2 California cities want to sue the state for making them close beaches in the middle of a pandemic
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California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered all beaches to close, describing closures as a "temporary pause."
Two beach cities in Orange County are taking legal action against the order, however, calling it unnecessary.
"The action by the State prioritizes politics over data," said Lyn Semeta, mayor of Huntington Beach, one of the two locales pursuing legal action.
Dana Point, the other litigious city, "will be seeking a temporary restraining order," said Patrick Munoz, a city attorney.
Starting Friday, California's beaches are closed.
Describing the measure as a "temporary pause," Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday the beaches could reopen soon "if we can get some framework and guidelines to get this right."
But two beach cities in Orange County have balked at the order, and are now pursuing legal action.
"Given that Orange County has among the lowest per-capita COVID-19 death rates in California, the action by the State prioritizes politics over data, in direct contradiction of the Governor's stated goal to allow science and facts to guide our response to this horrible global pandemic," Lyn Semeta, mayor of Huntington Beach, one of the two litigious cities, said in a statement.
Huntington Beach's City Council voted 5-2 directing the City Attorney to challenge Newsom's order.
In addition to shutting down its beaches, Huntington Beach has cordoned off its bike paths, boat ramps, restrooms, parking lots, and associated recreational amenities, the statement said.
Thirty miles south of Huntington Beach, the city of Dana Point is also exploring legal action against Newsom's order.
Dana Point's City Council voted 4-1 to pursue legal action. The city will file a complaint on Friday, according to Dana Point City Attorney Patrick Munoz.
The city is "seeking a temporary restraining order against the governor and state of California for the order to shut down beaches in Orange County," Munoz said during the city council meeting.
"The City will be seeking a temporary restraining order asking the Court to enjoin his order until a full hearing on the merits of the matter can occur," he told CNN.
"Why undo all the great progress?" Newsom asked in a Thursday press conference. "We can talk about that phase two in the next few weeks. The only thing that will set us back is behavior. Not an indictment of the people that wanted to go to the beach."
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