January 25, 2021
Honorable Anthony Rendon Honorable Toni G. Atkins Speaker of the Assembly President pro Tempore of the Senate State Capitol, Room 219 State Capitol, Room 205 Sacramento, CA 95814 Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Speaker Rendon and President Pro Tem Atkins,
We respectfully request that the Legislature convene a joint, bi-partisan committee to hold oversight hearings regarding the Newsom Administration’s unwillingness to share COVID-19 data with the public. To regain the public’s trust, it is crucial that we share data with the public, including the formulas and calculations that are being used to guide the Governor’s decisions related to responding to the pandemic. This information is critical to understanding the reasons behind the abysmal vaccine rollout, as well as the seemingly-random issuance of stay-at-home orders and business closures.
It is important to hold the Administration accountable when so many lives are at stake. During the Governor’s recent stay-at-home order, his Administration has yet to share the data relied upon to lift the order in the Greater Sacramento region, or information in the recent statewide lift, despite the fact that ICU capacity in some regions is far below the 15% threshold he established when he imposed the order. This has confused communities, counties and businesses, leaving them unprepared to take immediate action. The Administration’s justification that the data and modeling are too complicated is both inadequate and quite frankly, insulting. The public has the right to know what is behind his decision-making process.
Specifically we believe the public has a right to the following information: Data, metrics, calculations, and formulas being used to make decisions regarding stay-at- home orders and vaccine distribution. Numbers of vaccines received by the state, locations to where the vaccines have been distributed, information regarding how allocation decisions are being made. Clear direction and data regarding which counties and hospitals receive vaccines, and when. Data reflecting the amount of vaccine that has been distributed and administered, by county and location that has received an allocation.
Without the necessary transparency, the public will increasingly mistrust the Governor and reject his guidelines. As you know, under his most recent stay-at-home order, coronavirus cases have surged, and people continued to gather. This lack of trust is not surprising considering his decision to ban outdoor dining was not supported by data. Without improving transparency, public trust will continue to diminish.
Again, we urge the Assembly and Senate to hold joint, bipartisan oversight hearings to improve transparency, restore the public’s trust, and move forward with a more strategic plan to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Let’s work together to regain the public’s trust and hold the Governor’s administration accountable to the people of our state.
Respectfully,
Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron Assemblymember Heath Flora District 75 District 12
Assemblymember Megan Dahle Assemblymember Jim Patterson District 01 District 23
Assemblymember James Gallagher Assemblymember Devon Mathis District 03 District 26
Assemblymember Thurston Smith
Assemblymember Frank Bigelow District 33 District 05
Assemblymember Vince Fong Assemblymember Kevin Kiley District 34 District 06
Assemblymember Jordan Cunningham Assemblymember Kelly Seyarto District 35 District 67
Assemblymember Steven Choi Assemblymember Tom Lackey District 68 District 36
Assemblymember Randy Voepel District 71 Assemblymember Suzette Valladares District 38
Assemblymember Phillip Chen Assemblymember Janet Nguyen District 55 District 72
Assemblymember Laurie Davies District 73