Complaint against the State Bar + More lawmakers speak out on Dodgers + Dahles write Newsom

Good morning and welcome to the A.M. Alert!

FOUR LAW STUDENTS FILE COMPLAINT AGAINST CALIFORNIA STATE BAR

Last week, four law school graduates with disabilities filed a group complaint against the State Bar of California with the U.S. Department of Justice, alleging that the State Bar routinely denied commonly granted disability accommodations such as more time to take the bar exam, a private room to take the test in or permission to stand and stretch.

“The barriers have created a two-tiered system wherein disabled applicants must spend exceptional resources to access opportunities equal to their non-disabled peers,” according to the complaint.

The complainants were represented Disability Rights Legal Defense Fund and Disability Rights Advocates.

“It has been over thirty years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, but the State Bar of California’s outrageous testing accommodation practices continue to exclude and demean qualified law graduates with disabilities. It’s past time for disability diversity and inclusion in the legal profession. Testing accommodations are a basic right and are critical for diversifying the profession,” said Claudia Center of the Disability Rights Legal Defense Fund.

A spokesman for the State Bar declined to comment when contacted by The Bee Friday.

LEGISLATIVE LGBTQ CAUCUS ISSUES STATEMENT ON LA DODGERS

If the LA Dodgers were hoping that the controversy over their decision to disinvite a group of drag nuns from their June Pride Night event would blow over quickly, they likely were sorely disappointed.

Days after the baseball team tweeted that they were rescinding the invitation to the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence — a group of drag nuns known for their satire of religious intolerance and LGBTQ outreach — to be honored at the June Pride event, California lawmakers and officials continue to decry the decision.

“It is truly disappointing that the Los Angeles Dodgers have caved to pressure from mostly out-of-state conservative organizations and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to remove the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence from its upcoming LGBTQ+ Pride Night,” the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus said in a statement. “...They are not an anti-Catholic group. Pride Month is about supporting and uplifting every member of the LGBTQ+ community, not just when it’s easy and not when it’s not controversial.”

The Los Angeles LGBT Center called on the Dodgers either to restore the invitation or cancel the Pride Night altogether.

“In a year where over 400 pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation are on the books — many of them targeting freedom of speech, expression, and the bodily autonomy of our community — the fight for LGBTQ+ rights is as critical as ever, and unfortunately the Dodgers chose to bow to the religious right rather than stand with our LGBTQ community,” LGBT Center CEO Joe Hollendoner said in a statement.

According to the New York Times, the Dodgers are working on “potential compromise solutions” to address the situation.

REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS WRITE NEWSOM, URGING END TO DROUGHT DECLARATION

Husband-and-wife Northern California lawmaker duo Sen. Brian Dahle and Megan Dahle have written a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom, calling on him to lift the drought declaration for the Klamath Basin.

Earlier this year, after heavy rain and snowfall, Newsom declared that the drought was over in much of the state.

“At that time, you chose to leave the drought declaration in place for the Klamath Basin and its tributaries including the Scott and Shasta Rivers. It is time to lift that declaration along with the emergency drought regulations that continue to put a heavy burden on family farms and ranches in Siskiyou County,” the Dahles wrote.

The lawmakers noted that the Klamath National Forest recently announced that the snow surveys for the Scott River watershed were the highest in years, “with 163% of the average snow water equivalent,” according to the letter.

“There is no longer a drought in the Klamath Basin. There certainly isn’t an emergency that justifies continuing the Water Board’s strict measures and the costs they’ve imposed on agriculture in the region. We urge you to lift the drought designation without further delay,” the letter concludes.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It’s amazing. Seconds after Trump says not to make a deal, the lead GOP negotiator essentially says “yes, sir,” and pulls out of negotiations.The GOP put us in this mess with tax cuts for millionaires and corporations. Now they seem to be pushing the country towards default.”

– Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, via Twitter.

Best of The Bee:

• Gov. Gavin Newsom on Friday signed an executive order laying the groundwork for a bold plan to expedite transportation, water, clean energy and other major infrastructure projects across California, via John Holland and Maggie Angst.

• In Shasta County, moderate Republicans and union organizers push back on “far-right extremism,” via Jenavieve Hatch.

• Undocumented students are one step closer to being able to work on-campus jobs across the University of California’s 10 campuses thanks to a new policy adopted Thursday by the university’s Board of Regents, via Maya Miller.

• A California state agency paid an employee six figures to spend nearly two years at home not working, according to a new report from the California state auditor, via Andrew Sheeler.

• Greenhouse gas reductions, AI regulations: The California bills killed “in one fell swoop,” via Maggie Angst and Andrew Sheeler.