3 weeks ago
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FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - On Monday, Fresno Judge Tyler Tharpe ruled against Fresno County's Measure A. It was passed by voters successful March 2024 and would support the sheriff and territory lawyer elections during gubernatorial predetermination cycles.
This has been a combat betwixt the State of California and Fresno County dating backmost to 2022. In September of 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 759, which required each counties to clasp sheriff and territory lawyer elections during statesmanlike predetermination cycles.
However, Fresno County has historically held these elections during gubernatorial cycles and wants to support it that way.
"We heard that Measure A has been defeated, and I'm precise disappointed successful getting that news," said Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig.
After Fresno County residents passed Measure A by 55%, California Attorney General Bob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber filed a suit to invalidate the measure.
In a statement released successful July of 2024, Attorney General Bonta states:
Our ideology works champion erstwhile everyone tin enactment and marque their voices heard. Fresno's Measure A unlawfully conflicts with California instrumentality and has the imaginable to suppress elector turnout.
California Attorney General Bob BontaFresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig worries that adding the Sheriff's and DA's races to a statesmanlike predetermination twelvemonth volition marque the ballot excessively long. Plus, AB 759 extends the presumption for some Sheriff John Zanoni and DA Lisa Smittcamp by 2 years.
"Voters voted them into a four-year term, not a six-year term," Magsig explained.
Fresno County argues that, arsenic a Charter County, the California constitution grants it "substantial" power implicit region elections. However, the lawyer general's bureau states that AB 759 applies to some wide instrumentality and Charter Counties.
"We believed that due to the fact that we're a Charter County and however we were situated, that we had the authorization to bash what we did. But again, the courts person conscionable ruled that nary authorities instrumentality does trump this issue, adjacent implicit the voices of what the nationalist has said they want," Magsig noted.
The committee of supervisors volition sermon this contented during a closed league connected June 10.
"Now, options that we person present astatine the county, we tin entreaty that ruling," Magsig said.
YourCentralValley requested comments from some Zanoni and Smittcamp, who released the pursuing associated statement:
As elected officials, it is our sworn work to uphold the laws of the State of California. Following the ruling issued by Judge Tharpe regarding Measure A, we are prepared to service the afloat six-year presumption that resulted from the implementation of Assembly Bill 759.
We were each elected by Fresno County voters successful 2022 to service four-year terms. However, nether AB 759—passed by the Legislature and signed into instrumentality successful 2022—District Attorney and Sheriff elections statewide person been moved from the gubernatorial predetermination rhythm to the statesmanlike cycle. As a result, our existent presumption person been extended by 2 years, done 2028. This is simply a onetime extension.
While the court’s ruling straight impacts the magnitude of our existent terms, neither the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office nor the Fresno County Sheriff’s Office played immoderate relation successful placing Measure A connected the ballot oregon successful the resulting litigation. This substance rests betwixt the Fresno County Board of Supervisors and the State of California. As noted successful the County’s nationalist statement, the Board volition sermon imaginable adjacent steps during its closed league connected Tuesday, June 10, 2025.
We proceed to person superior concerns astir the legislative process that led to the enactment of AB 759. After sitting successful the Senate Appropriations Committee’s suspense record for implicit a year, the measure precocious rapidly successful the last weeks of the legislative league and was signed into instrumentality by the Governor connected September 29, 2022—with small to nary accidental for nationalist review.
As a result, section governments and voters were excluded from a argumentation determination that straight affects the presumption of their elected officials. While AB 759 remains the law, we stay committed to fulfilling our responsibilities with integrity and dedication for the afloat duration of our terms. We stay focused connected serving the radical of Fresno County and upholding the public’s trust.
