SACRAMENTO – Today, Assembly Republican Leader Marie Waldron issued the following statement regarding Gov. Gavin Newsom's lack of information sharing and coordination with the Legislature about COVID-19 decisions: 

"On Monday, Governor Newsom vaguely alluded to 'drastic action' if the rate of COVID-19 cases continued to rise and Californians did not change their behavior. Lawmakers were given no further information. Yesterday, California reported the highest single day number of new cases. Again lawmakers were given no further information. Today the governor announced a plan for regional shutdowns, which we learned of first from lobbyists and reporters. The legislative branch cannot keep being left out of the decision-making process.

"Parents, small business owners, public officials and all other Californians are routinely left in the dark about the decision-making process and afforded no opportunity for input ahead of time. 

"We have great concerns about the strategic decisions being handed down and about being able to protect the health, safety and economic vitality of our constituents. We also are concerned about the lack of information made available and the lack of scientific data backing up the decisions, as we are asked daily by concerned constituents about what is going on with their jobs, their kids' schools, their ability to move around their communities and every other facet of daily life. Californians deserve answers, not constantly changing rules and threats."