California Legislature announces COVID-19 oversight hearings
In response to the growing spread of COVID-19, California Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego) and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Lakewood) issued a joint statement confirming that the legislature will begin to conduct COVID-19 oversight hearings during the week of April 12, 2020.
Hearings are expected to oversee Newsom Administration spending in response to the COVID-19 crisis
The bipartisan oversight hearings are expected to gather information on the Newsom Administration’s spending in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before recessing in March, the California Legislature appropriated $1.1 billion in funding at Governor Gavin Newsom’s urging so that he would have resources to commit in responding to the crisis.
The joint statement from California’s two legislative leaders recognizes the need to continue to observe “physical distancing” at this stage in the crisis, but said appropriate accommodations would be made to “ensure public participation” and to “protect public health.”
We expect the details on how the hearings will meet these standards will be forthcoming.
Separately, Senate President Atkins also issued a statement confirming that a Senate hearing will be scheduled for Thursday, April 16 in the State Capitol. The hearing will be the first held by a newly created Senate special budget subcommittee on the COVID-19 response, chaired by Senator Holly J. Mitchell (D-Los Angeles), chair of the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee.