Breaking: Measure B struck down in Shasta court
The measure, passed by voters in the June primary election, would’ve made significant changes to Shasta’s elections law. Judge Benjamin Hanna quickly ruled against the measure in court today.
Measure B has been struck down in court.
A hearing was held this morning at the Shasta County Superior Court to evaluate the fate of the measure passed by voters in the June primary election. Proponents of the measure advertised it as a voter ID law, but it also included several other provisions that would’ve made significant changes to Shasta’s elections, a number of which are illegal in California.
Just 10 days after the June election — once it became clear Measure B would pass — the California Attorney General’s Office and Secretary of State’s Office filed a lawsuit against Shasta County to stop implementation of the measure, with Attorney General Rob Bonta arguing that it was “legally indefensible.”
In August, Shasta County Superior Court Judge Benjamin Hanna responded to that suit by temporarily suspending the measure, rendering it ineffective during the November election while it continued being argued in the courts.
Hanna was quick to rule against the measure in court this morning, with little deliberation between him and the attorneys representing each side in the case. The hearing in total lasted only around half an hour.
Attorney Alexander Haberbush, who represents the proponents of the measure and attended court virtually, argued the legality of Measure B for about 15 minutes during the hearing. He brought up several related cases, including Huntington Beach’s voter ID law, which was also struck down after legal action by the attorney general and secretary of state.
After Haberbush finished his arguments, Deputy Attorney General Liam O’Connor, who attended in person representing the state, briefly argued against Haberbush’s main points. Haberbush requested to rebut O’Connor’s rebuttal but was denied by Hanna shortly before the judge made his final ruling.
In a press release about the court’s ruling, Secretary of State Shirley Weber called Measure B a “colossal waste of time and taxpayer funds.”
“The proponents of the Measure knew it was unlawful but submitted it to the voters anyway,” Weber said. “Today’s decision affirms what was a forgone conclusion from the beginning. As long as there are those willing to enact reckless, illegal, and poorly drafted laws, on behalf of Californians, we will see them in court.”
Attorney General Bonta said in an emailed statement that his office is committed to making sure every eligible voter can participate in democracy by voting and that it won’t allow for “any attempts at interference in our state’s elections process.”
“With this decision, we have shut down another unlawful attack on our state’s elections and the fundamental right to vote,” Bonta wrote. “Our democracy thrives when every person is able to make their voice heard. We will never stop fighting to ensure that California’s elections remain free, fair, safe, and secure.”
In an emailed comment, Haberbush said the measure’s proponents are “reviewing every option, including an appeal.”
“Today’s ruling tells the voters of every charter county in California that they have no say over how their own elections are run,” he added, acknowledging that a majority of voters, about 56%, approved the measure.
Measure B faced legal challenges before it even appeared on voters’ ballots. In March, Hanna dismissed a case attempting to prevent the measure from being included on the ballot, saying the appropriate time to consider its legality would be after the election, when voters had a chance to weigh in.
Several of Measure B’s proponents were in attendance at court this morning, including Laura Hobbs, Deidre Holliday and Kari Chilson.
Shasta County Counsel Joseph Larmour, who was also in attendance, took no position on the case.
“At least you’re consistent,” Hanna responded, a nod to Larmour’s relative neutrality throughout the case, a stance he took at the direction of county supervisors.
When Hanna suspended the measure in August, he issued a written statement outlining his reasoning, saying Measure B was attempting to enact provisions that are “wholly contrary to existing state law.”
“Shasta County’s status as a charter county does not entitle it to enact invalid legislation simply because some in this community do not agree with the existing law,” Hanna wrote.
This is a developing story.
Nov. 9 7:04 p.m.: We have updated this story to include comments from the California Secretary of State and Attorney General’s Offices.
Do you have a correction to share? Email us: editor@shastascout.org
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The claim that voter fraud by vocal locals is rampant, prevalent, or even occasional has been proven wrong in EVERY instance it has been tested. Still, the lie has been told so often that confidence and rational thought have all but disappeared. And it started at the top. That’s why this measure passed.
At the same time, the voters of Shasta County have installed a slate of reasonable supervisors and councilmen to take office in January.
“You can only fool some of the people some of the time.”
Voter ID will happen eventually– either with a Real ID or fingerprint/face scanning software.
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Gallardo and the rest are a distraction. Also, noble Rob Bonta quotes always make me laugh. He is as corrupt as the others are buffoonish.
NC sez: “Voter ID will happen eventually– either with a Real ID or fingerprint/face scanning software.”
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Doesn’t this imply in-person voting only? Elimination of mail-in and drop-box voting? Because only the fringiest of election-denying loons want that. Even Der Pumpkinführer votes by mail.
Let’s be honest here NC. Voter ID is the Trojan Horse of voter suppression laws. The election denier crowd will not be happy with voter ID alone. They want hand counting, one-day voting, new voter rolls, no VBM or absentee ballots; all “solutions” chasing a non-existent problem. Getting a real ID is a challenge for many, especially for women who have changed their name due to marriage or divorce. Face scanning is useless for the 90% of us who elect to VBM. Measure B being thrown out should come as no surprise to anyone who has read Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution. Also, glad Prop 39 failed by a large margin. Even Trump has abandoned his repeated claims of voter fraud after last week’s rout.
Voter ID will happen eventually – In Russia!
Eventually? Yeah, maybe in another state, but Ciforonia said, “Nope,” 60% to 40%. Poor Carl DeMaio tried and failed at this back in 2023.
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In California, the DeMaio scam is as dead as the court-adjudicated rapist’s SAFE AMERICA ACT.
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If you like to bet, Polymarket currently puts the chance of the SAFE AMERICA ACT becoming law by December 31, 2026, at approximately 3%… Then, of course, the new Senate will be seated for the next 6 years, and guess what? Right now, the count is 54 Democrats and 44 Republicans, with 2 still being counted. And again, if you want to bet on that one, as of November 10, Polymarket traders give Democrats the edge in both of those remaining Senate races.
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Like Hakeem Jeffries, House Democratic leader H. Jeffries said about the REpublican attempt to take control of the Congressional race by redistricting, “F— around, find out…”
I wish the taxpayers of this county could file a class action lawsuit against these whackos. Hobbs working at the elections office is insulting and infuriating. Curtis is gin-soaked head case wasting every damn dime of public dollars that pays him to fail at his job repeatedly. We are so done all the lies, conspiracy theories, ballot sniffing, the whole sordid showcase of stupidity and incompetence.
Is this Shasta Five malarkey finished yet, or will our local MAGA burn even more County Counsel time, money, and citizen resources on an appeal? Don’t forget that the Hobbs losers won’t be paying back any of the money taxpayers had to spend on this or their previous court messes, because their friends on the board, MAGA Crye, Kelstrom, and Corky, didn’t press the issue, even though they could and should have.
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For years here in Shasta County, during supervisor meetings and in the defunct, pathetic joke called the “Election Commission,” we were lectured on the “Constitution” and election law by MAGA citizens and MAGA supervisors who may have a high school education or a couple of years of undergraduate study, at best, either masquerading as renowned Constitutional Law Scholars or so delusionally Trump-drunk that they really think they are. (Yeah, I know; L. Hobbs has a PhD in biology or something, but seems to be waaaaaaay off base in legal matters.)
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As for the claim that the majority of voters (about 56%) approved the measure, that is moot, if not absurd. Why I think 56% of this county’s Trump-drunk citizens would support many things that are illegal. Hey, how about a Measure 666 that says, “The County of Shasta shall mandate that all citizens do not have to pay California or Federal taxes because our lord Jesses Christ made Shasta citizens sovereign citizens, by god! Therefore, the federal government is illegitimate; all taxes are unconstitutional!” Or what about a Measure 8645, which says, “In Shasta County you don’t need a driver’s license, vehicle registration, or automobile insurance, because it’s unconstitutional.” (That one is really big in the Sovereign Citizen movement).
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The common thread between local Shasta County MAGA and their avatar is the fight over who has legal authority over voter registration systems, voter information, and election administration. So far, the courts have ruled that the State of California Constitution and/or the U.S. Constitution make clear that the Trump and Shasta County MAGAs’ distorted dream of controlling our elections violates one or both of those documents.
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Let’s face it, MAGA. The jig is up. You’re not the “tip of the spear.” Nope, you and your court-adjudicated rapist are no kings above the Constitution and the law. It’s time to move on.
Even Trump has backed off his rabid claims of massive election fraud after the shellacking his party took in the midterms. Now he is attacking those who vote early by mail, like him! Local election deniers got duped by Trump into perpetuating the Big Lie. Regardless, I hope they drain their bank accounts to appeal this all the way to the SCOTUS.
Redding Maga is a wierd group
It’s just nuts! Remember Peter Ticktin, the guy Clint tried to get Shasta County to hire to defend Measure B in court? He’s the same Florida lawyer who represents hundreds of Jan. 6. defendants and just told ABC News he’s already filed Anti-Weaponization Fund claims for about 200 of his clients, saying he’s “very optimistic” the Trump administration will pay out.
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And how about the Election Felon Tina Peters, the nut job Clint tried to hire as an assistant ROV, has met personally with Trump at least twice in the Oval Office with her attorney, Peter Ticktin, to advocate martial law.
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These pimps for fascism are smoking too many Fruit Loops; they’re dangerous!
“Several of Measure B’s proponents were in attendance at court this morning, including Laura Hobbs, Deidre Holliday and Kari Chilson.”
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Uhh… didn’t Clint Curtis hire them as election workers? Don’t they have an election to finish up??
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These are the same people who will be the first ones to tell you that if there’s any delay in the counting of ballots, that it must be due to some type of fraud or malfeasance…
It must be nice to have a county job when you are named as key personnel where you can take paid time off work at any time to attend court hearings, board meetings and such, especially when it’s election time and ballots are supposed to be getting processed timely . And your boss is like a ghost in the wind as well….
Kinda like the invisible overspray, oh, that wasn’t Cline or MAGA, but Joeanna
The financial responsibility for appealing Judge Hanna’s decision against Measure B will primarily fall on the measure’s proponents and their private supporters, unless the Shasta County Board of Supervisors explicitly votes to commit taxpayer money to the effort.
Previous campaign-finance records show that legal representation has already cost thousands of dollars, and an appeal would bring additional attorney fees, court expenses, and potentially other costs.
Consequently, the question is whether Measure B’s supporters have sufficient private funding to continue their legal battle without asking Shasta County taxpayers to finance it.
In the addled minds of Laura Hobbs, Richie Gallardo, and the other local MAGA moon units, “charter county” means “sovereign nation,” and Cottonwood Creek is a moat. They will no doubt view the judge’s ruling as usurping and thwarting direct democracy—the same direct democracy that they ordinarily treat with distain because it’s based on the tyranny of the majority rather than being rooted in God-given rights.
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“Haberbush said that the measure’s proponents are reviewing every option, including an appeal.” Knock yourselves out, MAGA wingnuts. So much losing, you guys are starting to come off as masochists.
Good. Bye Laura Hobbs.
Good luck finding a sugar daddy to finance an appeal. The best Haberbush could come up with was to cite the Huntington Beach ordinance, which went down in flames less than a year ago? He’s not even trying. Stand by for the gnashing of teeth and rending of garment here in 3..2..1
Selah