As legislators take up oversight hearings on vaccine distribution, they also want further action on COVID-19 data sharing, after the governor last week rolled back virus restrictions without articulating what details led to the announcement.
At a news conference, Newsom said the state was using different projections on ICU capacity for February, but why the new plan of action wasn’t used sooner was not clear.
California families and businesses upended by the restrictions still have questions that deserve transparency, Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, told the Northern California Record.
“This should have been happening all along, and should be happening as a matter of course throughout this pandemic,” Kiley said. “Imposing and then lifting restrictions without any rhyme or reason leaves people to wonder what exactly is driving his decision making.”
When the stay-at-home orders should be lifted is open to debate.
“Statements from the administration that the data and modeling are too complicated for public dissemination simply have no place in a democratic republic,” Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron posted on her website. “With my colleagues, I have called on legislative leadership for a joint, bipartisan committee to hold oversight hearings about these issues.”
Waldron and the Republican Assembly Caucus sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins on Jan. 25.
The letter requests, “Data, metrics, calculations, and formulas being used to make decisions regarding stay-at-home orders and vaccine distribution.”
After months of lower ICU projections used as the reopening standard, lawmakers also used social media to express frustration at being caught off guard by the governor’s new strategy.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told the Los Angeles Times he was “anxious” to get further information from the state.
“It’s eroded public trust,” Kiley said. “The public has been asked to make sacrifices that don’t make any sense, so it’s really left people without any faith that the governor is doing the right thing. It’s entirely a consequence of poor leadership and management on the part of the governor.”
There are COVID-19 related oversight hearings scheduled for Feb. 3, but not on data sharing.
A spokesperson for Rendon provided to the Record a Jan. 26 letter, replying to his Republican colleagues’ Jan. 25 letter.
The Rendon letter says committee oversight hearings have been planned on COVID-19 vaccines.
“Like you, I am interested in the most efficient rollout of vaccines and giving Californians the opportunity to resume life as normal, or close to normal,” Rendon said.
“With your cooperation, we already have public, bipartisan oversight hearings planned. This includes a joint hearing by the Accountability and Emergency Response committees next Wednesday, February 3.”
The subject for that meeting says Covid-19 vaccine distribution.
“As you know, the Assembly has also pursued oversight of Governor Newsom’s administration,” Rendon said. “We have held hearings on problems with the Employment Development Department and worked for transparency on spending of emergency allocations by the Legislature.”
The letter concludes, “As always, we share your interest in improving the functions of state government for the benefit of the people of California, and I appreciate your input toward making that happen. At the moment, we consider getting vaccines to the public of paramount interest.”
The Feb. 3 joint hearing of the Accountability and Emergency Response committees is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.