The California Supreme Court has rejected a challenge by two Republican lawmakers who say Governor Newsom acted illegally when he issued emergency orders.
Assembly Members James Gallagher, R-Yuba City (Sutter County), and Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin (Placer County), had briefly won a ruling from a judge in Sutter County last November saying Newsom had exceeded his authority under state law with orders he issued on mail-in voting after declaring a state of emergency in May 2020. In earlier ruling a district court ruled the Governor is authorized to use emergency powers.
The Republican lawmakers asked the state Supreme Court to reconsider that ruling, but they denied to hear the case. The Emergency Services Act gave the governor, during the COVID-19 state of emergency, “complete authority over all agencies of state government,” with the power to issue “such orders and regulations as he deems necessary,” Presiding Justice Vance Raye saidin the 3-0 ruling.