A judge in California said that a law forcing companies to include women on their corporate boards is unconstitutional. 
In a ruling from Friday, Judge Maureen Duffy-Lewis said California could not prove that the “use of a gender-based classification was necessary to boost California’s economy, improve opportunities for women in the workplace, and protect California taxpayers, public employees, pensions and retirees.”
The California legislature also didn’t think about changing anti-discrimination laws that were already in effect or “putting into effect a new anti-discrimination law focused on the board selection process before Senate Bill 826 was signed into law, Duffy-Lewis wrote,” per the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-05-16/california-law-women-on-corporate-boards-ruled-unconstitutional">Los Angeles Times</a>.
The court also found that the state couldn’t put forward any proof of a certain company that discriminated against a woman and would have been under the law.
Judicial Watch, a conservative legal foundation, brought a challenge against the law in a trial without a jury a few months ago, making the argument that taxpayers should not be forced to pay to make sure corporate boards met a certain gender qualification.
The law dates back to former Democratic Governor of California Jerry Brown, and was signed by Brown in 2018. However, workers with the secretary of state’s office said in the trial that it was essentially useless by 2022.
If a company didn’t meet the quotas, they could be fined $100,000 for a first-time offense and then $300,000 for another, but none were ever issued fines for violations and California wasn’t going to carry out the rule, according to Betsy Bogart, chief of business programs at the secretary of state’s office.
Last year, less than half of the almost 650 applicable companies in California reported they had acted in accordance with the law. &#8220;More than half didn’t file the required disclosure statement, according to the most recent report,” according to <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/judge-says-california-law-requiring-women-on-corporate-boards-is-unconstitutional#:~:text=The%20law%20required%20publicly%20held,required%20to%20have%20three%20women">PBS</a>.
Prior to Brown signing the legislation, the secretary of state at the time — Alex Padilla — told the governor it would be hard to carry out.
“Any attempt by the secretary of state to collect or enforce the fine would likely exceed its authority,” Padilla wrote to Brown in a letter that was incorporated in the trial.
State Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins, who co-authored the legislation, said the decision was a disappointment.
“More women on corporate boards means better decisions and businesses that outperform the competition — that’s a studied, proven fact,” Atkins said in a statement. “We believe this law remains important — despite the disheartening ruling from the Los Angeles Superior Court — and it exemplifies equal access and opportunity, the very bedrock of our democracy. For those still afraid of women in positions of leadership, they need to work on figuring that out because the world is moving on without them.”
Judicial Watch also brought forward another lawsuit concerning a California law that tried to force certain companies in California to have specific diversity requirements for their boards. That law was also found to be unconstitutional by a judge in Los Angeles. The judge did not provide a reason for the decision.
The ruling “declared unconstitutional one of the most blatant and significant attacks in the modern era on constitutional prohibitions against discrimination,” Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2022-04-04/california-corporate-diversity-law-ruled-unconstitutional">said</a> in a statement, per the Los Angeles Times.

4CEE79BC-5AA2-4E96-B47E-7CD273BF81D4_1_201_a

California Law Mandating Women On Corporate Boards Declared Unconstitutional

Judge Declares California Law Mandating That Companies Have Women On Corporate Boards Unconstitutional

California

Constitution

Diversity

Jerry Brown

Judicial Watch

Xavier Becerra

On Tuesday, former California Governor Jerry Brown, speaking at a hearing in front of the House Oversight Committee in Washington D.C., blamed the Trump administration and Republicans for the wildfires ravaging California, saying, “the blood is on your soul.”
<a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/Jerry-Brown-implores-Washington-to-act-on-14571536.php">The San Francisco Chronicle</a> reported that Brown, who cited climate change as the cause of California’s wildfires,  accused Republicans of being “flat Earth” science deniers, adding, “California’s burning while the deniers make a joke out of the standards that protect us all. The blood is on your soul here and I hope you wake up. Because this is not politics, this is life, this is morality. &#8230; This is real.”
The hearing revolved around the Trump Administration’s actions targeting California’s decision to implement higher fuel economy standards in the state. The Chronicle <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/Trump-officials-slam-California-air-rescind-14452049.php">noted in September</a> that the Trump administration revoked the state’s authority to set its own auto-emissions standards; Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Andrew Wheeler stated, “California has the worst air quality in the United States. We hope that the state will focus on these issues rather than trying to set fuel economy standards for the entire country.”
<a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/10/30/jerry-brown-blames-trump-republicans-for-california-fires-the-blood-is-on-your-soul/">Breitbart</a> noted, “Critics fault California and its utility companies for spending money on complying with ‘green’ initiatives rather than on burying power lines. Others also cite homeless camps, where past fires have started, and poor forestry management policies that have barred the clearing of brush that can provide fuel for wildfires.” <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/natural-disasters/wildfires/">National Geographic</a> pointed out, California’s <a href="https://www.fire.ca.gov/media/5511/top20_destruction.pdf">worst fires</a> over the past few years, including the Camp Fire and 2017’s Thomas Fire, started when power lines sparked flames in dry grasses.”
<a href="https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-wildfires">The Insurance Information Institute</a> wrote, “As many as 90 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by people, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. Some human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, downed power lines, negligently discarded cigarettes and intentional acts of arson. The remaining 10 percent are started by lightning or lava.”
In November 2018, Chuck Devore of the Texas Public Policy Foundation wrote in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckdevore/2018/11/27/trumps-right-about-californias-fires-it-wasnt-climate-change-two-new-california-laws-prove-it/#56daeb7222e3">Forbes</a>:
<blockquote>California’s deadliest year of wildfires has been decades in the making, with overlapping environmental rules, both state and federal, making fuel load reductions in forests and coastal chaparral nearly impossible, while hostility towards commercial timber harvesting has allowed a massive build up in tree density and brush with a concurrent reduction of access roads and firebreaks.”</blockquote>
The same month, as <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article221518685.html">The Sacramento Bee</a> reported, after President Trump tweeted, “There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor,” Brown responded by claiming climate change was responsible for the California wildfires, saying, “We have a real challenge here threatening our whole way of life. We’re going to have to invest more and more in adaptation. It’s not millions. It’s billions and tens and probably hundreds of billions (of dollars).” He continued, “Managing all the forests everywhere we can does not stop climate change, and those who deny that definitely are contributing to the tragedies that we are witnessing and will continue to witness.”

California Governor Jerry Brown Addresses Dept. Of Justice Lawsuit Against California

Jerry Brown Snarls At Trump Administration About CA Fires: ‘The Blood Is On Your Soul’

Climate Change

Donald Trump

Fire

In another alarming development in the escalating homeless crisis in San Francisco, a judge let a homeless man shown violently attacking a young woman in security video back onto the streets within just 72 hours of the shocking incident. In response, the victim released the surveillance footage of the assault on Twitter and directed her post to California&#8217;s progressive Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom. The disturbing sequence of events has prompted a response from both Newsom and San Francisco Mayor London Breed — one rather vague and one quite specific.
The incident took place early Sunday morning outside the Watermak apartment complex where Paneez Kosarian lives. Kosarian was allegedly approached by Austin James Vincent, a 25-year-old homeless man, who began to say at first strange, then increasingly threatening things.
&#8220;Kosarian was attempting to get into the building, which is located near Beale and Bryant Streets by the Embarcadero, when Vincent refused to let her inside without him and told her everyone is a robot and he is the last human on earth,&#8221; San Francisco&#8217;s <a href="https://www.kron4.com/news/newsom-breed-comment-on-the-release-of-homeless-man-involved-in-sf-attack/">KRON 4</a> reports. When he allegedly asked her to hand over her wallet and cell phone, which she refused, she tried to get into the door of her apartment complex. That&#8217;s when she says he assaulted her — an attack caught on security cameras.
&#8220;Arrested at the scene, Vincent was arraigned on Tuesday after entering a plea of not guilty to charges of false imprisonment, attempted robbery and two counts of battery and was released,&#8221; the outlet reports.
HotAir&#8217;s <a href="https://hotair.com/archives/john-s-2/2019/08/15/homeless-man-attacked-woman-entering-apartment-building-judge-put-back-streets/">John Sexton</a> notes that police were reportedly called about Vincent before the alleged assault, but, since it was just a loitering call, didn&#8217;t consider it a priority. Officers arrived about a half-hour after the attack.
Despite the seriousnes of the charges, and the available evidence, the suspect was released within less than 72 hours by San Francisco Superior Court Judge Christine Van Aken, who simply asked him to &#8220;report to a caseworker on condition of his release,&#8221; KRON 4 notes.
That prompted Kosarian to take action. On Wednesday, she posted video evidence of the terrifying assault and made sure to direct the post to Newsom.
&#8220;[Gov. Newsom,] Please watch this video of me getting attacked at my front door less than 72-hrs ago,&#8221; she wrote in the post that included video of the violent assault. &#8220;The man who attacked me was released this morning because the judge, Christine Van Aken believes that this man is not a danger to our community. PLEASE SAVE OUR CITY!!&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a> Please watch this video of me getting attacked at my front door less than 72-hrs ago. The man who attacked me was released this morning because the judge, Christine Van Aken believes that this man is not a danger to our community. PLEASE SAVE OUR CITY!! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/savesf?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#savesf</a> <a href="https://t.co/XGzmtSLQpP">pic.twitter.com/XGzmtSLQpP</a>
— Paneez Kosarianfard (@paneezkosarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/paneezkosarian/status/1161829236761489409?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
Kosarian also called for answers from former Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown and demanded that Newsom &#8220;recall&#8221; judge Van Aken. &#8220;I need answers!! [Gov. Brown and Gov. Newsom] recall judge Christine Van Aken, she is not fit for this job and is putting all of our lives in danger. What are you waiting for? Please, you have to do something.&#8221;
<div class="embed tweet">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">I need answers!! <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryBrownGov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JerryBrownGov</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GavinNewsom</a> recall judge Christine Van Aken, she is not fit for this job and is putting all of our lives in danger. What are you waiting for? Please, you have to do something. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/recallchristinevanaken?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#recallchristinevanaken</a>
— Paneez Kosarianfard (@paneezkosarian) <a href="https://twitter.com/paneezkosarian/status/1162004544999395329?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2019</a></blockquote>
</div>
In comments reported by KRON 4, both Newsom and Breed responded to the situation during an an event Thursday focused on affordable housing for teachers and public safety workers.
Newsom kept his comments rather vague, saying only that the alleged attack was &#8220;a very serious issue&#8221; and that it &#8220;goes to the core&#8221; of people&#8217;s safety concerns. &#8220;It goes to the core of people wanting to live in a city as spectacular as [San Francisco] — and that foundation is safety,&#8221; he said.
Breed, on the other hand, specifically called out Judge Van Aken and declared Vincent a clear &#8220;danger to society.&#8221; &#8220;I think it&#8217;s really unfortunate what happened,&#8221; said the mayor. &#8220;I think the judge, unfortunately, made a huge mistake. [The homeless] person is a danger to society.&#8221;
UPDATE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50785/update-after-viral-video-violent-attack-san-fran-james-barrett">After Viral Video Of Violent Attack, San Fran Judge Issues New Order On Homeless Suspect</a>

Gavin Newsom

WATCH: San Fran Judge Releases Homeless Man Charged With Violent Attack On Woman, So She Posts Video Of Attack

Homelessness

San Francisco

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) revealed the list of her four favorite politicians of all time on Friday while appearing on Will Ferrell’s “Ron Burgundy Podcast.”
The Democratic presidential candidate <a href="https://www.iheart.com/podcast/the-ron-burgundy-podcast-30270227/">was quick to name</a> her top three favorites, which consisted of former Rep. Shirley Chisholm (D-NY), who was the first black woman elected to Congress; former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy; and Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican president.
“You know, one of the people I think is really great, who is still living but who has done really great work on an issue like climate change, for example, is Jerry Brown,” Harris said, seemingly placing the former California Governor as her number four pick.
“I mean, I didn’t agree with everything he did, but I do appreciate that he always, as a leader, had a vision of the future and tried to connect where we’re going to end up with where we are now,” she continued. “And thinking about solutions and ways to mitigate harm in the future.”
Harris acknowledged that as she often looks to these individuals for inspiration when she feels exhausted or overwhelmed by politics, especially while she has been campaigning for the Democratic nomination for the presidency.
“Someone I’ve been thinking a lot about, because I am running for president, is Shirley Chisholm,” Harris said. “I love the fact that she would just own that microphone and speak truth. And unburdened by what others might think of as the appropriateness of her being present and speaking as forcefully and as strongly as she did.”
Chisholm became the first black major-party candidate to run for president after she formally launched her campaign in 1972. Her campaign slogan at the time was “Unbought and unbossed,” which has been influential to the California senator.
“I take great inspiration from that [slogan] because she understood that she was a voice of truth and a voice that must be heard,” Harris said. “She just went to that microphone and took hold of it and didn’t ask permission.”
Harris has often expressed her admiration for the former New York congresswoman, especially during Black History Month and Women’s History Month.
“Shirley Chisholm created a path for me and so many others,” she <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/964261538247970816?s=20">tweeted</a> in Feb. 2018. “She is one of the reasons I am serving the people of California in the U.S. Senate today.”
Days later, Harris <a href="https://www.essence.com/news/politics/honor-shirley-chisholm-kamala-harris-yvette-clarke-statue-bill/">penned an op-ed</a> in Essence magazine where she called for more black women to follow in Chisholm’s footsteps and run for elected positions across the country, as well as urging for Congress to pass legislation that would place a statue of Chisholm inside the nation’s Capitol Building.
“Fifty years from now, I hope that statue stands among the other American icons we honor in the Capitol. I hope Black women crowd into the Senators-only elevator, giving every American equal voice and equal representation,” Harris wrote. “And I hope that all our nation’s leaders demonstrate the guts, grit, and grace that Shirley Chisholm taught us.”

Kamala Harris Speaks At Thurgood Marshall College Fund

Kamala Harris Names Her Four All-Time Favorite Politicians. One Is a Beloved Republican.

Abraham Lincoln

Kamala Harris

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Video of surveillance footage posted on Facebook by the Garden Grove Police Department Thursday shows the moment a knife-wielding, &#8220;hate&#8221;-fueled convicted felon unleashed his fury on an innocent woman at an insurance office — one of the half-dozen attacks he conducted over a two-hour period on Wednesday that left four people dead and two wounded.
The woman, who survived the harrowing attack, courageously fights back before the man, who has since been identified as a 33-year-old gang member with a lengthy rap sheet, flees the scene.
The police department <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GardenGrovePD/">posted </a>footage of the attack Thursday along with the suspect&#8217;s booking photos. &#8220;Earlier today we held a press conference to provide the public with more information on the crime spree that occurred yesterday,&#8221; the department states. &#8220;The attached is the suspect&#8217;s booking photos, as well as the video surveillance of one of his attacks. We show this video so that you may see the speed and viciousness his actions.&#8221;
The video comes from surveillance footage that caught the suspect&#8217;s shocking attack on the woman, who manages to fend him off until he appears to rob the store before continuing his two-hour rampage elsewhere (warning: graphic content):
<div class="embed"><iframe width="560" height="317" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50425/officials-convicted-felon-arrested-stabbing-james-barrett">The Daily Wire</a> exclusively reported Thursday, law enforcement personnel in Orange County put part of the blame for the criminal&#8217;s murderous rampage on the reckless policies and neglectful actions of California&#8217;s political leaders, particularly former-Gov. Jerry Brown (D) and former-Attorney General Kama Harris, who is now a Democratic presidential candidate.
&#8220;Records indicate [the suspect] was sentenced to four years in state prison for 14 convictions, for drug possessions, possession of a firearm, an assault weapon and ammunition by a felon,&#8221; <a href="https://abc7.com/video-shows-vicious-attack-in-orange-county-stabbing-spree/5453077/">KABC</a> revealed Thursday. Despite the serious charges, the felon only ended up serving less than 16 months of prison time due to various sentence-reducing policies, in California Assembly Bill 109; he was released in January 2016.
&#8220;The suspect is a Proposition 47 candidate,&#8221; a police source told The Daily Wire in reference to the reduced-sentencing law passed in 2014 and backed by then-Attorney General Kamala Harris. The suspect was first incarcerated that year. While the &#8220;sales pitch&#8221; for both <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_47,_Reduced_Penalties_for_Some_Crimes_Initiative_(2014)">Proposition 47</a> and <a href="https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/proposition57/">Proposition 57</a> was to &#8220;reduce jail overcrowding and focus on education and reform, rather than straight punishment,&#8221; the source said, California&#8217;s political leaders, particularly Brown, failed to &#8220;follow through.&#8221;
&#8220;Brown pushed for the jail reform and won, but then never set anything up on the back end,&#8221; the source told The Daily Wire. &#8220;No facilities have been created for mental health or drug rehab. So now the police can&#8217;t take people to jail, and they don&#8217;t have any rehabilitation clinics to bring them to. The state has basically put the burden on hospitals, which are not equipped to deal with these problems &#8230; Brown made a lot more than one &#8216;train to nowhere&#8217; during his time in office.&#8221;
The mayor of Garden Grove also decried the liberal policies that allowed the dangerous felon to roam free. &#8220;He is a violent criminal who should have never been considered for release,&#8221; said Mayor Steven Jones in comments reported by KABC.

Knife Attack

WATCH: Woman Successfully Fights Off Knife-Wielding Man Arrested For Murderous Rampage

On Wednesday, a 33-year-old man from Orange County went on a two-hour &#8220;anger&#8221;-fueled stabbing and robbing rampage that left four people dead and two wounded. On Thursday, more details about the suspect emerged, including that he is a gang member and convicted felon who managed to serve a stunningly brief sentence for a long list of serious crimes.
The mayor of the town where the suspect began his murderous spree said Thursday that the man should never have been released from prison, while local police pointed to policies pushed by left-wing politicians in recent years as the reason the convicted felon was free to carry out his horrific violence.
&#8220;Records indicate [the suspect] was sentenced to four years in state prison for 14 convictions, for drug possessions, possession of a firearm, an assault weapon and ammunition by a felon,&#8221; <a href="https://abc7.com/video-shows-vicious-attack-in-orange-county-stabbing-spree/5453077/">KABC</a> reports. &#8220;Garden Grove Police Chief Tom DaRe said Castaneda had previously been incarcerated for possession of methamphetamine with the intention to distribute while armed with an assault weapon.&#8221;
Law enforcement officials told reporters Thursday that recent changes made in California Assembly Bill 109 (AB 109) &#8212; promoted and signed into law by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011 &#8212; significantly shortened the felon&#8217;s sentencing. An older California law then enabled him to reduce his time served by about half, allowing him to &#8220;earn a day of credit for each day served,&#8221; KABC explains.
The result is that the violent gang member&#8217;s prison sentence for 14 convictions lasted less than 16 months. He was released on Jan. 14, 2016.
Garden Grove Mayor Steven Jones blasted the policies, particularly AB 109, which allowed the violent criminal to go free. &#8220;He is a violent criminal who should have never been considered for release,&#8221; said Jones in comments reported by KABC.
Local police sources told The Daily Wire that some officers likewise blame left-wing policies and negligent progressive politicians for the ability of violent criminals like the suspect to continue to pose a threat to citizens.
&#8220;The suspect is a Proposition 47 candidate,&#8221; one police source told The Daily Wire in reference to a reduced-sentencing law backed by then-Attorney General Kamala Harris and passed in 2014, the year the felon was first incarcerated. While the &#8220;sales pitch&#8221; for both <a href="https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_47,_Reduced_Penalties_for_Some_Crimes_Initiative_(2014)">Proposition 47</a> and <a href="https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/proposition57/">Proposition 57</a> was to &#8220;reduce jail overcrowding and focus on education and reform, rather than straight punishment,&#8221; the source said, political leaders failed to &#8220;follow through.&#8221;
&#8220;Brown pushed for the jail reform and won, but then never set anything up on the back end,&#8221; said the source. &#8220;No facilities have been created for mental health or drug rehab. So now the police can&#8217;t take people to jail, and they don&#8217;t have any rehabilitation clinics to bring them to. The state has basically put the burden on hospitals, which are not equipped to deal with these problems&#8230; Brown made a lot more than one &#8216;train to nowhere&#8217; during his time in office.&#8221;
After stabbing to death two men at his apartment complex, the suspect carried out what police say were &#8220;random&#8221; attacks on people at multiple locations, including a man at a gas station and a security guard at a 7-Eleven, where he was finally confronted by police and gave himself up. The Garden Grove Police Department posted one shocking surveillance video showing the man attacking a woman at an insurance company. Thankfully, the woman, who fought back courageously, survived (warning: graphic content):
<div class="embed"><iframe width="560" height="317" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/50373/man-goes-2-hour-stabbing-rampage-california-4-dead-james-barrett">Man Goes On ‘Anger’-Fueled Stabbing Rampage In California: 4 Dead, 2 Wounded</a>

Officials: Convicted Felon Arrested For Stabbing Rampage Was Only Free Because Of Liberal Policies

In one of his last speeches as governor of California, Democrat Jerry Brown hit back at critics of his pet &#8220;sanctuary state&#8221; legislation who blame the now-former governor&#8217;s lenient immigration policies for the tragic shooting death of police officer Ronil Singh.
Singh was killed during a routine traffic stop in late December. Singh, a legal immigrant, pulled over a driver he suspected of being under the influence of alcohol, only to find the driver, Gustavo Perez Arriaga, was armed. Arriaga opened fire, killing Singh, and then fled, leading California authorities on a two-day cross-state manhunt.
Arriaga, who was eventually captured along with seven other people who aided and abetted him in eluding police, is an illegal immigrant who was allowed to stay in the state, reportedly because of Brown&#8217;s &#8220;sanctuary state&#8221; policies, even after several arrests and at least two separate DUI convictions, <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/jerry-brown-death-of-police-officer-ronil-singh-had-nothing-to-do-with-californias-sanctuary-status">according to the Washington Examiner</a>.
Brown, who has been open about his own pro-immigration sentiments, called the suggestion that Singh died as a result of his &#8220;sanctuary&#8221; policies, a distraction.
&#8220;I think people now are looking to blame somebody because of the terrible things that happened,&#8221; Brown told media, &#8220;but it had nothing to do with the law of California.&#8221;
That&#8217;s not how the law enforcement officials involved in investigating Singh&#8217;s death and bringing his alleged killer to justice see it. Stanislaus County Sheriff Adam Christianson, who was in charge of the investigation, was clear in the wake of Arriaga&#8217;s capture &#8212; in the absence of Brown&#8217;s sanctuary state policies, Arriaga would not have been returned to the streets following his several run-ins with police.
&#8220;This is a criminal illegal alien with prior criminal activity that should have been reported to ICE,&#8221; the sheriff told a press conference last week. &#8220;We were prohibited, law enforcement was prohibited because of sanctuary laws, and that led to the encounter with Singh.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m suggesting that the outcome could have been different if law enforcement wasn&#8217;t restricted, prohibited or had their hands tied because of political interference,&#8221; he added.
&#8220;Why are we providing sanctuary for criminals, gang members?&#8221; the sheriff concluded. &#8220;It&#8217;s a conversation we need to have.&#8221;
Christanson pointed directly to a state-level policy that he says &#8220;tied law enforcement&#8217;s hands&#8221; when dealing with Arriaga, even though Arriaga had multiple arrests, had been in jail several times, and had two previous convictions for driving under the influence.
Brown contends that his sanctuary policies allow illegal immigrants, who are themselves the victims of crimes, to feel safe in reporting those crimes to police.
Brown packed up and left the California governor&#8217;s office on Monday, ceding the post to former San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom. Brown&#8217;s only advice for the incoming Newsom during the Monday morning transition of power was, &#8220;<a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/01/07/682722290/passing-the-torch-california-gov-jerry-brown-tells-newsom-don-t-screw-it-up">don&#8217;t screw it up</a>.&#8221;

Outgoing California Gov. Jerry Brown Claims Sanctuary State Policy Had Nothing To Do With Cop Killing

Sanctuary Cities

Months ago, California Gov. Jerry Brown urged state lawmakers to loosen restrictive logging regulations put in place to appease environmentalists &#8212; a move that appears to have confirmed that President Trump&#8217;s recent critiques of state logging practices was correct.
<a href="https://www.santacruzsentinel.com/2018/08/23/gov-jerry-brown-proposes-easing-logging-rules-to-thin-forests/?fbclid=IwAR13bm2Uv3XwUB_merQVcqOzgeCr4CMr6d2xrGiL_nQmrACxd542Dp2YsAA">The Santa Cruz Sentinel</a> reported back in August that Brown was proposing one of the most significant changes to the state&#8217;s logging rules in nearly half a century.
&#8220;Gov. Jerry Brown is proposing broad new changes to California&#8217;s logging rules that would allow landowners to cut larger trees and build temporary roads without obtaining a permit as a way to thin more forests across the state,&#8221; the paper reported.
Environmentalists in California weren&#8217;t on board. They&#8217;ve been pushing for years to make California&#8217;s logging rules more restrictive, not less &#8212; but forest fires in recent years appeared to change the calculus for certain lawmakers.
&#8220;Under Brown&#8217;s proposal, private landowners would be able to cut trees up to 36 inches in diameter &#8212; up from the current 26 inches &#8212; on property 300 acres or less without getting a timber harvest permit from the state, as long as their purpose was to thin forests to reduce fire risk,&#8221; the Sentinel reported. &#8220;They also would be able to build roads of up to 600 feet long without getting a permit, as long as they repaired and replanted them.&#8221;
Forests, particularly in northern California, California lawmakers admitted, have become dangerously overgrown. But there&#8217;s currently little incentive for landowners to clear their trees &#8212; they are only allowed to clear dead and decaying wood and undergrowth and can&#8217;t clear healthy tress. By allowing landowners to recover some money from the process &#8212; letting them create and sell lumber, for instance &#8212; it could incentivize them to make bigger changes.
Environmentalists said they were worried landowners would go way too far, cutting down ancient redwoods or clear-cutting property, but even the most ardent environmentalists admit that some thinning is needed.
Despite his own embrace of new logging rules back in August, Gov. Jerry Brown balked at President Donald Trump&#8217;s suggestion that <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/california-wildfires/article/Trump-on-California-s-Camp-Fire-Forest-13380388.php">poor forestry and poor forest management</a> might be to blame for the massive wildfires that ripped through northern and southern California earlier this month, claiming dozens of lives and tens of thousands of acres.
&#8220;There is no reason for these massive, deadly and costly forest fires in California except that forest management is so poor,&#8221; the president tweeted while he was in France observing the 100th anniversary of the armistice that ended World War I. &#8220;Billions of dollars are given each year, with so many lives lost, all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now, or no more Fed payments!&#8221;
&#8220;Our focus is on the Californians impacted by these fires and the first responders and firefighters working around the clock to save lives and property &#8212; not on the president&#8217;s inane, uninformed tweets,&#8221; Brown&#8217;s office responded.
Instead, Brown blamed global warming for the uptick in fires.
The president may not have been wholly correct but it seems he was certainly on to something.
CORRECTION: The original version of this article wrongly suggested that Brown had changed his logging policy in response to the recent forest fires. Brown originally proposed a change in logging policy back in August in advance of the recent forest fires.

TRUMP WAS RIGHT: Jerry Brown Eased California Logging Rules Back In August

Authorities in California say the death toll from a series of wildfires burning across California is now at 25 and climbing rapidly.
<a href="https://www.apnews.com/5e09baf857b84dc784a4b210ac09ee2b">The Associated Press</a> reports that hundreds of people remain missing, many of them from the town of Paradise, in Northern California, which was &#8220;virtually incinerated&#8221; in the wildfires. &#8220;Authorities called in a mobile DNA lab and anthropologists to help identify victims of the most destructive wildfire in California history,&#8221; the AP reports, noting that nearly all of the town&#8217;s 27,000 residents are now without homes.
&#8220;More than 8,000 firefighters in all battled three large wildfires burning across nearly 400 square miles (1,040 square kilometers) in Northern and Southern California, with out-of-state crews continuing to arrive and gusty, blowtorch winds starting up again,&#8221; the AP reports.
Around 300,000 people statewide are under orders to evacuate their homes. The Camp Fire alone, which claimed Paradise in its entirety, has burned 105,000 acres and destroyed more than 6,700 homes and businesses.
Fires are also burning in Southern California, and celebrities like Gerard Butler and Shannon Doherty have lost their homes, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/11/11/robin-thicke-shannen-doherty-lose-homes-california-wildfires/1967227002/">USA Today reports</a>. A fire in Malibu has consumed around 130 acres already, and burned 140 structures, and authorities say it is only around 10% contained.
&#8220;Returned to my house in Malibu after evacuating,&#8221; Butler wrote on Twitter, under a photograph of himself standing in front of the charred remains of his property. &#8220;Inspired as ever by the courage, spirit and sacrifice of firefighters. Thank you @LAFD.&#8221;
Butler took viewers on a small tour of what remained of his large home <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stories/gerardbutler/">on Instagram</a>.
&#8220;Real Housewives of Beverly Hills&#8221; star Camille Grammer was also among the 150 or so Malibu residents who lost their homes. Grammer <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6377849/Robin-Thicke-Gerard-Butler-Camille-Grammer-lose-homes-CA-wildfires.html">posted a shocking photo of flames</a> consuming her home on Instagram, saying she was simply grateful that her family was safe.
&#8220;Luckily we quickly evacuated our house yesterday after a patrol car drove up the street announcing mandatory evacuations,&#8221; she wrote. &#8220;I&#8217;m grateful for my lovely neighbors and friends who kept me informed and for their help this evening.&#8221;
Massive tankers have been called in to help fight the blaze, and California governor Jerry Brown now says he&#8217;ll ask for help from the Trump Administration, even though the governor has been prickly on the subject of President Donald Trump who, just days ago, blamed California&#8217;s &#8220;poor management&#8221; for the fire.
Brown told a press conference Sunday that he believes global warming &#8212; and not poor forest management &#8212; is responsible for the spread of California wildfires.
&#8220;Managing all the forests in everywhere we can does not stop climate change,&#8221; Brown told reporters. &#8220;And those who deny that are definitely contributing to the tragedies that we&#8217;re now witnessing, and will continue to witness in the coming years.&#8221;
Firefighters say that while temperatures have been warmer, homes are being built deeper into the California forests, making them more susceptible to forest fires. California also remains dry; although the state just emerged from a drought, many areas are still recovering.

REPORT: Authorities Say 25 Are Dead In California Fires, Thousands Of Homes And Businesses Burned

In a surprising move, California Governor Jerry Brown vetoed a bill on Sunday that would have mandated public universities in California provide the abortion pill, RU-486, to students. 
<a href="https://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Abortion-pills-at-uc-california-state-SB320-brown-13270520.php?t=de3095fb9c">According to to the San Francisco Chronicle</a>, the bill would have required health centers at the University of California and California State University campuses to provide the pills starting in 2022.
Brown explained why he vetoed the bill <a href="https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SB-320-veto.pdf">in a statement where he claimed</a> a study sponsored by supporters of the bill found that &#8220;the average distance to abortion providers in campus communities varies from five to seven miles&#8221; which he called &#8220;not an unreasonable distance.&#8221;
&#8220;Because the services required by this bill are widely available off-campus this bill is not necessary,&#8221; he concluded.
The push for the legislation reportedly came from UC Berkeley students after they failed to get their own campus to provide the medication. Student health centers at public universities typically do not offer abortions or abortion pills, but instead refer students to off-campus clinics, reports the San Francisco Chronicle.
Outside organizations including the Women&#8217;s Foundation of California and Tara Health Foundation reportedly pledged to give $200,000 to the public university systems and $200,000 to each campus to help pay for staff training and after-hours services.
Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, who introduced the bill, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/california-governor-vetoes-abortion-bill-for-university-campuses">plans on introducing the bill again</a> next session.
&#8220;As the Trump Administration continues to unravel many of the critical health care protections and services for women, legislation such as this is urgently needed to make sure that Californians are able to access the full range of reproductive care regardless of where they may live,&#8221; Leyva said in a statement. 
Students for Life of America applauded the veto in a statement calling it a &#8220;win&#8221; but cautioning that &#8220;it&#8217;s not over.&#8221;
&#8220;Today&#8217;s veto is a victory for all women, students, and taxpayers in California,&#8221; Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America said. &#8220;Students for Life of America is proud to have worked alongside other pro-life groups in California to protect students from the dangerous RU-486 abortion drug. The Pro-Life Generation will continue to fight against all efforts to bring dangerous abortion drugs to college campuses.

California Gov Vetoes Law Mandating Abortion Pill To Be Provided To College Students

Abortion

Speaking with Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC on Monday about climate change, California Governor Jerry Brown consistently ratcheted up his attack on President Trump, first saying he was not normal, then calling him an &#8220;enabler of climate negligence&#8221; and &#8220;saboteur,&#8221; and finally snapping, &#8220;Something&#8217;s got to happen to this guy, because if we don&#8217;t get rid of him, he&#8217;s going to undermine America and even the world.&#8221;
Mitchell stated, &#8220;We&#8217;re in the midst of hurricanes, and the aftermath of hurricanes, and you still have the President of the United States denying the science of climate change. How do you counteract that?&#8221;
Brown replied, &#8220;Firs,t I want to say that it&#8217;s really extraordinary that the president can deny science like that, but he&#8217;s done so many other terr&#8212;what&#8217;s the word, I don&#8217;t even have an adjective. It&#8217;s bad, and how we counteract it is with a climate summit, with normal people respecting the truth, and communicating that with other normal people, and combating the President of the United States in what are lies, distortions, and quite frankly, bizarre behavior.&#8221;
Mitchell pointed out that President Trump&#8217;s decision to exit the Paris climate change agreement does not become official and binding until 2020. She asked what the international impact was from Trump walking away from the agreement.
Brown responded, &#8220;Trump is an enabler. We often hear the term &#8216;enabler.&#8217; He&#8217;s an enabler of climate negligence and climate avoidance. So that&#8217;s what&#8217;s bad about it. So we have to make sure that all these other countries, whether it&#8217;s Russia, or Poland, or South America, Brazil, whatever the heck it is, everybody&#8217;s gotta step up, and the President of the United States should be the cheerleader, the exemplar, and instead, he&#8217;s the saboteur.&#8221;
Mitchell asked, &#8220;&#8220;As a governor, how do you feel when the president of the United States says that nearly 3,000 people did not die in Puerto Rico, even though it was the result of a scientific study and says that it was a Democratic conspiracy to claim all these deaths?&#8221;
Brown answered, &#8220;Well, the problem is, we never had a president who was engaged in this kind of behavior. I mean he&#8217;s not telling the truth; he keeps changing his mind; he&#8217;s sabotaging the world order in many respects. So it&#8217;s unprecedented, it&#8217;s dangerous, and hopefully this election is going to send a strong message to the country; the Democrats will win and then Trump &#8212; well, something&#8217;s got to happen to this guy, because if we don&#8217;t get rid of him, he&#8217;s going to undermine America and even the world.&#8221;
Video below:
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WATCH: Jerry Brown Attacks Trump: ‘Something’s Gotta Happen To This Guy’

Governor Jerry Brown has pardoned an anti-ICE activist facing deportation who helped advance the effort to turn California into a so-called &#8220;sanctuary state.&#8221;
Phal Sok was among three Cambodian refugees with criminal records who <a href="https://lbpost.com/news/gov-brown-pardons-long-beach-man-2-others-facing-deportation-to-cambodia/">recently</a> had their past crimes absolved by the state&#8217;s top executive. Although Sok has been lawfully present in this country since his arrival in the early 1980s, his rap sheet included three felony convictions that made him a deportation target.
<a href="https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Jerry-Brown-s-clemency-18-convicted-murderers-13165107.php">According</a> to the San Francisco Chronicle, the pardons &#8220;wipe the crimes off the California Department of Justice and FBI books.&#8221;
Brown <a href="https://apnews.com/912ecfeab9384abca9179e91ccdb133f">said</a> Sok is currently under removal proceedings. However, the pardon could eliminate the federal government&#8217;s justification for deporting him.
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MUST READ: I Earned My Freedom From Prison, Now I Face Deportation By <a href="https://twitter.com/YouthJusticeLA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YouthJusticeLA</a> Organizer Phal Sok <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/not1more?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/not1more?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">not1more</a><a href="https://t.co/KkOZe1bMnK">https</a><a href="https://t.co/KkOZe1bMnK">://t.co/KkOZe1bMnK</a> <a href="https://t.co/kNCTf3GnP4">pic.twitter.com/kNCTf3GnP4</a>
&#8212; SV De-Bug (@svdebug) <a href="https://twitter.com/svdebug/status/912849223049035777?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 27, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The Sacramento Bee <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article216911115.html">reports</a>:
Sok came to the U.S. at three months old and has lived in the United States legally for 37 years. He was convicted and sentenced in Los Angeles County in 2000 for robbery with the use of a firearm, according to the Governor&#8217;s Office. He served 15 years in prison and was discharged in August 2017.
Brown said he works at a nonprofit &#8220;dedicated to criminal justice reform,&#8221; adding that those who know Sok describe him as a &#8220;tireless advocate for immigrants, particularly refugee children and youth,&#8221; and a &#8220;true American.&#8221;
Sok <a href="https://www.siliconvalleydebug.org/stories/california-gave-me-a-second-chance-and-now-ice-wants-to-deport-me">says</a> he was released from an immigration detention facility last year after &#8220;the community&#8221; paid his bond. Since then, he became an organizer for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/17366/exclusive-soros-funded-activist-deceives-ca-jeffrey-cawood">Youth Justice Coalition (YJC)</a>. The Los Angeles-based group routinely <a href="http://nearchaosblog.com/post/153058894588/group-funded-by-lapd-commish-to-host-black-only">aligns with</a> Black Lives Matter, the ACLU, and California Democratic lawmakers <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/34148/lapd-union-aclu-wants-cops-prosecuted-and-jailed-hank-berrien">seeking to reform</a> the state&#8217;s criminal justice system, oftentimes while impeding federal immigration enforcement. Sok <a href="https://twitter.com/iceoutofca/status/905858589163528192">spoke at rallies</a> promoting the passage of the &#8220;sanctuary state&#8221; bill &#8212; also known as the California Values Act &#8212; which Governor Brown would <a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-ca-brown-california-sanctuary-state-bill-20171005-story.html">sign</a> into law last October.
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Phal speaks in front of <a href="https://twitter.com/JerryBrownGov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JerryBrownGov</a> office. &#8220;This is my country too..&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CAValuesAct?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CAValuesAct</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SB54?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SB54</a> <a href="https://t.co/X6QmGIy3VF">pic.twitter.com/X6QmGIy3VF</a>
&#8212; Carlos Amador (@amadorlara) <a href="https://twitter.com/amadorlara/status/905874540680495105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Immigrant detention is worse than any number of years in state prison,&#8221; Sok is <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sonsandbros/photos/a.636216583082259/1413619732008603/?type=1&amp;theater">quoted</a> as saying. &#8220;It is not conducive for health &#8230; it&#8217;s not meant for anything but to keep you in a box.&#8221;
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Phal Sok shares his experience w incarceration as an immigrant and need for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CAVALUESACT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CAVALUESACT</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SB54?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SB54</a> <a href="https://t.co/9UWLGAJbnF">pic.twitter.com/9UWLGAJbnF</a>
&#8212; ICE out of CA (@iceoutofca) <a href="https://twitter.com/iceoutofca/status/905858589163528192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/25516/33-billion-health-foundation-co-sponsors-anti-cop-jeffrey-cawood">California Endowment</a>, a health foundation which <a href="https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/home/2018/3/6/foundations-california-grants-juvenile-justice-system">funds</a> YJC, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/CalEndow/photos/pb.248422805193353.-2207520000.1535029273./1804392736263011/?type=3&amp;theater">describes</a> Sok as a &#8220;leader working to close immigrant prisons&#8221; who &#8220;is often speaking his truth at &#8216;Schools Not Prisons&#8217; events.&#8221; Sok has also <a href="https://www.cluejustice.org/_clue_la_safe_for_all_responds_to_lapd_chief_s_directive_on_immigration">helped</a> push policy changes within the Los Angeles Police Department that reduced the agency&#8217;s role in immigration violations.
&#8220;Our public servants and public dollars should serve the community, not facilitate our deportation,&#8221; Sok said earlier this year.
One month ago, Sok represented the YJC as a featured panelist in an anti-incarceration <a href="https://twitter.com/emilyclare77/status/1023311129471119360">discussion</a> titled, &#8220;Abolish ICE and Beyond: Imagining and Working Towards a World Without Cages.&#8221; He <a href="https://twitter.com/iceoutofca/status/1023292676274147329">reportedly</a> called for the ICE abolition movement to coalesce with groups advocating for criminal justice reform, united against all systems of oppression.
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Honored to facilitate a dynamic panel <a href="https://twitter.com/iceoutofca?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iceoutofca</a> convening. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AbolishICE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AbolishICE</a> and Beyond: Imagining and Working Towards a World Without Cages. <a href="https://twitter.com/YouthJusticeLA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@YouthJusticeLA</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/survivepunish?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@survivepunish</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/HomieUP_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HomieUP_</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICEoutofCA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICEoutofCA</a> <a href="https://t.co/fYIURVBapG">pic.twitter.com/fYIURVBapG</a>
&#8212; Emily Clare (@emilyclare77) <a href="https://twitter.com/emilyclare77/status/1023311129471119360?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Phal Sok: Abolition is about liberation for all. Not just one. Not just a few. But liberation for all people. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AbolishICE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AbolishICE</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ICEoutofCA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ICEoutofCA</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoCriminalization?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoCriminalization</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NoIncarceration?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NoIncarceration</a>
&#8212; ICE out of CA (@iceoutofca) <a href="https://twitter.com/iceoutofca/status/1023295707719991296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Governor Brown has pardoned several immigrants at risk of deportation since President Donald J. Trump was inaugurated last year. Three U.S. military veterans who had been deported to Mexico <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article144824909.html">received</a> pardons from Brown in April 2017. Just before Christmas, he also <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article191430714.html">pardoned</a> two Cambodian men who faced deportation after being detained during immigration sweeps. Since returning to the governor&#8217;s office in 2011, Brown has <a href="http://www.latimes.com/politics/essential/la-pol-ca-essential-politics-may-2018-gov-jerry-brown-grants-three-dozen-1534540806-htmlstory.html">granted</a> 1,186 pardons and commuted 82 sentences.
This month alone, Brown issued sentence commutations to 31 inmates &#8212; <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article216911115.html">including</a> more than a dozen convicted murderers &#8212; and pardoned 36 formerly incarcerated individuals.
&#8220;Those granted pardons all completed their sentences years ago,&#8221; Brown&#8217;s office <a href="https://apnews.com/912ecfeab9384abca9179e91ccdb133f">said</a> in a statement. &#8220;Pardons are not granted unless they are earned.&#8221;
Follow Jeffrey Cawood on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/Near_Chaos">@Near_Chaos</a>.

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