Nick Shirley rallies at California Capitol against new law aimed to protect hospice workers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A new California law aimed at protecting hospice workers and employees of immigrant-support services is facing a lawsuit, with critics including conservative influencer Nick Shirley arguing the law could infringe on First Amendment rights.

Shirley hosted a rally at the California State Capitol to oppose Assembly Bill 2624, which was recently signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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“It won’t just affect me, it’s going to affect every citizen that wants to look into potential fraud or just potential waste and abuse inside their own community,” Shirley said.

The law, authored by Democratic Assemblymember Mia Bonta, is intended to protect workers at hospices and immigrant-support services from doxxing, threats, intimidation and attacks. Organizations would have to apply with the Secretary of State’s Office to receive protection under the law and prove there are credible threats to their employees and the organization. Once approved, the law would limit public access to certain personal information, including addresses and phone numbers.

Shirley said the law is unnecessary and argued there are already protections for people who are threatened or doxxed. Republican Sen. Tony Strickland said the state can expect a lawsuit arguing the law violates the First Amendment.

“It’s fundamentally unconstitutional. It goes against freedom of speech, freedom of press. Every citizen in California has a right to know how their money is being spent,” Strickland said.

Bonta declined an interview with ABC10 but addressed criticism that the law could deny journalists access to information in a prerecorded video.

“This was never about investigative journalism. It was never about preventing people from finding fraud in our system,” Bonta said.

Bonta said the legislation is meant to protect people who are being harassed.

“My family received death threats. My staff was told that they’d be better off in internment camps,” Bonta said.

ABC10 also captured video of two men being handcuffed by California Highway Patrol officers at the Capitol.

CHP confirmed three people were detained, including one person arrested on assault charges. Sacramento Police said two people were arrested, also on assault charges.

Shirley was asked about the behavior from people who came to support him and the law’s language aimed at preventing violence.

“There’s already laws for that for people that are being doxed and threatened. There’s no need for this bill. And for the people out here, I told all my supporters, we don’t wear masks. We don’t have any reason to wear a masks, and don’t engage with those that are wearing masks because they aren’t bold enough or confident enough to say who they are,” said Shirley.

In response to the lawsuit that will challenge this bill, Asm. Bonta provided ABC10 with this statement:

“Of course they want to continue grifting off this bill. Republicans all the way to the White House are trying to capitalize on voters’ economic anxiety and throw immigrants — our neighbors, our nurses, our friends — under the bus, while they carry water for the Epstein billionaire class, create a $1.8 billion slush fund for January 6th rioters who attacked Capitol police, and fail to deliver for the American people.”

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