Recall Newsom Petition Hits the Required 1.5 Million Signature Mark

Recall Newsom Petition Hits the Required 1.5 Million Signature Mark

Ever since the Los Angeles Times published a toxic article connecting Recall Newsom petition signers to white supremacists and anti-vaxxers, I have been an ardent advocate for the effort to force a vote of the California governor.

The last time I checked, the number of petition signers was 1.4 million. Recent reports indicate that the activists have gathered the required 1.5 million signatures necessary to get a recall vote on the ballot.

Signature update just now received from @TomDelBecarro, chair of https://t.co/WKBiFgrWqp, the lead committee supporting @GavinNewsom recall: "We are above 1.5 million. The march to 2 million is on." Still must be verified, but recall qualifies with 1.4 million valid signatures

— Carla Marinucci (@cmarinucci) February 10, 2021

The signatures must still be verified. Many believe that officials will analyze them with a fine-tooth comb and toss anything even a little out of place. Therefore the organizers hope to collect a total of 2 million signatures, and they have until March 17th. It appears, at this point, the luck of the Irish will be with them.

There are other signs that leading Democrats believe the once-popular Newsom is spiraling. Biden’s office announced he opposes the effort to recall Newsom, signaling that the campaign is increasingly drawing national attention.

Given an opportunity to weigh in earlier in the day, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said she had “not spoken with the president about the recall” and said that the Biden administration was “closely engaged with [Newsom] and his office” on a range of issues. She was more forceful in a follow-up tweet.

…Newsom officials did not respond to queries about whether the California governor’s team had reached out to the Biden administration about taking a stance on the recall. Newsom had joined other governors for a coronavirus vaccine briefing earlier in the day.

Anne Dunsmore, the campaign manager and finance director of Rescue California 2021, says that the high-level interest suggests Newsom has taken the recall threat seriously.

“When they have to call out the big guns like that it means they know they’re in trouble,” Dunsmore said. “That he had to get them to come out in a White House tweet to say that they don’t support the recall, is more evidence that they’re in trouble.”

Whether or not the recall goes forward and succeeds will be based on Newsom’s actions on pandemic policy from now on. It may explain his newfound interest in reopening schools.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Legislature are getting close to a deal on reopening elementary schools and hope to announce a final plan this week, the governor said Tuesday morning.

Newsom said he met with lawmakers Monday night and that negotiations are progressing.

A key sticking point has been vaccines, and whether teachers will need to be vaccinated before returning to classrooms. Teacher unions argue schools shouldn’t require teachers to return unless they’ve been offered the vaccine.

I would also suggest he call Florida Governor Ron DeSantis rather than Team Biden and perhaps focus more on vaccine distribution and less on masks.

COVID-19 vaccines will be administered at Florida Walmart stores and select Sam’s Club stores starting this week, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

DeSantis made the announcement during a news conference at a Walmart in Jacksonville Tuesday.

Shots will be going into arms at Walmart stores starting Friday, DeSantis said. The doses are for seniors 65 and older and frontline healthcare workers.

An initial supply of 25,000 doses will be going to 119 Walmart stores in 34 Florida counties, DeSantis said.

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