend of the court,' brief on Tuesday, Jan. 12."

Read more: https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2021/01/14/california-supreme-court-denies-san-bernardino-countys-lawsuit-to-overturn-stay-at-home-order/

The Covid hypocrites

Don’t let COVID-19 lockdowns become a permanent power grab | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - Ben Shapiro:

December 12, 2020 - "This week, as Los Angeles County announced it would lock down all outdoor dining, a video went viral. That video featured restaurant owner Angela Marsden, proprietor of the Pineapple Hill Saloon and Grill, decrying the lockdown policy while pointing to the erection of production catering set up for a Hollywood shoot just a few feet away. 'Everything I own is being taken away from me, and they set up a movie company right next to my outdoor patio,' Marsden said, adding that she has spent approximately $80,000 complying with the requirements of LA County, only to see it shut down her business completely.

"LA Mayor Eric Garcetti — who told police to stand down as rioters tore through his city during a pandemic — said that his 'heart goes out to Ms. Marsden' and then added, 'No one likes these restrictions, but I do support them as our hospital ICU beds fill to capacity.' He explained, 'We must stop this virus before it kills thousands of more Angelenos.' He did not explain why, if outdoor dining was so dangerous, Hollywood is still allowed to engage in it.

"That’s no surprise. Throughout the pandemic, one set of rules has applied to America’s most ardent lockdown advocates, and another set of rules has applied to everyone else. LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl voted to ban outdoor dining ... and then went to an outdoor restaurant later that evening. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is currently locking down some 33 million citizens but had no problem eating indoors with members of the California Medical Association at The French Laundry. Mayor London Breed of San Francisco ate at that same posh restaurant the next day.

"Austin Mayor Steve Adler told his constituents, 'stay home if you can' in a Facebook video filmed from his vacation timeshare in Cabo San Lucas, where he’d just headed with seven others after a wedding in Austin. Mayor Lori Lightfoot of Chicago got her hair cut and called it an 'essential' business activity while promoting lockdown. Gov. Andrew Cuomo told everybody to stay home for Thanksgiving and then announced he would be getting together with his daughters and his 89-year-old mother, only to then reverse himself.

"The message is obvious: Our intellectual and moral betters in politics are free to make their own rational calculations on COVID-19 risk. The rest of us are to be locked in our homes until further notice. When these political actors suggest that we must act out of an abundance of caution, they mean that they ought to enjoy abundance while benefitting from our caution.

"You and your family are capable of making the same decisions Mr. Cuomo, Mr. Garcetti, Mr. Newsom, Ms. Lightfoot and Mr. Adler do. You should be careful; you should engage in social distancing, mask up when in close proximity with others and generally avoid social gatherings involving those with preexisting conditions. But you can do all of these things and still live in a free society. Our politicians don’t believe that.... Until the incentive structures change, our freedoms will continue to be throttled by people who have no problem exercising their own.

"One need not be a COVID-19 skeptic in order to question whether the enthusiastic authoritarian streak revealed by those politicians can be curbed. The longer we tolerate it, the more our politicians will normalize their power grabs."

Read more: https://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2020/12/12/Ben-Shapiro-Don-t-let-COVID-19-lockdowns-become-a-permanent-power-grab/stories/202012120012

2 Libertarians elected to Hanford CA city council

Morrow’s First Action as City Councilwoman is to Make All Businesses in Hanford, California “Essential Businesses” | EIN Presswire (press release):  

December 18, 2020 - "This week on Tuesday evening, the City of Hanford, California swore in two newly elected council members. One of them, Libertarian Kalish Morrow, won the November 3rd election with over 42% of the vote in District B, unseating the incumbent, with the promise of making the city business friendly. She and her supporters ran a positive and unique campaign including park clean ups, charity activities including Habitat for Humanity™ and neighborhood by neighborhood canvassing. She was sworn in by another elected Libertarian, Jeff Hewitt, Riverside County Supervisor District 5.

"In her first action as a councilwoman, Morrow moved to agendize naming all businesses of Hanford essential, not just those that state and county governments deem essential. Morrow said, 'As a result of the pandemic the US economy is in a tailspin due to lockdowns. We cannot continue like this. Families need to put food on their tables and heads of households need to be able to provide that food. Stimulus checks are not the solution, they are not substantial and we will pay for them for decades.'

"Mimi Robson, Chair of the Libertarian Party of California stated, 'Since March politicians have decided which businesses were and weren’t essential, without recognizing that every business is essential to those business owners and their customers. A mom and pop store is more likely to put in place protections for their staff and clients than a big box store, but yet the large corporations that line the pockets of the old parties’ elected representatives are the only ones that have been able to continue doing business. Immediately after taking office Kalish has started the process to change that in her home town and recognize that everyone is essential. This is what Libertarians do!'...

"Hanford City Councilman, Francisco Ramirez, was elected Mayor of Hanford that same night.... Ramirez recently changed his party affiliation to Libertarian from Democrat. Ramirez explains, 'Having been both a registered Republican and Democrat in the past, I became disenchanted in how those two parties limit or remove many of our freedoms. I became a Libertarian because it is the only party that truly fights for our freedoms and it fits my own political and social beliefs best.'

Read more: https://www.einnews.com/pr_news/533044659/kalish-morrow-newly-elected-libertarian-city-councilwoman-is-sworn-in-and-begins-her-business-friendly-plan

Lockdown resistance building in USA

Americans Are in Full Revolt Against Pandemic Lockdowns | Reason - J.D. Tuccille:

December 16, 2020 - "Echoing New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned city residents this week to prepare for a 'full shutdown' as part of ongoing efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19. The two elected officials better not hold their breath waiting for compliance. Evidence from around the country shows that many Americans are thoroughly sick of impoverishing, socially isolating lockdown orders, and are revolting against the often-hypocritical politicians who issue them....

"The mayor commented following Cuomo's ban on indoor dining at New York City restaurants. That was issued a week after Staten Island residents cheered bar owner Daniel Presti, who was arrested for defying pandemic restrictions. Days later, Presti ran his car into a sheriff's deputy who sought to rearrest him for continuing to serve patrons. Both of the deputy's legs were broken. While Presti's level of violent resistance against lockdowns is much too extreme, he's not alone in his opposition. From coast to coast, businesses and individuals are ignoring restrictive rules that threaten their livelihoods, stifle social contact, and threaten to strangle the necessary interactions of everyday life.

"'Another shutdown just isn't an option for us,' the Seven Sirens Brewing Company of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, announced last week on its Facebook page. 'We, and thousands of other small businesses throughout the country simply will not survive'... The brewery is only one of many businesses listed by Pennsylvania Opening Businesses/Defying the Governor, which has over 43,000 members on Facebook as I write. The group encourages the public [to] patronize anybody who bucks state rules to continue offering goods and services to willing customers....

"The ReOpen Minnesota Coalition similarly represents hundreds of businesses defying closure orders and raises money for legal defense against state enforcement actions.... It calls for stripping Gov. Tim Walz of his emergency powers and for ignoring restrictions so that people can decide for themselves when and how to interact.

"On the West Coast, many restaurants also open their doors to customers despite state orders to the contrary. 'While some of the larger chains and corporations are following the orders, many of the mom and pop shops say going to takeout only would put them out of business,' ABC News reported last week.

"The city council in Solvang, a tourism-fueled community in Santa Barbara County, recently voted to ignore shutdown orders that threaten locals' livelihoods. Officials 'directed that the City of Solvang will not actively enforce these latest State shutdown orders, and that the City request the County and State regulators to prioritize education and that they also not enforce the orders within the City limits,' according to a letter from Mayor Ryan Toussaint....

"None of this should be a surprise.... Americans 'are far less willing to comply with shelter-in-place advice today than they were in the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic this spring,' Gallup reported last month. Forty-nine percent 'say they would be very likely to stay home for a month if public health officials recommended it due to a serious outbreak of the virus in their community. This contrasts with solid majorities in the spring who said they were likely to comply with such shelter-in-place advice, including a high of 67% in late March/early April.'

"Politicians actively fanned the flames of resistance with their 'rules are only for the little people' flouting of their own orders. Amidst a flurry of high-profile examples, California Gov. Gavin Newsom's expensive gathering with other officials at The French Laundry stands out for its arrogance. Why should regular people driven to the brink of poverty and despair pay any attention to the dictates of such creatures?

"In distress and after due consideration, many Americans have decided that they shouldn't comply. Individually and in organized groups, often with the support of their communities, people are pushing back against lockdown orders that they find more threatening than COVID-19."

Read more: https://reason.com/2020/12/16/americans-are-in-full-revolt-against-pandemic-lockdowns/

More lockdowns across USA

Millions of Californians put under strict Covid lockdown | The Guardian - Vivian Ho:

December 7, 2020 - "More than three-quarters of California’s population are now living under the harshest lockdowns in the US, as Covid-19 cases hit record levels in the country’s most populous state. Regional stay-at-home restrictions went into effect for nearly 23 million residents in southern California and 4.4 million residents in a large swath of the Central Valley on Sunday night, as ordered by the state governor, Gavin Newsom.... The southern California region and the San Joaquin Valley region joined five counties in the Bay Area region whose local leaders pre-emptively ordered its 6 million residents to enter lockdown starting at 10pm on Sunday.... The restrictions, which require people to stay home and minimize contact with other households, will remain in place for at least three weeks, covering the Christmas holiday. 

"All retail stores can stay open, although at 20% capacity, along with outside spaces such as parks and beaches, but restaurants, bars, hair and nail salons and tattoo shops are required to close."... The new shutdowns were a gut-wrenching move for small businesses. Michelle Saunders James was in tears on Friday at the thought of closing down her Oakland nail salon just five weeks after reopening. 'We wear [face] shields. We take temperatures. We do everything we are told to do so everyone feels safe, including our staff and team,' she told KGO-TV. 'So I don’t understand why it’s not enough, and I’m terribly sad and afraid.'"
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/06/california-covid-lockdown-us-new-cases-hospitalisations-deaths-stay-at-home-order

Whitmer extends Michigan's partial lockdown through Dec. 20 | The Hill - Zack Budryk:

December 7, 2020 - "Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) on Monday extended her statewide partial lockdown order through Dec. 20.... The order ... closes bars and restaurants for dine-in services and restricts in-person instruction at colleges and high schools."
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/529109-whitmer-extends-michigans-partial-lockdown-through-dec-20 

New coronavirus restrictions: Here's what your state is doing to combat rising cases and deaths | USA Today - Grace Hauck & Chris Woodyard: 

December 8, 2020 - "Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker instituted a partial stay-at-home order effective Nov. 6. The revised order seeks to restrict late-night congregating, telling residents to stay home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. ET. But it allows trips to work, running "critical errands," such as going for groceries or for health reasons, and allows people to take walks. Restaurants, liquor stores, gyms, hair salons, theaters and some other recreational businesses and attractions must close from 9:30 p.m. to 5 a.m. as well....

"New Mexico ... Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Nov. 13 announced a two-week 'reset' of heightened public health restrictions from late March and early April. Citizens were ordered to shelter in place, leaving home only for essential trips for health, safety and welfare. All nonessential businesses and nonprofits were to cease in-person activities, per the order.... 

"Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced a three-week, overnight stay-at-home order for Ohioans starting Nov. 19 ... aimed at getting people to stay home from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly.... DeWine also said most retail businesses will be closed during those hours....

"Pennsylvania Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf on Nov. 23 issued a stay-at-home health advisory advising residents to only leave home to go to work or school, or for essential needs, like seeking medical care, going to the grocery store or pharmacy, picking up food or exercising. The advisory will remain in place through Jan. 4, unless an additional advisory is issued."
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/11/13/covid-restrictions-state-list-orders-lockdowns/3761230001/