While Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom imposes sweeping restrictions to cancel California’s Thanksgiving, state lawmakers are fleeing to Hawaii.
According to Politico on Monday, an estimated 100 people across four states are converging on the shores of Maui for a four-day legislative conference featuring lobbyists and lawmakers brought together by the Independent Voter Project. The gathering will include nearly 20 lawmakers from California and Washington, two states currently ruled by governors declaring war on Thanksgiving.
In Washington, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee banned intermingling between households unless each individual tests negative or undergoes a 14-day quarantine prior.
“We have to rethink these holidays,” Inslee said last week.
In California, congregations of more than three households are prohibited, and those who do get together must do so outdoors. Just one day after announcing the new restrictions, news broke that Newsom enjoyed a lavish dinner party with a dozen other people from several different households, a gathering that flys in the face of his own restrictions.
“I made a bad mistake,” Newsom said after getting caught.
https://twitter.com/ana_r_quintana/status/1328521900251901952?s=20
Now lawmakers from California and Washington will descend on tropical paradise in the Hawaiian islands despite guidelines discouraging such travel after their own states cancelled the fall holiday with little pushback from the state legislatures. According to Politico, conference organizers were also granted special permission from the county to host a group larger than 12 people.
Politico reported that the Independent Voter Project’s Chair and Executive Director Dan Howle would not provide the names of those attending but said the conference typically drew moderate Democrats.
