Gavin Newsom has not shared his schedule for years despite claims of being open.

Concerns Over California Governor’s Transparency

California’s Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom, has reportedly taken steps to limit access to his full schedule, which has raised eyebrows in recent years. According to Calmatters, there has been a notable increase in efforts to implement democratic gerrymandering related to California’s district maps, which has consequently made many events and conferences less accessible to the public this year.

Calmatters has been requesting public records of Newsom’s calendar monthly, but they haven’t received anything new in the last five months. A representative from Newsom’s office has stated that the calendar will be shared “as soon as it is ready for release.” They emphasize that “Governor Newsom is one of the most transparent governors in California’s history,” and that he will continue to maintain transparency concerning his calendar.

The issue of transparency surrounding Newsom’s calendar has been noted among his gubernatorial peers for over two years. For instance, during a significant visit to the White House in February 2023, there was a distinct lack of accessible information about his schedule, causing confusion among reporters, as they noted that they were not informed about his activities at various public events.

In California, the public sharing of a governor’s calendar has been customary since the expansion of the Public Records Act in 2004. This law encouraged previous governors, like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jerry Brown, to disclose their calendars. However, the records released so far by Newsom’s office have been less comprehensive, offering only a few hours of meetings and “working times.”

Other governors, such as New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin, have been providing more detailed schedules, including information about upcoming events and meetings well in advance. Despite repeated requests for Newsom’s public records, the last comprehensive schedule made available was dated April 1, 2024, covering an event span from September to December of the same year.

California law mandates that agencies must confirm within ten days of a request whether they have the required documents to fulfill it and to provide them as they exist at the time of the request. However, it appears there has been some delay in Newsom’s office responding to these requests.