By BARBARA SIMPSON
It’s amazing what doesn’t get in daily news coverage even though it’s something that affects thousands – sometimes millions of people.
I admit, even though I used to work in daily television news as an anchor, and an investigative reporter, I ignore most TV news today. In fact, I get most of my news by scanning the Internet. I look at a whole variety of sources, and it’s amazing what I find.
A perfect example is what I discovered today — and I give advance warning to Californians, get ready for a shock!
California media have been filled with the boasts of Gov. Gavin Newsom about what he is calling his $75 billion budget surplus. He has been quoted as saying it “is an historic, transformational budget.” While budget analysts for the legislature are not quite so effusive, the fact remains that any discussion about how much money the state government has to spend on the myriad of items in the budget, something was just announced that is being ignored in mainstream coverage of the issue.
Think back to the beginning of the COVID scare. Remember when it was announced that the governor ordered that church services be discontinued? The idea was that it was not safe for people to be in such situations where they might transmit the virus. There was a whole list of regulations concerning such gatherings — the most restrictive in the country — ranging from total elimination of those services to, later, a slowly relaxed version of how people might worship.
As reported by Liberty Counsel, as of March 19, 2020, worship was prohibited. Then, May 26 to July 12, no more than 100 people. July 13, 2020, to April 8, 2021 — no worship for over 90 percent of California. April 9-12 — restrictions on singing and chanting continue but those on Bible studies lifted. On May 17, 2021, discriminatory restrictions on churches were permanently removed.
When orders were first announced from Sacramento, Pastor Che Ahn, founder of Harvest Rock Church, and the Harvest International Ministry were threatened by the Pasadena criminal prosecutor, that the staff and anyone who attended church would face criminal charges, each of up to a year in prison and $1,000 daily fines!
Pastor Ahn resisted these unconstitutional executive orders, took the issues to court, and now it has been announced: He won! Every church in California is now free of these rules.
On May 17, a California District Court entered an order approving Liberty Counsel’s settlement of the lawsuit on behalf of Harvest Rock Church and Harvest International Ministry against Gov. Newsom.
It’s the first statewide, permanent injunction in the country against COVID restrictions on churches and places of worship. There can be NO restrictions on church worship in the state. Keep in mind that in June, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Newsom’s restrictions on home Bible study and worship violate the First Amendment.
It is clear this case sets precedent not only for California but for the country in protecting our right to freedom of worship.
An important part of the final agreement, to which the governor agreed, is that he must pay Liberty Counsel $1,350,000 to reimburse attorney fees and costs.
What?
Yes, that is part of the agreement, and that money will come from funds Californians paid in taxes to the state — NOT from Newsom’s own bank account.
It seems to me it’s an important news story. Think of it: More than a million and a quarter dollars to be paid as a fine for something the governor did — but I’ve not seen one line of coverage in local newspapers nor on broadcast news.
I guess those news editors want to protect Newsom from criticism, especially since he is facing possible recall. The only news we Californians are getting about Newsom is positive — about his “wonderful surplus” and how he is spreading out millions of dollars across the state as a means to soften voters so they will not vote him out of office.
(This article first appeared May 21 on WorldNetDaily.)
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