One week ago, first night of the GOP Convention, many of my GOP state senate colleagues watched the convention together, w/out distancing and w/out masks. Tuesday Sen Brian Jones tested positive for COVID, requiring the rest, as per public health guidelines, to be quarantined.
Many of these GOP colleagues have loudly objected to their quarantine repeatedly over this week. A quarantine that could have been avoided had the simple public health guidelines, we’ve all been advised to follow, been followed.
Tonight, the last night of CA’s legislative session, some GOP reps have taken their objection to new heights actively trying to stop the People’s Business, filibustering & stalling to run down the clock so important bills on police reform, COVID response, housing., don’t pass.
Our Dem leadership introduced a few basic and fair rules: limit debate to 2 senators per side for 2 minutes each so that the Legislature can finish its vital work tonight before the Constitutionally required midnight deadline.
Such a rule was not an attempt to short-circuit democracy as some GOP senators wrongfully claimed. Rather, this is an effective procedure to enable the Legislature to do our best to finish our work before the clock runs out.
We have before us bills that provide a lifeline to both tenants & landlords to protect against evictions & foreclosures, deliver transformative police reform, and tackle single-use plastics.
The fact is some of my Republican colleagues don’t care to have an effective legislature. They are not supportive of justice reform. They don’t want to move policy that might help thousands Californians facing eviction.
Democracy is a team sport. The Legislature is a team sport. One of the teams is acting out and undermining the People’s Business. It’s bad sportsmanship, and it’s wrong.
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