Judge rules Gov. Gavin Newsom overstepped his authority
November 15, 2020
In a primarily symbolic decision, a judge ruled Friday that Gov. Gavin Newsom did not have the legal authority to order vote-by-mail ballots sent to all California voters.
Sutter County Superior Court Judge Sarah Heckman ruled that even during a pandemic, Newsom does not have the authority to amend or change election law. The ruling does not impact the 2020 election.
In response to Newsom’s order for all mail-in-ballots, Republican assemblymen James Gallagher and Kevin Kiley filed a suit arguing that it is the legislatures role to change election law, not the governor’s.
Shortly after Newsom made his executive order, the Legislature passed similar legislation.
Even so, Judge Heckman ruled that Newsom’s order is void noting the governor does not have the authority to amend statutory law.
“The California Emergency Services Act does not authorize or empower the governor of the State of California to amend statutory law or make new statutory law, which is exclusively a legislative function not delegated to the governor under the CESA,” Heckman said.
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