A federal judge is set to rule on a former Congressional candidate’s lawsuit against Gov. Gavin Newsom.
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California Judge John A. Mendez vacated an Aug. 9 hearing on Chris Bish’s motion for summary judgment against Newsom, who filed a cross-motion.
“We're waiting for a ruling,” Bish said. “Newsom tried to get it dismissed by saying my whole case is moot because he lifted most of the order, but not all of it.”
Bish campaigned to represent the 6th Congressional District in Sacramento and surrounding areas however she did not advance out of the June primary.
Instead, it is Tamika Hamilton who secured 17.7% of the vote and will compete in the November election. Bish collected 7.4% of the vote and the Democratic candidate Ami Bera scored 54.1% of the vote.
“I'm going to do what I have to do,” Bish told the Southern California Record. “I've already filed to run again. We’re just rebranding everything for 2024.”
As previously reported in the Southern California Record, Bish sued after she was prohibited from holding peaceful protests on the California State Capitol grounds during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns.
“Plaintiffs’ claims, arising out of these prohibitions, concern weighty First Amendment freedoms—the rights to speak publicly, assemble peacefully, and request redress of grievances,” wrote Bish’s attorney Harmeet Dhillon in her Aug. 29 motion for summary judgment. “The two events at issue, in this case, occurred near the outset of the coronavirus pandemic when there was much uncertainty about the approaching health threat. One thing, however, has been and remains clear—the State may not ignore fundamental constitutional norms during a health crisis.”
Newsom argues in his cross-motion for summary judgment that Bish's First Amendment claims fail because the brief moratorium was necessary to protect the public, was narrowly tailored to evolving circumstances, and to advance a significant governmental interest.
“We're not looking for money,” Bish added. “We're not looking for damages. We're looking for an order that Newsom abused his power.”