Benicia contributes more cash Sharks could be hurt by to eGift Card program A3 NHL’s new time frame B1 Wednesday | December 9, 2020 | $1.00
dailyrepublic.com | Well said. Well read.
Candidate tells supervisors election not as clean as it should have been
covid-19 pandemic
Todd R. Hansen
thansen@dailyrepublic.net
Robinson Kuntz/Daily Republic photos
Solano sheriff’s deputies prevent a man from entering the Board of Supervisors meeting without a mask, Tuesday,
Residents urge Solano board to
defy Newsom’s health order
FAIRFIELD — On a day the Solano County registrar of voters was ready to celebrate a record-breaking election during the trying times of a pandemic, he will instead be investigating claims that possibly hundreds of Vacaville residents were sent the wrong ballots. Amber Robitaille, who lost her bid for the District 3 seat on the Vacaville City Council, told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that voters on 10 streets in Vacaville – and in more than one of the newly drawn city districts – received the wrong ballots. She told the board that a couple in the same house on Shasta Drive each received a ballot for a different district, one for District 3, the other for District 4.
She also told the board there is even a stretch of West Monte Vista Avenue, between North Orchard Avenue and West Street, where residents could get a ballot for one of three districts. “This is not about me or my election,” Robitaille said in an interview after the board meeting. “This is about the voters, in a public meeting, getting to hear what went wrong in the election.” John Gardner, the assistant registrar of voters, told the board that issues involving what amounted to about 50 ballots did occur, but were corrected. See Election, Page A8
Todd R. Hansen
thansen@dailyrepublic.net
A man, who only wanted to be identified by the name Steven, speaks in protest of being required to wear a mask at the Solano County Board of Supervisors meeting, Tuesday.
FAIRFIELD — One man conducted what amounted to a loud, profanity-laced sit-in Tuesday just outside the Solano County Board of Supervisors chamber, while still more urged the board to defy the governor’s latest and most restrictive stay-at-home order. “Stay away from me; you will give me a heart attack,” Richard Robiak told sheriff’s deputies and county security officers as he sat on a bench in the ante-room outside the board chamber. Robiak, claiming his civil rights were being violated, was refusing to wear a face covering, and the county officials were barring him from entering the chamber. “I’m speaking . . . and I’m not wearing a mask,” said Robiak, who did say he was willing See Defy, Page A8
Solano’s top health official says vaccine will be ready by spring Todd R. Hansen thansen@dailyrepublic.net
FA I R F I E L D — Covid-19 vaccines will be ready for the general public by springtime, and much sooner for the priority groups such as
hospital personnel and at-risk populations. Dr. Bela Matyas, the county public health officer, told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday that there are three companies that are seeking approval from the federal
Food and Drug Administration, and Pfizer could get its green light in the coming days. He said distribution would begin immediately after that, first to acute hospital personnel, then to the care facilities, front-
line medical personnel and first-responders. Matyas said he also expects that this latest surge will continue through mid-January because of Christmas and See Vaccine, Page A9
Amy Maginnis-Honey/Daily Republic
Solano County Supervisor Erin Hannigan, left, administers the oath of office to Suisun City Councilwoman Alma Hernandez, Tuesday.
Hernandez, Hudson take Suisun City Council seats Amy Maginnis-Honey amaginnis@dailyrepublic.net
SUISUN CITY — The City Council welcomed two people to its dais Tuesday. Solano County Supervisor Erin Hannigan administered the oath of office to the Alma Hernandez, who was the top vote-getter in the Nov. 3 race. “The first of many,” Hannigan said, “get ready, parents.”
Hernandez’s mother, father and sister were in the council chamber. Solano County Supervisor Jim Spering administered the oath to Mike Hudson, who was returning to the council after losing a re-election bid in 2018. During a photo session afterward, when there was a cellphone photo challenge, Spering joked that if it took much See Suisun, Page A8
High Court says no to likely last high court appeal of election Tribune Content Agency WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump had predicted that the Supreme Court would finally decide who won this year’s presidential election, but if so, he lost again Tuesday. Without comment or dissent, the high court turned away the first appeal from Trump supporters to reach the high court, a claim by several Pennsylvania Republicans who said the state’s election results should not be certified.
It may be the last appeal as well. Under federal election law, Dec. 8 marks the date when a state’s results are deemed to be set and final. Presidentelect Joe Biden won by more than 81,000 votes in Pennsylvania and will win the state’s 20 electoral votes. The lawsuit turned away Tuesday did not come from the Trump campaign. Instead, Rep. Mike Kelly, a Republican from western Pennsylvania, and several others claimed the state legislature violated the
INDEX Business ����������������������������������������� B6 Classifieds �������������������������������������� B6 Columns ����������������������������������������� A6 Comics/TV Daily ����������������������� A7, B4
Crossword ��������������������������������A6, B5 Entertainment ������������������������� B4, B5 Opinion �������������������������������������������B3 Sports ��������������������������������������������� B1
Pennsylvania Constitution when it enacted bipartisan legislation last year to allow all of its registered voters to cast ballots by mail. Further, Kelly claimed the Pennsylvania Supreme Court violated the state constitution when it refused last week to throw out the election results. As Pennsylvania’s state lawyers pointed out, the dispute had nothing to do with federal law or the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Supreme Court has no general authority to decide on
Pennsylvania law or the meaning of its state constitution. Earlier this year, the conservative justices wrote approvingly of former Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s view that the state legislatures had a dominant role in setting the rules for presidential elections. Article II of the Constitution says “each state shall appoint, in such manner as the legislature may direct” its allotted electors. Pennsylvania, like nearly all the states, had decided to allocate all of its electors to the presidential candidate
weather
67 42
Mostly sunny skies. Complete five-day forecast on B10.
who wins the most votes. Rehnquist also said in the Bush vs. Gore decision in 2000 that the state courts were not free to change the election laws set by the legislature. If they did so, the Supreme Court could intervene. Prior to the November election, it looked as if this theory could give Republicans a legal argument for challenging the election results if the state courts made crucial changes in the rules
how to reach us Breaking news updates at
dailyrepublic.com Want to subscribe? Call 427.6989
See Court, Page A8