A federal judge has pumped the brakes on a California law banning local and federal officers from wearing masks. But both sides — California lawmakers and the Trump administration — are claiming victory.
In her ruling Monday, District Judge Christina Snyder, a Clinton-appointee, said that because the legislation exempted state law enforcement, it discriminated against federal agents and is therefore unconstitutional. Authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, the law was supposed to go into effect Jan. 1, but has been put on hold after the Trump administration sued last November to block the measure. Snyder’s temporary injunction goes into effect Feb. 19.
U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi called the ruling a “key court victory” on social media, adding that the federal Justice Department will “continue fighting and winning in court for President (Donald) Trump’s law-and-order agenda.”
So why, then, did Wiener also consider the ruling “a huge win”?
Wiener argues that Snyder’s ruling just means the law “must apply to all levels of police,” including state officers, to be considered constitutional.
The San Francisco Democrat said he initially included the carveout based on talks with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office — a claim Newsom’s aides deny, reports The New York Times — and now plans to introduce a bill that includes state officers.
At an unrelated bill signing in Sacramento on Tuesday, Newsom told reporters that he was “disappointed in the (court’s) decision,” and that he believed the measure “should have been a federal masking bill, period.”
In her ruling, Snyder disagreed with the Justice Department’s argument that the law prevents federal agents from doing their jobs. Instead, she said that “the Court finds no cognizable justification for law enforcement officers to conceal their identities during their performance of routine.”
Monday’s ruling also upholds a companion law requiring officers to be readily identifiable, to which the bill’s original author — Sen. Sasha Renée Pérez, a Pasadena Democrat — called a “major victory.”
Focus on Inland Empire: Each Wednesday, CalMatters Inland Empire reporter Aidan McGloin surveys the big stories from that part of California. Read his newsletter and sign up here to receive it.
Other Stories You Should Know
More veteran protections put in place
Newsom signed into law Tuesday a measure that bans unaccredited private companies from billing military veterans for help with their U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs claims, writes CalMatters’ Adam Ashton.
Critics of these private companies argue that they are predatory because consulting fees can often exceed the monthly benefits veterans receive from the VA. Army veteran Adan Montalvo, who CalMatters spoke with last year, was billed $5,500 after receiving benefits that would pay him $1,100 a month.
- Newsom, in a statement: “We are ensuring veterans and service members get to keep more money in their pockets, and not line the coffers of predatory actors.”
Before reaching Newsom’s desk, the bill was one of the most-debated proposals last year, and more than two dozen legislators on both sides of the aisle either opposed the measure or abstained from voting. Critics argued that the legislation limited options for veterans, and that some companies do help service members navigate the slow and laborious VA claims process.
Humboldt loses influential mental health advocate
Celinda Gonzales, a member of the Yurok tribe and mental health advocate, has died at the age of 59 in an apparent murder-suicide, reports CalMatters’ Nigel Duara.
The Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office said they found two bodies in a home in the Yurok reservation village of Weitchpec last week. Though the office did not identify the people they found, the Yurok tribe confirmed Gonzales’ identity on social media.
- The statement: “She was a beloved friend to many Tribal Councilmembers, staff and community members. This is a tremendous tragedy for the Tribe.”
CalMatters spoke with Gonzales in 2020 about her work in suicide prevention in Humboldt County, where more than twice as many residents die by suicide per capita compared to the rest of the state. Motivated by her own family’s losses to suicide, Gonzales trained local police and fire departments to recognize the warning signs of suicide risk.
California Voices
CalMatters columnist Dan Walters: Two Super Bowl ads underscore the anticipated political war between personal injury attorneys, who are backing a ballot measure that holds rideshare companies responsible for passenger injuries, and Uber, which wants to limit the ability of accident victims to sue for damages.
Nearly a year after taking effect, a California law promising accountability for jail deaths has yielded no completed reviews, writes David Myers, former commander and veteran of the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department.
Other things worth your time:
Trump administration to cut $600M in health funding from four states, including CA // The New York Times
Liberal Sen. Bernie Sanders to kick off CA billionaires’ tax campaign // Los Angeles Times
Bill in CA Legislature would make it a crime to collect DNA without consent // The Sacramento Bee
Kaiser, nurses union spar over workers as strike enters third week // Los Angeles Daily News
Bay Area Rep. Khanna who viewed unredacted Epstein files says at least 6 men are implicated // San Francisco Chronicle
SF teachers strike day 2: Late-night talks narrow gaps, but deal elusive // San Francisco Chronicle
LA County identifies the ZIP codes hit hardest by ICE // LAist