5 questions for Judge Steven Bailey for CA Attorney General 2018
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PV’s Exclusive Newsmaker Interview:
Judge Steven Bailey for CA Attorney General 2018
Steven Bailey (R), candidate for California Attorney General in Sacramento, Monday, October 30, 2017. Photo Brian Baer
Key Endorsements:
District Attorney of Placer County Scott Owens
District Attorney of Tehama County Gregg Cohen
Deputy Sheriffs’ Association of El Dorado County
Rocklin Police Officers’ Association, Roseville Police Officers’ Association
Placer County Deputy Sheriffs’ Association, Gun Owners of California
Congressman Tom McClintock, BOE Chairwoman Diane Harkey
State Senator Ted Gaines, Senator Jim Nielsen, Senator John Moorlach, Senator Joel Anderson, Assemblyman Frank Bigelow, Assemblyman Phillip Chen, Assemblyman Matthew Harper, Senate Minority Leader Bob Huff (Ret.)
Question No. 1. What do you feel the role of the Attorney General to be?
Judge Steven Bailey: The Attorney General (AG) is the top law enforcement officer in the state and the state’s top attorney, who must be an experienced attorney – committed to public safety, enforcing the law, and writing fair and honest ballot titles and summaries.
The primary responsibility of the AG is to ensure our law-abiding citizens of California are protected from lawbreakers and criminals – to ensure justice and the fair and uniform application of the law. It is not the role of the AG to pick and choose which laws will be enforced nor is it the AG’s role to create law.
Governor Brown appointed our current AG, whose law license was inactive for 26 years and was reinstated with the State Bar – just to take this job. After 19 years working in Washington, he continues grandstanding on the national stage, while he’s absent on state issues and wasting our hard-earned taxpayers’ money.
My wealth of experience and well-rounded knowledge of all facets of the Attorney General’s office is exactly what California needs. As a Judge on the California Superior Court in El Dorado County for 8 ½ years, I presided over some of the most complex criminal and civil matters. Prior to serving on the bench, I worked hard as an attorney in private practice for 18+ years and went beyond the standard licensing requirements as a Criminal Law Specialist certified by The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization.
Question No. 2. What will be your priorities if you win?
Judge Steven Bailey:
Public safety is paramount, and it will be my top priority to ensure that our citizens are safe and secure in their homes, property and lives. My office will aggressively move against human traffickers, gang members, and those who are victimizing others throughout our state. I will beef up the Department of Justice and its ability to support local law enforcement. I will fight to bring out crime labs into 21st century standards and hire new criminologists and officers to conduct complex investigations.
Every citizen has a right to be safe and protected in their property and person – whether you live in a city or rural area.
Reducing sentences, realignment, and early release have exposed Californians to the rising threat of violent crime seeping into their homes and communities. With our current Attorney General, this could quickly become California’s worst nightmare. These soft-on-crime policies have failed and must be rolled back to protect the public from being further victimized by hardened criminals.
I’m honored to have the support of Mike Reynolds, Marc Klaas, and Bill Jones, the original public advocates of our state’s landmark “Three Strikes and You’re Out!” sentencing law. They know I will be tough on crime and that it’s time for a common-sense retired Judge to be elected as CA Attorney General. The severe consequences from the years in which the absentee Attorneys General, who allowed politicians to gut our sentencing laws, must come to an end. The pendulum swings back in 2018, and if elected officials in Sacramento continue to ignore their responsibilities on public safety, I’ll lead from the Attorney General’s office and we’ll take it back to the people once more.
Another top priority will be reducing the rise of violent crime and increasing penalties for crimes such as rape and assault. The current appointed AG has been completely absent and tone deaf on the biggest issues in our state. It’s been more than 100 days since nearly 150 women came forward to call out the pervasive culture of sexual harassment in Sacramento and the AG has not said a single word about it. I have called for a special task force and encouraged passage of the Legislative Employees Whistleblower Protection Act so that we can protect workers when the legislators and their staffs commit serious violations.
Question No. 3. What is your view on the job the last two CA Attorneys General have done?
Judge Steven Bailey: 2018 is the best opportunity in decades to elect a new Republican Attorney General. There are things that must be done – to undo the damage from the last two Democrat AGs:
We must stop politicizing this elected position and focus on public safety and guaranteeing justice for crime victims and their families. We must also commit to ensuring and assuring there are real checks and balances, especially on matters of public safety, and accountability for misdeeds and corruption in the state capitol.
Elect me, Steven Bailey as Attorney General, and we will begin to carve away the super-majority of Democrat control and rein in a runaway government with a firm but fair hand of justice. This is our opportunity to install an independent watchdog to clean up the capitol and guarantee honest ballot titles and summaries.
Most importantly, it is time to have a state that treats its citizens better than its criminals.
Question No. 4. Many think the current Attorney General has politicized the office. Do you think so and what, if anything, will you differently than him?
Judge Steven Bailey: Absolutely this current appointed Democrat AG has politicized this office.
The Office of Attorney General should function in a fair and unbiased manner. The AG is charged with maintaining the rule of law in this state. The current appointed occupant of the office is so inexperienced that he does not fully appreciate or understand the critical role of which he is sworn to – insuring all our citizens are protected and our laws are administered fairly and impartially.
It is not the role of the AG to pick and choose which laws to enforce. Moreover, the AG is charged with understanding the role of the U.S. Constitution and the Supremacy Clause in particular. He is administering this office as if he thought California was engaged in a civil war with the federal government. His threats to arrest and prosecute citizens and business owners, who comply with the law is what you would find with a tin horn dictator – California absolutely deserves better.
Question No. 5. Many believe the court system in the state is underfunded. Do you think so and what, if anything, do you propose to do about it?
Judge Steven Bailey:As a Superior Court Judge for the past 8½ years, I understand the funding needs of the court. With the centralization of court administration in San Francisco, a huge bloated bureaucracy has been created – doing little or nothing to support the trial courts where 90% of the work is done.
The courts are not underfunded – the money is being diverted and wasted by unelected bureaucrats. Over half a million dollars was spent on a courthouse in Los Angeles County, all the while hundreds of other courthouses around the state were being closed. Nearly half a million dollars was spent on a statewide computer system that was then abandoned because it would not work. Instead of being frugal with taxpayer money, the administrators of the California court system have ensured that they live well while our trial courts are left with nothing but the crumbs.
I support a comprehensive audit by the legislative auditor of the State of California to learn where the money has gone
About Steven Bailey
I need your vote on June 5th and here’s why:
I was the first Republican Attorney General candidate to step forward, and I am also the most qualified. Since I retired from the bench last September, I have continued to travel up and down the state campaigning just about every day to let citizens know we can return to law and order.
Prior to being an attorney, I served as Deputy Director of Legislation for the State Department of Social Services under Governor George Deukmejian for 7½ years.
Unlike the current appointed incumbent, I have real courtroom experience. I have sent people to prison who deserved it – I made the tough decisions to protect California families and keep our streets and communities safe from hardened criminals.
My commitment is to protect the citizens of California. I need your support, and I’m asking for your vote on June 5th so that we have chance to make California safe again.
Connect with Judge Steven Bailey Judge Steven Bailey at the sites below.
Campaign Website: BaileyForAG.com
FaceBook: JudgeBaileyForAG
Twitter: @BaileyForAG
