Merced County sheriff shares letter to state, critical of Newsom’s coronavirus tactics
Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke is highly critical of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his extended “shelter-in-place” orders during the coronavirus pandemic in a letter the sheriff wrote to the state.
The letter was shared on the Merced County Sheriff’s Facebook page on Saturday afternoon.
On Friday, the Atwater City Council unanimously passed a resolution to make Atwater a sanctuary city for all businesses to open amid the coronavirus pandemic. Warnke agreed with the move.
Warnke recently told the Sun-Star, “The Sheriff’s Office will not be enforcing the state’s COVID restrictions for businesses that they consider essential or nonessential.”
Warnke also expressed that same opinion in his letter to the state.
“I WILL NOT be taking any enforcement action in this county for any of the COVID-19 ‘violations,’” Warnke wrote.
Warnke was critical of predictions of doom “that are being fed to our citizens.” from the state government.
Merced County reported 200 positive test results for COVID-19 as of Friday, with 127 people having recovered. There have been six deaths.
“We decide what chances to take based on any risk factor and that includes going to work as a cop for the last 41 years,” Warnke wrote. “The Constitution gives us that right. I doubt that the Governor would ever take a job where the dangers are as constant as they are in my CHOSEN profession. But I, along with millions of men and women do this every day knowing the risks. Nobody has the right to dictate what risks I’m going to take when I leave my house and this includes an elected governor.”
Warnke believes the lockdown in California is based on Newsom’s being able to have control over the citizens of the state.
“(Newsom) is treating this state’s counties as he has claimed to be treated by the President in the very recent past,” Warnke wrote.
Newsom threatened to withhold disaster funding from counties such as Yolo and Sutter that reopened early.
Warnke isn’t the only sheriff to speak out against Newsom. Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsel was critical of Newsom when he closed the beaches in California.
“As Sheriff, I am the protector of constitutional rights in Humboldt County,” Honsel posted on Twitter on April 30, “and if an order is issued that I believe violates our constitutional rights, I will not enforce it.”
Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes also took to Twitter to spar with the governor after he announced he was closing beaches in Orange County in late April.
“I implore the Governor to reconsider his action and work with local authorities, allowing us to address the few while not penalizing the majority,” Sheriff Barnes tweeted.
Warnke wrote that he feels the shutdown is infringing on the constitutional rights of Merced County citizens.
“The citizens themselves can make informed decisions on how to proceed and protect their lives and livelihood and not the Governor of a state,” Warnke wrote. “Remember that the people elected a governor, not an emperor.”
This story was originally published May 16, 2020 at 4:13 PM.
