In California: San Francisco to require vaccine for all employees; cows stampede in L.A.
Julie MakinenPlus: Britney Spears speaks out and ag unions lose at the Supreme Court
Know someone who cares about the Golden State? Let them know they can sign up for the In California newsletter via this link. I'm Julie Makinen, California editor for the USA Today Network, bringing you today's key headlines.
Big win for ag, bad news for labor: Supreme Court invalidates California union rule
In a blow to labor, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated a rule that allowed union organizers to meet with farmworkers at their place of work up to three hours a day, 120 days a year.
Two California agricultural producers filed the case after organizers with the United Farm Workers sought to access their property to speak with farmworkers. The plaintiffs in Cedar Point Nursery v Hassid, Cedar Point Nursery and Fowler Packing Company, argued the California regulation requiring them to provide such access was unconstitutional and unnecessary.
Dorris-based Cedar Point Nursery grows strawberry plants for commercial growers near the Oregon border; Fowler Packing Company in Fresno ships grapes and citrus.
Wednesday's 6-3 ruling fell along ideological lines, with the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority agreeing with the growers. They held that the access regulations allowed “physical invasion” of the land without compensation.
While growers celebrated the decision, labor activists say it will now be harder to access workers and advocate for their rights. As the decision was announced they vowed it won't stop them from growing their ranks.
One cow killed after 40 escape from slaughterhouse and stampede through LA
Forty cows escaped a slaughterhouse and ended up in a Los Angeles suburb where one was killed after charging a family, authorities said Wednesday.
The cows were reported running loose on the streets of Pico Rivera around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday after a gate at a meatpacking facility was accidentally left open, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a statement according to Associated Press.
The herd made its way to a neighborhood about a mile away and one cow charged at four members of a family, knocking them to the ground. They suffered minor injuries.
A sheriff's deputy shot and killed the cow to protect the family from further injury, the sheriff's department said. The family members were taken to a hospital for treatment.
Pico Rivera City Manager Steve Carmona told KTLA-TV that at one point he had to jump onto a car to get out of the way of the herd.
“It was a pretty scary ordeal,” he said.
Britney Spears: 'I'm not here to be anyone's slave'
Speaking out in court for the first time in more than two years, Britney Spears asked for an end to the conservatorship that has controlled her money and affairs for 13 years. The 39-year-old pop star spoke in open court Wednesday, describing the arrangement as "abusive." "I'm not here to be anyone's slave," Spears said while appearing remotely. "I’ve lied and told the whole world I’m OK and I'm happy. It's a lie… I’m so angry it’s insane."
Newsom recall is officially happening — but when is still unclear
Just 43 voters who signed the petition to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom withdrew their names over the past few months, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, far fewer than opponents of the election would have needed to prevent it from taking place.
Secretary of State Shirley Weber confirmed Wednesday that recall organizers still had enough support to move forward with a special election this year on whether to remove Newsom from office before his term ends in 2023. In a letter, she notified the state Department of Finance to begin its analysis of the cost of the election, which must take place before a date can be set for the vote.
“The proponents of the recall effort against Governor Gavin Newsom have submitted a sufficient number of valid signatures to initiate a recall election,” she wrote.
S.F. will require all city workers to get COVID-19 vaccine.
San Francisco will require all 35,000 city employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus once a vaccine receives full approval from the Food and Drug Administration, city officials said Wednesday, according to the Chronicle.
San Francisco previously said that it will require employees to be vaccinated in high-risk settings like hospitals, nursing homes and jails. The new policy will mandate vaccinations for all city employees, from police and firefighters to train operators and clerks and custodians. It does not cover teachers, who are school district employees.
In California is a roundup of news from across USA Today network newsrooms. Also contributing: San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press. Julie Makinen is California editor for the USA Today Network. Follow her on Twitter at @Julie_Makinen.