Newsom Vetoes California Bill That Would Have Criminalized ‘Harassing’ Teachers, Disrupting School Board Meetings

California Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a bill that would have made it a misdemeanor to harass school employees or disrupt school board meetings. The governor on Oct. 8 rejected Senate Bill 596, which would have criminalized those who disrupt school board meetings or harass teachers, school staff, or district officials in verbal, written, or electronic communication with up to $1,000 in fines and jail time. Mr. Newsom said he rejected the bill because the state already has laws in place criminalizing harassment and threats. “Credible threats of violence and acts of harassment—whether directed against school officials, elected officials, or members of the general public—can already be prosecuted as crimes,” he stated in his  Oct. 8 veto letter. “As such, creating a new crime is unnecessary.”...