Public booted from California Senate after threats
SACRAMENTO » The California Senate closed its session to the public a day after two women in attendance made threats against lawmakers, while law enforcement in Sacramento and other state cities girded for possible violence in advance of next week’s inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
The women who shouted the threats Thursday were opposed to mass coronavirus inoculations, not the imminent departure of President Donald Trump, but still spurred Senate leader Toni Atkins to block public access to the Senate gallery.
Members of the public on Friday were sent to a committee room to observe the Senate proceedings remotely. Atkins said the Senate’s lawyers signed off on the restriction.
“We are continuing to evaluate the situation and are working on getting additional information, and will do everything we can to keep members, staff, and
the public who visit the Capitol, safe,” Atkins said in a statement. The Assembly did not take similar precautions.
The Capitol remains closed to the public because of the coronavirus, except for limited access during legislative hearings, and most employees have been working remotely.
California Department of Human Resources director Eraina Ortega said in an email to state employees that due to the potential
for civil unrest and disruptions, “Out of an abundance of caution, all employees in the area should work remotely” through Thursday “unless there is an absolute need for them in the office.”
Atkins would not say if the Senate would seek criminal charges against the women. One yelled that lawmakers would “be the first to go” when “the world collapses” and warned, “We didn’t buy guns for nothing.”
Outside the Capitol a temporary chain link fence went up, bolstering other temporary and permanent barriers, as the California Highway Patrol denied permits for rallies that had been planned there.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday mobilized up 1,000 members of the National Guard to protect the Capitol and other critical infrastructure. He said Friday that they would be deployed to protect “critical assets up and down the state, not just the state Capitol,” though so far it appears no local officials have requested the Guard.
“Rest assured we’ve taken this very, very seriously,” Newsom said.
Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones, whose deputies could be called upon to help protect the state Capitol, told CBS13 that “at least a couple” had attended the rally that preceded the riot.
Attending a presidential rally is constitutionally protected free assembly and is not misconduct, he said in a statement, but the department is investigating if any deputies’ conduct crossed the line.