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Why California Sheriffs Are Rarely Removed From Office

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Villanueva stands at a podium, his hands hold the sides of the podium and it appears as though he's bracing himself. The outgoing sheriff looks down, seemingly dejected.
LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva details his accomplishments during a press conference at the Hall of Justice where he conceded the election to Robert Luna on Nov. 15, 2022. (Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Here are the morning’s top stories on Thursday, December 19, 2024…

  • San Mateo County leaders will soon be asking voters to remove their embattled sheriff from office. It’s likely an unprecedented move. 
  • Amazon workers across Southern California are joining a nationwide strike Thursday, just days before Christmas, as the Teamsters argue the company is denying their right to unionize. 
  • Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday declared a state of emergency to aid California’s response to the bird flu outbreak. The governor says recent cases were detected in cows at four Southern California dairies, meaning the virus has spread from the Central Valley.

California Sheriffs Are Rarely Removed From Office. San Mateo Is Trying Anyway

San Mateo County supervisors are attempting a historic feat in the state: removing an elected sheriff via charter amendment and a simultaneous recall vote.

It’s unclear whether both have been levied against a California sheriff before, but removing a county’s top law enforcement officer has rarely been successful.

County supervisors are asking voters in March to give them the temporary authority to remove Sheriff Christina Corpus two years into her first term after “unprecedented complaints.” An independent investigation found the hallmarks of her administration weren’t the transparency and accountability she promised voters, but rather “lies, secrecy, intimidation, retaliation, conflicts of interest, and abuses of authority.” Corpus has remained steadfast that she would not step down, despite mounting calls for her to resign from state and federal lawmakers, so county officials are taking a two-pronged approach to remove her before she’s up for re-election in 2028.

Sheriffs across the country have largely been spared the wrath of a recall, namely because those campaigns have failed before making it to the ballot or, in some cases, the sheriff resigns before a vote.

Amazon Workers Set To Strike Thursday

Amazon workers across Southern California are joining a nationwide strike, a week before Christmas, as the Teamsters argue the company is denying their right to unionize.

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The union’s decision to strike follows Amazon’s refusal to negotiate labor contracts and working conditions. The workers, based at distribution and fulfillment centers in the City of Industry, Palmdale, San Bernardino and Victorville, are joining what Teamsters considers “the largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history.”

Randy Korgan, the director of Amazon’s Teamsters Division and secretary of Teamsters Local 1932, says workers are fed up with the company’s practices. “Workers all over the country are fed up with low wages and disrespect, and they’re tired of the illegal union busting,” said Korgan. “They’ve reached their limit, and it’s at that point where they’re saying, ‘We want to go on strike.’”

Newsom Declares Bird Flu Emergency As US Sees 1st Severe Human Case

Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in response to the ongoing spread of bird flu among dairy cattle.

The declaration is a sign of growing concern over the situation in California, which has become the epicenter of the nation’s outbreak in cattle. More than 300 dairy herds have tested positive in the state in the last 30 days alone.

Newsom said that cases detected in dairy cows on farms in Southern California showed that expanded monitoring and a more coordinated statewide response is needed in response to the outbreak.

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