Newsom recall: Here's why State Assemblyman Kevin Kiley is visiting Yreka Friday

Siskiyou Daily News

Kevin Kiley (R) represents the 6th Assembly District in the California legislature.

California State Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, a Republican from Rocklin, is one of the main supporters of a movement to recall Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom. So much so that Kiley has written a book titled “Recall Newsom: The Case Against America's Most Corrupt Governor.”

Kiley, a 36-year-old lawyer, has been going around the state for book signings and to get people to sign the recall, which, he said, has more than 1.7 million signatures. This Friday, he'll be in Yreka.

Kiley will be signing copies of his book at Zephyr Books and Coffee on Miner Street from noon to 3 p.m. Petitions for additional signatures will also be available for those who want to join in the recall effort.

FILE - In this June 15, 2020, file photo, Republican Assemblymen James Gallagher, of Yuba City, left, and Kevin Kiley, of Rocklin, confer at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. A Northern California county judge on Monday, Nov. 2, 2020, preliminarily ordered Gov. Gavin Newsom to stop issuing directives related to the coronavirus that might interfere with state law. Sutter County Superior Court Judge Sarah Heckman tentatively ruled that one of the dozens of executive orders Newsom has issued overstepped his authority and impinged on the state Legislature. Heckman acted in a lawsuit brought by Gallagher and Kiley, who said Newsom, a Democrat, was single-handedly overriding state laws in the name of keeping Californians safe. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)

Kiley alleges that California’s response to COVID-19 has been "the worst in America," with incomparable economic destruction, loss of life, and violations of democratic norms. Kiley believes Newsom is using the virus as an opportunity for a "new progressive era."

On Friday, Kiley spoke to the Daily News by phone on his way to a book signing in La Quinta in the Palm Springs area. He said he has been traveling all over California to get his message out and obtain more signatures. While the movement needs 1.5 million valid signatures, Kiley said on average, about 20% of total signatures collected are thrown out for a variety of reasons, and he wants to get as many signatures as possible so there is no doubt they have enough to recall Newsom.

“I’m excited to come to Yreka,” he said. “Every voice matters in a recall. The voices of the people up in (Siskiyou County) matter."

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Kiley said he does not like the way the state has general guidelines for COVID-19 pandemic tier levels, which are same statewide for both big communities and small. He said this is unfair to residents of rural areas like Siskiyou County. He believes that guidelines should be set so smaller areas have more autonomy to decide on restrictions and how they are governed.

Kiley said Newsom's actions have caused "a total free fall of our state" and the recall is meant to rectify "the failed policies that have hurt California and our future ... People are frustrated.”

Kiley, raised in the Sacramento area, earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard and his law degree from Yale. He also has a master’s in secondary education from Loyola Marymount. He said the response from his travels around the state have been positive and said many people have approached him and thanked him for writing the book and getting this recall going.

“It's been so powerful to meet so many people that want to be a part of this," Kiley said. “It's been an amazing opportunity."

He said that he knows Siskiyou County is an area full of people frustrated with the state's policy and who want change. "I can’t wait to get up there and talk to folks,” he said. “It's vital to have this discussion.”