Gov. Newsom Announces Salons and Barbers Can Re-Open, Day Before Court was to Rule on Lawsuit
‘Newsom must have known the handwriting was on the wall’
By Katy Grimes
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday during his daily video press briefing that hair salons and barber shops can now re-open in some counties. His announcement came well ahead of his original State 3 re-opening for salons, barbers, gyms and fitness studios, and that is because the federal court was supposed to rule on the lawsuit filed on behalf of the Professional Beauty Federation of California tomorrow.
“Score another victory for the Dhillon Law Group. Several weeks ago, Gavin Newsom said that barbershops would not be opening until late August or early September,” attorney Mark Meuser said on social media. “The Dhillon Law Group filed a lawsuit against Newsom on this issue and the court was supposed to rule on the issue tomorrow.”
The lawsuit was filed May 12, 2020 in U.S. District Court, Central District of California.
“Newsom must have known the handwriting was on the wall and so today, he made an announcement that will start allowing barbers and beauticians across the state to reopen,” Meuser said. “Newsom is doing everything he can to ensure that a court cannot rule that he is violating the fundamental freedoms of all Californians. As long as Newsom keeps depriving Californians of their liberties, I am going to be fighting in the courts to hold him accountable for his tyrannical actions.”
It certainly appears Newsom is trying to get out ahead of the 13 lawsuits, or deflect from them. In his Tuesday video press conference, the governor was asked by a reporter via phone about all of the lawsuits he is facing as a result of his statewide lockdown order, and whether they played a part in his decisions. Newsom actually said that the lawsuits were filed before he became governor.
“It’s just noise,” he said.
Au contraire.
The 13 lawsuits filed against the governor, the Attorney general and State Public Health officer were all filed this year by the Dhillon Law Group and the Center for American Liberty.
California Globe spoke to attorney Meuser who had plenty to say:
“Our lawsuits on behalf of the people are preserving our Republican form of government and not allowing tyrant Newsom to destroy the mental health and financial stability of millions of working Californians just because there is a virus that predominantly kills the elderly who live in nursing homes. The solution to the problem is focusing in on the elderly in nursing homes, not on destroying the livelihood of working families. As long as Newsom continues to attack the fundamental freedoms of all Californians with his arbitrary rules and regulations, we will continue to bring his actions before the courts to adjudicate.”
The Center for American Liberty and Dhillon Law Group are representing the Professional Beauty Federation of California, and salon owners, in their lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Xavier Becerra, California Public Health Officer Sonia Angel, and 12 members of the State Board of Barbering and Cosmetology, for violating the civil rights, right to due process, and the constitutional right to earn a living.
As California Globe reported, for more than two months, California officials have threatened criminal prosecution for violations of the Governor’s Order. “Defendants have effectively taken away Plaintiffs’ lawful right to engage in professional state-licensed activities,” the lawsuit says.
“The points behind the scope of the case is to restore liberty, and the rights of these professionals,” Attorney Dhillon said.
Still meddling in one of the most extensively trained health and safety industries in the state, the California Department of Public Health announced that counties that have attested to meeting the criteria for accelerated re-opening may re-open hair salons and barbershops with modifications:
“Permitted activities include services that can be provided with both the worker and customer wearing face coverings throughout the service,” the governor’s office reported. “These include haircuts, hair coloring, blowouts, weaves and extensions, braiding, lock maintenance, wig maintenance and hair relaxing treatments.”
“Salon activities that cannot be done with face coverings on both the worker and client – or that require touching the client’s face – such as shaving, facial waxing, threading, eyelash services and facials – remain prohibited at this time in all counties. Likewise, nail salons remain closed.”
You can get a haircut but no eyebrow waxing. You can get your hair colored, but not your fingernails. There is no reason given by the Department of Public Health for the still-prohibited salon and barber treatments.
The ongoing disinformation about COVID-19 cases is also frustrating. The Los Angeles Times reported this today: “With cases on track to nearly double in the month of May, the governor has pointed to steady hospitalizations and other metrics as proof that the state is bending the curve.” What the LAT neglects to say is the state and counties are doing more testing than ever. And while they call all positive coronavirus tests “cases,” the recovery rate is still over 98%, if the person tested ever even shows symptoms.
“Governor Newsom is denying over half a million licensed, highly trained professionals their human right to earn a living, and is using the strong arm of the law to punish and grind them into submission.” Harmeet K. Dhillon, CEO Center for American Liberty.
Katy GrimesKaty Grimes, the Editor of the California Globe, is a long-time Investigative Journalist covering the California State Capitol, and the co-author of California’s War Against Donald Trump: Who Wins? Who Loses?
