Will the Capitol close? + California still counting + Sacramento March for Life + Finding the missing
Good morning! It’s Wednesday and the week is halfway done. You’ve got this!
THE SESSION MUST GO ON
Schools have closed. Companies have ordered their employees to stay home. Universities have moved to online lectures.
But onward goes the Legislature.
As the new coronavirus spreads through California and public health officials scramble to contain its reach, Democratic leaders in Sacramento say that calendars, so far, remain unchanged.
Senate — Pro Tem Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, said the upper house is following public health guidelines but has not made any scheduling changes so far.
“We are monitoring COVID-19 closely and are following the California Department of Public Health’s recommendations on large gatherings,” she said. “At this time, the Senate is not recommending any changes to the way it conducts its business but understands the fluidity of the situation and may issue further guidance if needed.”
Assembly — Same goes for Speaker Anthony Rendon’s members, who are getting a hygiene refresher.
“As of today, the Assembly is not planning on changing how it conducts business in the legislature,” spokeswoman Katie Talbot told me in an email. “While risk is low, the Assembly recognizes the situation may change, and will be prepared to respond accordingly. The Assembly is encouraging Members and staff to wash their hands frequently, limit touching of their faces, and to stay home if they are sick.”
And then there’s this — *Pushes glasses up nose*
According to Article IV, Section 7 (d) of the California Constitution, “Neither house without the consent of the other may recess for more than 10 days or to any other place.”
Should anything change, we’ll let you know.
Many thanks to Alex Vassar for the research help.
COVID-19 UPDATES
Via Sophia Bollag
Coronavirus patients who are not sick enough to need hospital care but could be contagious are being quarantined in hotels in San Mateo and Monterey counties, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Tuesday.
The hotels are “100 percent secure, 100 percent segregated from the general public,” Newsom said during a news conference at the Capitol.
Those quarantined in the hotels are among the 26 people who tested positive for the coronavirus aboard the Grand Princess cruise ship docked at the Port of Oakland. Once they were evacuated from the ship, they were all taken to hospitals, where some were determined to be well enough to be released.
Newsom also pressed major sports leagues to do more to protect fans. He didn’t call for cancellations of games, but he encouraged people to think twice about “nonessential” events.
NUMBER OF THE DAY
What do 17 votes get you?
For Republican Assemblyman Tyler Diep, a marginal lead over Democratic challenger Diedre Nguyen.
The Westminster Republican is barely holding on to his second-place finish in the race to maintain his 72nd District seat, with 25.2 percent of the vote, or 25,797 votes, according to Tuesday’s Orange County election results.
Diep voted for Assembly 5, the new state law that expands employment benefits to more workers. It’s unpopular among some Republicans, and his vote lent ammunition to his GOP challenger, former state Sen. Janet Nguyen. She has a healthy lead with more than 34 percent of the vote.
IN CASE YOU FORGOT
California is a little preoccupied these days, but votes are still being counted.
Here’s where we’re at on delegate counts, per the Associated Press:
Bernie Sanders: 186
Joe Biden: 150
Mike Bloomberg: 15
Elizabeth Warren: 5
MARCH FOR LIFE IN SACRAMENTO
This summer, Sacramento will host a California March for Life.
The event is a partnership with the California Family Council, and will feature a rally and a march “to call for an end to pro-abortion extremism in the state,” according to a March for Life statement.
“California claims to be the epicenter of the ‘progressive’ agenda, but when it comes to treating every human life with dignity and respect our Golden State has a tarnished record. That’s why California Family Council is thrilled to partner with our friends at the March for Life to host a peaceful gathering on June 23 on the steps of the Capitol,” said CFC President Jonathan Keller.
More details about the event, including a list of speakers, will be released soon.
MISSING PERSONS HEARING
Every year, 39,000 adults and 76,000 children are reported missing in the Golden State.
On Wednesday, the Senate Select Committee on Missing and Unidentified Persons will hold a hearing, chaired by Sen. Cathleen Galgiani, D-Stockton, to investigate how missing person cases are handled in the state.
“Missing person cases are especially devastating for families and hard to forget for dedicated law enforcement officers who have led such investigations,” Galgiani said in a statement. “I look forward to hearing from the people on the front lines working so hard to find our loved ones, to thank them, and to figure out ways to help them.”
Panelists will include a representative from California Peace Officer Standards and Training, a deputy from the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, a communications supervisor from the Citrus Heights Police Department, a criminal investigator from the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office and representatives from the Attorney General’s Office.
Representatives also will be on hand from three government-sponsored databases to address the committee.
“It’s hard for family members of missing loved ones to navigate the current maze of information available. Which database to search can be quite confusing and frustrating for the victim’s families,” Galgiani said.
Best of the Bee:
A California prison warden left his job last fall after he stole from an Amador County thrift store, according to a California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation investigation, by Wes Venteicher.
$300,000 a year isn’t enough to convince psychiatrists to work at California prisons, by Wes Venteicher
Sacramento officials have reached a tentative deal to pay out more than $500,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of 84 people who were arrested during a march in Sacramento last year as they protested the decision not to prosecute the police officers who shot Stephon Clark to death, the plaintiffs’ lawyer says, by Sam Stanton