Business Owners Crash Sacramento County Meeting About Fining Businesses

Sacramento business owners stormed the Sacramento County Supervisor's office on Tuesday, December 8.

The group showed up in protest of a recent proposal that would allow the county to fine businesses that did not comply with COVID-19 restrictions.

A hearing on the ordinance was scheduled to take place on Tuesday.

The chairman of the board called for a 10-minute recess as protesters continue to bang on the doors.

The meeting was then continued in a different room.

Police were called to the scene, according to CBS13.

The proposal entailed issuing individuals with a $500 fine for gathering and businesses with fines up to $10,000 for failing to comply with COVID-19 restrictions.

Sacramento County hoped these fines would encourage business owners and residents to think twice before violating safety restrictions.

Sacramento County Supervisor Sue Frost acknowledged the protesters and is glad the proposal is being reconsidered.

"I will continue to push for efforts to increase outreach and education to businesses so that we can work on gaining compliance with a helping hand, rather than with threatening policies," Frost wrote in a statement.

County Health Services Director Dr. Peter Beilenson has now pulled the proposed ordinance from the hearing and delayed it until December 15.

Beilenson said a revised ordinance will be presented to supervisors that "will be addressing only gatherings, rather than businesses."

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