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Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
One of Shasta's 2 new supervisors unmoved when it comes to controversial elections panel
Shasta Supervisor Allen Long reiterated Tuesday he will not be nominating anyone to a citizens' advisory panel that for over a year has stirred controversy by spreading misinformation and eroding trust in county elections in the community. The District 2 representative spoke to the Record Searchlight after supervisors voted 5-0 to approve an ordinance for the Shasta County Elections Commission that changes how often panelist meet in election years and nonelection years. Under the new rules, the commission will meet no more than six times in statewide election years and no more than 10 times in years without an election, unless supervisors approve additional meetings. The commission also will have to report to the board twice annually, with one of the reports to include results from an annual survey on voters' trust. Long emphasized his vote Tuesday does not mean he supports the citizens panel. 'I fought my own fight when we came up with all the (amended) terms. I voted against it," Long said. "But this vote today was simply that I respect our board's process, I respect our board's vote, and this was just simply a vote to codify the results of a legitimate board decision a month ago," he added. Before his first meeting in January, the freshman supervisors told the Record Searchlight he saw no reason to have an elections commission because he trusted the county Registrar of Voters Office and what the advisory panel has proposed in the past is not legal. 'We need to stop spending time and money on conspiracy theories and start focusing on making the lives of our citizens better,' he said. Matt Plummer, the board's other freshman supervisor who's been critical of the citizens committee, said he is considering nominating someone to the elections commission. Plummer in the past had said he wasn't sure if he would consider nominating someone to the panel. But 'with it being suspended right now, it's not a top priority,' the District 4 supervisor said after Tuesday's vote. Last month, supervisors voted 4-1 to temporarily suspend meetings of the elections commission until a lawsuit filed against Registrar of Voters Tom Toller is resolved. A hearing for the civil suit is scheduled in court on April 1. Benjamin Hanna is the judge assigned to the case. Supporters of the lawsuit argued Tuesday the commission, which only has three members at this time, should not stop meeting while the county fights the suit. The civil suit was filed by Daniel Ladd and Laura Hobbs, who lost to Long in District 2 in the March 2024 primary and then sued him as well as former Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen. The California Third District Court of Appeal last fall dismissed Hobbs' suit seeking to overturn the results. The new complaint makes many of the same unproven claims Hobbs made after losing to Long. David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He's part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta County supervisor view holding firm about elections commission
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
One of Shasta's 2 new supervisors unmoved when it comes to controversial elections panel
Shasta Supervisor Allen Long reiterated Tuesday he will not be nominating anyone to a citizens' advisory panel that for over a year has stirred controversy by spreading misinformation and eroding trust in county elections in the community. The District 2 representative spoke to the Record Searchlight after supervisors voted 5-0 to approve an ordinance for the Shasta County Elections Commission that changes how often panelist meet in election years and nonelection years. Under the new rules, the commission will meet no more than six times in statewide election years and no more than 10 times in years without an election, unless supervisors approve additional meetings. The commission also will have to report to the board twice annually, with one of the reports to include results from an annual survey on voters' trust. Long emphasized his vote Tuesday does not mean he supports the citizens panel. 'I fought my own fight when we came up with all the (amended) terms. I voted against it," Long said. "But this vote today was simply that I respect our board's process, I respect our board's vote, and this was just simply a vote to codify the results of a legitimate board decision a month ago," he added. Before his first meeting in January, the freshman supervisors told the Record Searchlight he saw no reason to have an elections commission because he trusted the county Registrar of Voters Office and what the advisory panel has proposed in the past is not legal. 'We need to stop spending time and money on conspiracy theories and start focusing on making the lives of our citizens better,' he said. Matt Plummer, the board's other freshman supervisor who's been critical of the citizens committee, said he is considering nominating someone to the elections commission. Plummer in the past had said he wasn't sure if he would consider nominating someone to the panel. But 'with it being suspended right now, it's not a top priority,' the District 4 supervisor said after Tuesday's vote. Last month, supervisors voted 4-1 to temporarily suspend meetings of the elections commission until a lawsuit filed against Registrar of Voters Tom Toller is resolved. A hearing for the civil suit is scheduled in court on April 1. Benjamin Hanna is the judge assigned to the case. Supporters of the lawsuit argued Tuesday the commission, which only has three members at this time, should not stop meeting while the county fights the suit. The civil suit was filed by Daniel Ladd and Laura Hobbs, who lost to Long in District 2 in the March 2024 primary and then sued him as well as former Registrar of Voters Cathy Darling Allen. The California Third District Court of Appeal last fall dismissed Hobbs' suit seeking to overturn the results. The new complaint makes many of the same unproven claims Hobbs made after losing to Long. David Benda covers business, development and anything else that comes up for the USA TODAY Network in Redding. He also writes the weekly "Buzz on the Street" column. He's part of a team of dedicated reporters that investigate wrongdoing, cover breaking news and tell other stories about your community. Reach him on Twitter @DavidBenda_RS or by phone at 1-530-338-8323. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta County supervisor view holding firm about elections commission
