Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham attends Hawaii conference amid COVID-19 travel warnings
San Luis Obispo County Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham has joined other state politicians who traveled to Hawaii for an annual, bipartisan policy conference amid the pandemic — saying that he believes Gov. Gavin Newsom’s “lockdown policies” are “draconian and unscientific.”
The California Independent Voter Project’s annual policy conference is being held this week on Maui amid a surge in new coronavirus cases that have pushed California’s positivity rate to 5% over seven days.
On Monday, the state issued another firm warning against non-essential and out-of-state traveling.
The summit, hosted by a San Diego-based group that works to empower “nonpartisan voters and promote nonpartisan election reform through initiatives,” has historically offered a chance for lawmakers, lobbyists and industry representatives to rub elbows over cocktails while discussing policy.
Dan Howle, chairman and executive director for the Independent Voter Project, said about 50 participants are in Hawaii this week, a third of its normal size, including fewer than 20 legislators from multiple states.
Howle declined to say how many California lawmakers are in attendance but said both Democrats and Republicans are participating in the four-day conference that started Monday.
Cunningham added: “I have been saying since April that Governor Newsom’s lockdown policies are draconian and unscientific. Fortunately, thus far, he has stopped short of unconstitutionally attempting to stop interstate travel, close the airports, or make vacations or Thanksgiving illegal.”
Cunningham explains Hawaii trip
Cunningham said he and his family, who joined him, took “all necessary precautions” to protect themselves and those around them while on the trip, “and we will continue to do so back on the Central Coast.”
“This event promotes intelligent public policy in our state,” Cunningham told The Tribune in an email. “In fact, we are here discussing ways we can safely reopen our society and save our small businesses, workers and kids. We paid for my family’s tickets and COVID tests with personal money — no state funds were used.”
Cunningham said that before traveling, “every attendee followed local public health and safety protocols, including testing negative for COVID-19 before getting on the plane.”
“We wear masks in all public spaces and conference rooms and socially distance ourselves from other visitors, complying with all health protocols,” Cunningham wrote. “This is a safe environment.”
Non-essential travel warnings issued by California
The Department of Public Health has recommended anyone traveling into California from another part of the country or internationally to quarantine for two weeks. Hawaii requires travelers to either isolate for 14 days upon entrance into the state, or prove they’ve had a negative COVID-19 test result within the last 72 hours.
Howle said the organization has been working for months with the hotel, which hosts the summit each year, to make sure the event was as safe as possible and in accordance with Hawaii’s stringent COVID-19 guidelines. Attendees are wearing masks, adhering to food and drink regulations, and physically distancing from others.
A worker for Fairmont Kea Lani, the southwest coast resort with rates into the hundreds of dollars that’s hosting the summit, confirmed that participants had to show proof of a negative test result before they attended any events or wandered through the hotel. Anyone who did not have the test results available yet was required to quarantine.
According to the resort’s website, all guests are required to wear face coverings while in public spaces and asked to maintain social distancing. Temperature checks “may also be required.”
“Nobody has been walking around without masks. They’re not complaining about it,” Howle said. “Of course, they’re in Maui.”
Participants are also being encouraged, Howle said, to quarantine when they return back home, and to get tested for COVID-19 five days later.
“If it does not come back negative, notify us so we can notify the hotel, the airlines and everyone in that stream,” he said.
Newsom apologized for attending birthday party
The Hawaii trip follows on the heels of backlash over Newsom attending a friend and political adviser’s 50th birthday party at a Napa County restaurant called French Laundry, known for its expensive meals.
Newsom apologized following the San Francisco Chronicle’s report of the Nov. 6 party and reiterated his regret Monday during a press conference.
“I made a bad mistake,” Newsom said. “The spirit of what I’m preaching all the time was contradictory, and I’ve got to own that, so I’m going to apologize to you.”
Faced with questions on the public policy benefit of a trip to Hawaii for a four-day event amid the nation’s worst COVID-19 surge, Howle also said participants are learning about how to reopen the economy safely, especially within the hotel and services sector.
“There’s a lot of different ideas about how we can get people’s businesses (open), about starting the process of bringing people back to some semblance of normal,” Howle said. “And because we have this long relationship with the hotel we agreed, let’s give this a try.”
This story was originally published November 18, 2020 at 12:19 PM.
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