Political Watch: April 15, 2021

• On April 7, the Biden administration announced a series of executive actions around gun violence prevention, such as directing the Justice Department to publish model red flag legislation for states and encouraging Congress to pass similar legislation. “Red flag laws allow family members or law enforcement to petition for a court order temporarily barring people in crisis from accessing firearms if they present a danger to themselves or others,” according to The White House website. U.S. Rep. Salud Carbajal’s (D-Santa Barbara) Extreme Risk Protection Order Act, which he first introduced with U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-California), incentivizes other states to implement these red flag laws. “I lost my older sister to suicide with a firearm at a young age and then, in 2014, our community was rocked by a mass shooting in Isla Vista,” Carbajal said in an April 9 statement reacting to Biden’s actions. “California took decisive action after that shooting and enacted a successful red flag law to give our law enforcement the right tools to prevent gun violence and save lives. … I’m thankful for President Biden’s support, and Sen. Feinstein and I will continue to advocate for this critical legislation to become law.” The congressman’s statement said the act would be reintroduced again the following week. Gov. Gavin Newsom voiced support for Biden’s executive actions in an April 8 statement. “I applaud his orders to diminish the proliferation of untraceable ‘ghost guns,’ invest in violence intervention, and regulate the trade and trafficking of illegal firearms,” Newsom said in the statement. “California is proud to have the strongest gun laws in the nation, including pioneering statewide protections approved by voters in Proposition 63 to ban possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines and require background checks to keep ammunition out of the hands of dangerous people. … We are grateful to now have a partner in the White House who knows we can—and must—do more to end gun violence.”

• Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on April 6 that he plans to fully reopen the California economy on June 15—but only if two criteria are met. First, the vaccine supply must be sufficient enough to inoculate Californians 16 and older who wish to be vaccinated. Second, hospitalization rates must be “stable and low,” according to Newsom’s office. A Beyond the Blueprint memo added that the state will be specifically looking to see if hospitalizations among fully vaccinated individuals are low. The announcement about a potential full economic reopening comes after California surpassed its goal to administer 4 million vaccine doses in the state’s hardest-hit communities, as defined by the Healthy Places Index. California also reached a milestone of 20 million total vaccine doses administered throughout the state, according to the governor’s office. If the two criteria are met by June 15, “everyday activities will be allowed and businesses can open with common-sense risk-reduction measures, including encouraging all Californians to get vaccinated and mandating masking to prevent illness and promote health,” Newsom’s statement said. “The state will continue contact tracing and testing to detect cases early and contain spread of the virus.” As hospitalizations are monitored, the June 15 dates might be revisited, the statement added. When the reopening moves forward, “All sectors listed in the current Blueprint for a Safer Economy grid may return to usual operations in compliance with Cal/OSHA requirements,” according to Newsom’s office. “Large-scale indoor events, such as conventions, will be allowed to occur with testing or vaccination verification requirements.”

• Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham (R-San Luis Obispo) issued a statement on April 8 in response to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) updating its youth sports guidance to allow more spectators. “CDPH’s initial guidance limiting spectators at outdoor youth events to just one parent per participant was incredibly dumb,” Cunningham said in his statement. “Thankfully, the department heard the voices of thousands of California parents who just want to be able to watch their child play the sport they love, and changed the regulations to allow full families to go watch outdoor youth sporting events.” 

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