Mostly empty Public Safety Committee Hearing Tuesday 6/15/21. (Photo: Katy Grimes for California Globe)
CA Legislature Continues to Restrict Lobbyist and Public Access in Capitol Hearings
‘Members of the senate are free to sit unmasked side-by-side with each other as if they are somehow more immune to COVID’
By Katy Grimes, May 5, 2022 2:32 pm
Last Thursday the Globe reported that State Capitol leadership is still requiring social distancing in committee hearing rooms, greatly diminishing available seating for lobbyists and members of the public, and denying many access to their elected representatives.
“And adding insult to injury, the Assembly Health Committee did not allow public/lobbyist phone-in testimony Monday,” the Globe reported. “Phone-in testimony, instituted during COVID has been the only way members of the public and many lobbyists have been able to testify at legislative committee hearings.”
The Globe contacted the offices of Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and asked if there is a written policy about social distancing requirements in committee hearings, or if there are ongoing concerns. We did not heard back by publication time, but said we’d update when we do.
The Globe heard from the Senate Pro Tem’s office one week later (today):
“We are continuing to keep some social distancing in place because of the need to ensure that rooms continue to be an environment in which its safe for members of the public and press to watch and participate in hearing. Social distancing remains a tool to manage risk, especially considering that masks are now optional, and vaccines and/or a negative test are not required to attend hearings.”
“The Social distancing has never limited the ability for a lobbyist, member of the public, or member of the press to participate or advocate – we’ve never turned people away. We also continue to utilize phone testimony in the Senate, so members of the public and others can participate in the hearing process, and we livestream hearings so anyone can watch the hearing. Note: We have lifted mask requirements, but continue to strongly encourage people to wear masks while indoors in alignment with health guidelines.”
One lobbyist in Sacramento who asked to remain unnamed disagrees with the Pro Tem’s explanation, pointing out the obvious flaws in the argument for ongoing social distancing in committee hearing rooms:
“It’s completely unreasonable for the Senate to continue to maintain social distancing in committee rooms as a matter of public health or safety. There is no social distancing in the security line. There is no social distancing in the hallways outside of committee rooms. There is no social distancing in member offices or other public spaces of the Capitol building.”
“Members of the Senate are free to sit unmasked side-by-side with each other as if they are somehow more immune to COVID than the members of the public who wish to petition them. At best this is sloppy decision making; at worst it is intentionally designed to limit the number of active participants in the legislative process.”
In many of the committee hearing rooms, less than 15% of the seating is available because of the ongoing social distancing requirements. And as the lobbyist points out, there is no social distancing in the security line, in the Capitol hallways outside of committee rooms, in member offices or other public spaces of the capital building.
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This situation is absurd, which explains Sen Toni Atkins’ office socially-distanced, lockdown-era-like response, and Asm Anthony Rendon’s socially-distanced NON-response. It’s completely outrageous that these silly legislators are still trying to snow the public with Covid word-salad chatter to keep them out. Sure, we know they want the public GONE, that they don’t want to see them or hear them, it ruins their day, but that’s too bad! Why are these legislators allowed to proceed and move this stuff through committees when the process is not being honored at all and the public is still shut out for absolutely no good reason?
ShowandTell, it is absurd alright.
What is even more absurd is Senator Wieckowski (he is the guy in the above picture) ,with a N95 mask on who was always touching it, pulling it down to whisper in someones ear., pulling it down to drink water, touching his fellow committee members.
I also took notice of the plastic barriers in the peanut gallery. Those riff raft might just sneeze and get someone sick!
Cali Girl, you are making a great case that there is no substitute for BEING THERE. There is nothing quite like seeing for yourself the set-up, what goes on, who is there, who is not; nothing quite like being able to talk with others who are there, compare notes, etc. It can be very enlightening. As you know, the devil is often in the (little) details. These observations do not benefit legislators like these, do they. And that is why these Dems have done everything they can, pre-Covid, Covid, post-Covid, eternal-Covid, to shut the public down and, maybe most important, to make it so that legislators don’t have to see that actual citizens, actual Californians —- not shills, not union zombies, not Friends of Whoever —- are THERE. Present and usually not happy.
Unfortunately, they are getting a lot of mileage from their fear campaign. We can all stand in a Costco line go to ball games etc. but not face our so called representatives. It is long over do that we elect a new crop of legislators who want to interact with their constituents.
The city council where I reside will only allow zoom meetings. It has been 2 years and they must love not having us in chambers.
Oh yeah, it’s All-Covid-All-The-Time for my city council too. There is absolutely no justification for it unless you buy into the brainwashing which it appears most who live here do. Annoying hurky-jerky city council meeting technology, very awkward, mayor and city manager and half of council present in chambers, the other half on Zoom, and no public allowed except by phone. The insane rules will discourage most from participating, and of course no showing up en masse for something big, and the city fathers LOVE it. But they always have. And they always will. So sick of this nonsense… You too? ha ha
Appears, they are utilizing the Covid card to cloud transparency.