Is Newsom Walking Back His Student Mandate?

By Kevin Kiley, Republican Assemblyman, District 6

(Gov.) Newsom is starting to walk back his student mandate, stressing the personal belief exemption allows “plenty of latitude for families to make decisions.” 

It's a clear sign he’s looking for a way out, as parents fight back like never before. It also means any attempt by the Legislature to remove the personal belief exemption might be dead on arrival. Still, it’s crucial that we keep up the pressure.

In another good sign, this morning LA Unified appeared to call off its student mandate for the coming semester. Though sadly, it already fired 500 staff, displaying the kind of leadership that’s made the district one of the worst-performing in America.

Meanwhile, Newsom is back from NYC, where he took a break from our “State of Emergency” to promote his book and hit the talk show circuit. He went on the View, the Daily Show, and the Late Late Show in what might have been called a Tour de Lies.

For instance, Newsom claimed “Florida’s death rate is 53% higher than California’s” and “California did better economically than Florida.” In reality, age-adjusted mortality in the two states is similar and California’s unemployment rate is 59% higher.

This comes as the Surgeon General has acknowledged a youth mental health crisis related to COVID shutdowns. No one saw this coming, except literally everyone who cared in the slightest.