has been insisting for at least two years now that we had to go in person. The Senate allowed remote testimony. No longer as of this year.
Basically, the legislature can make its own rules.
That said, the particular committee we went before was allowed to keep in place remote testimony until this year. It's Aging and Long-term Care, speaking to the needs of older Californians, and the Chair wanted to ensure that members of the public who cannot afford to schlep up to Sacramento, or who had mobility issues, weren't forced to make the trip. She is a Dem from Bakersfield/Kern County, so she understands the time/distance/inability/cost to schlep up to Sac.
However, this year, Speaker Rivas told her that all testimony for her committee had to be in person too.
It is what it is, but Sacramento is a pretty small town for a Capital city, our airport is second tier (It's super nice, but you often have to connect through another city to get here), and this means that the voices of lower income and disabled persons will be left out of the hearing process in a committee that speaks to many of their needs. Which is a shame.
Yeah, I told my boss today I am only wearing soft shoes from hereon out. As you know, Skechers has some cute "dress" shoes that look like business shoes.
