An end to COVID emergency? + Bipartisan call to let Ukrainians in + California gets a D

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

AN END TO THE EMERGENCY?

Via Lindsey Holden...

California has been living under a COVID-19 state of emergency for two years now.

On Tuesday, Republican lawmakers are finally getting a chance to make their case for ending Gov. Gavin Newsom’s emergency declaration, which he announced on March 4, 2020.

The Senate Governmental Organization Committee will hold a hearing to consider Senate Concurrent Resolution 5 from Sen. Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore.

Melendez introduced the resolution way back in December 2020 and has been advocating for it continuously since then.

Maintaining a state of emergency allows Newsom to access federal funds and issue orders to continue California’s COVID response. But lawmakers like Melendez say it gives the governor too much power to override state rules.

Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins announced SCR 5 would get a committee hearing on Feb. 17, the same day Newsom unveiled his post-pandemic SMARTER plan.

“The committee will debate the merits of the resolution and the implications it will have on California’s ability to respond to the COVID emergency,” Atkins said in a news release that day. “I understand we are all tired of living life in an emergency, but ending the emergency must be done responsibly to ensure there are no unintended consequences so we can continue to meet the need of our state’s residents in an unpredictable future.”

Newsom on Feb. 25 announced he would be ending some of the executive orders and provisions he’s issued during the COVID emergency, but he wouldn’t rescind the overall declaration.

“As we move the state’s recovery forward, we’ll continue to focus on scaling back provisions while maintaining essential testing, vaccination and health care system supports that ensure California has the needed tools and flexibility to strategically adapt our response for what lies ahead,” Newsom said in a statement that day.

BIPARTISAN LETTER TO BIDEN CALLS FOR LETTING UKRAINIAN REFUGEES IN

Dozens of Assembly members, both Republican and Democrat, signed on to a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to open the doors and let Ukrainian refugees into the county.

“We appreciate your active support of Ukraine, Mr. President. However, we would request that support include the express approvals needed to enable war-displaced Ukrainians to easily enter our nation,” the letter reads, in part. “Ukraine’s regional neighbors have carried the immediate influx of displaced individuals while other displaced Ukrainians have been turned away at the U.S. border.

“These people need help find pathways for entry on protected status or other forms of refuge or asylum in the U.S. now,” the letter continues.

The letter goes on to ask President Biden to make sure that Ukrainian refugees are prioritized for resettlement in the U.S., and notes that Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal in exchange for U.S. protection.

“If we are to honor our commitment to the people of Ukraine, the U.S. must provide viable pathways for refugee resettlement as a companion to the strict sanctions you have already imposed,” the letter concludes.

You can read the letter for yourself, and see all the Assembly members who signed it, by clicking here.

GROUP GIVES CALIFORNIA A NEAR-FAILING GRADE ON ENVIRONMENTAL ACTION

The group California Environmental Voters is poised to award a “D” grade to California for the state of climate action in 2021, as part of their annual California Environmental Scorecard.

“The organization will shine a light on how oil and gas companies are driving the agenda in Sacramento and reveal how many of California’s legislators take contributions from corporate polluters,” according to a statement from the group.

Taking part in the 11 a.m. press conference to highlight the scorecard will be group CEO Mary Creasman, as well as several lawmakers and officials, including Assemblyman Steve Bennett, Sens. Lena Gonzalez and Scott Wiener and San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The @GOP definition of ‘freedom:’

- Banning books

- Restricting speech in class

- Criminalizing parents of LGBTQ kids

And now, proposing the DEATH PENALTY for women who seek abortions.”

- Gov. Gavin Newsom, via Twitter.

Best of the Bee:

• The California Legislature moved with lightning speed on Monday to pass a bill that would prevent UC Berkeley from having to cut its student enrollment by several thousand, via Andrew Sheeler.

• California gasoline prices are likely to go down – eventually, those monitoring the escalation say, via David Lightman.