In case you were unaware, it’s important to note that Governor Gavin Newsom is pro bail reform, meaning he’s anti-bail or against bail. Recently, there has been a possible recall for his position, which could benefit the bail industry as a whole.
To catch you up to speed, if passed and signed by Governor Newsom, Senate Bill 262 and Assembly Bill 329 will set bail at $0 (zero dollars) for those who commit a misdemeanor crime and “low-level felonies” and require that bail money be refunded if the one of the following occurs:
- The arrestee makes all of their court appearances.
- The arrestee’s charges are officially dropped.
- The arrestee’s case is dismissed.
It goes without saying what will happen to the bail industry if Senate Bill 262 and Assembly Bill 329 are passed and signed by the governor.
However, in an interesting turn of events, the governor is facing a possible recall due to his actions and missteps concerning Covid-19 and the still on-going pandemic. Specifically, Governor Newsom is the target of a statewide recall effort and activists are already working diligently to ensure the recall actually happens.
Specifically, such activists have already garnered 1.3 million of the estimated 1.5 million signatures needed for the governor’s removal. You may have even recently seen TV ads targeting Governor Newsom.
In addition, businessman and Republican John Cox, who Gavin Newsom beat in the last election, has declared his intention to challenge the governor in the proposed recall election if it does, in fact, qualify for the ballot—or will simply run against him in 2022 if Newsom seeks a second term.
Cox’s stance is simple and can be seen in ads currently running: “I’m a businessman, not a politician. It’s time for a fresh start.”
As mentioned, it has been the governor’s tactics—or lack thereof—concerning Covid-19 that has set this possible recall into motion, including a massive data backlog, dining with friends indoors at a restaurant, and the ongoing unemployment fraud revelations in the state. Last fall, when federal money hit to help families and individuals negatively impacted by the current pandemic, roughly $1 billion was sent to prisoners who fraudulently qualified for assistance, as well as others who openly took advantage of the payment.
Further, a recent state audit estimated that the amount of EDD fraud committed between March and December 2020 in the State of California could be more than $10.4 billion.
Adding insult to injury, there have been myriad issues with vaccine distribution, including the governor’s confusing priorities as to who should get the vaccine first. The problem is that the plan keeps changing, as well as the language that has been presented to the public, such as the word, "tiers." Also, the governor has allowed local health officers to determine who gets the vaccine, meaning the rules change from county to county.
As such, there is a strong belief that this recall effort is gaining some quick, steady traction. In fact, a recent poll revealed that only 46 percent of the state’s voters approve of the governor’s performance—less than half (Berkeley Institute of Public Studies).
Where do you stand on the possible recall of Governor Gavin Newsom?
