Assemblyman Kevin Kiley (R-Roseville) stands by his resolution for public testimony even though Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon allegedly retracted the announcement last week that telephone testimony would be banned.
“I'm moving forward with the resolution just to make sure they can’t pull back at some point in the future,” Assemblyman Kiley told the Southern California Record.
Speaker Rendon had announced last week that the Assembly would only accept commentary from the public by a remote video station when the Assembly returns, according to media reports.
“Unfortunately, a lot of people at our Capitol don't welcome public participation the way that we should and so I've been fighting for a long time trying to make the capital more accessible so people can actually make their voice heard but the impetus is all too often to do the opposite," Kiley said in an interview. "This was just one example of that."
In response, Kiley drafted a resolution which states:
“For the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, all committees shall allow the public to provide legislative testimony via telephone. This rule shall remain in effect until all state and local emergencies related to COVID-19 are lifted.”
In two July 2 tweets on Twitter, Kiley blasted the attempt to only accept commentary from the public by a remote video station:
“Today, the State Assembly abandoned the most basic requirement of democracy: the right of the people to participate in their government. This cannot stand. I’m introducing a House Resolution to restore public testimony on all legislation.”
"Just when you thought the Capitol couldn't get any more insular, the Assembly has decided to stop letting members of the public testify remotely by phone. But don't worry: you're still allowed to send "a letter in the US mail."
The Assembly was scheduled to return to session next week however that date has been postponed because people have tested positive for coronavirus in the building, according to Kiley.
“I'm glad that I was able to get Speaker Rendon to reverse it but the fact that he even considered it is pretty shocking,” said Kiley. “Specifically, here in California, it's been unfortunately part and parcel of a trend in recent years towards making our state less democratic, less open to public participation and less in touch with the people of California. There are many ways things have gotten worse in that respect but I'm hopeful that with this reversal maybe we can start a new trend towards making our path a little more open not more insulated.”