The precedent – cited often in recent court decisions – goes back over a century, to a 1905 case where the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a state’s power to mandate vaccinations during an epidemic.
Author Archives: Nick Gerda
Nick covers the city of Santa Ana, as well as the County of Orange, often reporting on issues like homelessness, public safety, mental health, and the role of money in politics.
Since joining Voice of OC in 2011, Nick has regularly shed light on topics that are often kept in the shadows. He’s reported on systemic problems in the county’s mental health system. He also led a reporting team that produced sophisticated looks at how the Disney corporation campaign contributions influenced recent elections in Anaheim.
Nick also revealed evidence of elected leaders using their official powers to apparently pressure government contractors into donating to their election campaigns, in an article that was awarded best news story of the year by the Orange County Press Club. He firmly believes journalism should inform the public and help hold the powerful accountable.
An Orange County native, Nick first started covering local government in his mid-teens, before attending Santa Ana College, the American University in Cairo, and UC Irvine, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.
Languages spoken: English, elementary Spanish, minimal Arabic and minimal Japanese
Areas of expertise: Local government, local politics, homelessness, mental health policy, campaign finance, California Public Records Act, Ralph M. Brown Act, County of Orange government, Santa Ana city government and municipal finance.
Posted inCountywide
Coronavirus Outbreak Hits Second Orange County Homeless Shelter
The Fullerton Armory outbreak was about a week ago, and people who tested positive were moved into the county’s motel sheltering program.
Posted inCountywide
As Orange County Moves to Re-Open, Coronavirus Hospitalizations Keep Climbing
As of Tuesday, 301 people were hospitalized with coronavirus in OC, up 67 percent from a month ago, according to mandatory data reported by hospitals to the California Department of Public Health.
Posted inCountywide
OC Supervisors Vote To Distribute $75 Million to Small Businesses
There was no discussion of the criteria that would be used for businesses to get financial support.
Posted inCountywide
Orange County Starts Posting Coronavirus Recovery Estimates
“It is imperative that Orange County residents have a clear picture about the number of recoveries and recovery rates from COVID-19,” supervisors’ Chairwoman Michelle Steel told Voice of OC in a statement Wednesday.
Posted inCountywide
With Hospitalizations in Focus, OC Deciding Whether to Report More Consistent Numbers
After being questioned by Voice of OC, Orange County Health Care Agency officials now say they’re now looking at publishing a more consistent picture of coronavirus hospitalizations, after weeks of posting optional data that’s missing some hospitals on most days.
Posted inCountywide
Orange County Grapples With ‘Devastating’ $458 Million Revenue Drop Projection
As retail sales plummet during the pandemic, local governments across America are facing massive budget holes. Orange County is no exception.
Posted inCountywide
Judge Rejects Huntington Beach’s Challenge of Governor’s Coronavirus Beach Closures
“The United States Supreme Court has long recognized that the Constitution ‘does not import an absolute right in each person to be, at all times and in all circumstances, wholly free from constraint,’ ” wrote OC Superior Court Judge Nathan R. Scott.
Posted inCountywide
OC Mayors and Supervisors Request ‘Urgent’ Federal Funding, Citing Public Safety Risk
“We’re going to struggle to meet the basic funding needs for our district attorney and the sheriff,” county CEO Frank Kim said at a news conference Thursday in response to questions from Voice of OC.
Posted inCountywide
City of Irvine’s Coronavirus Antibody Test Plans Draw Concern From County Health Officials
Also known as serology tests, the antibody tests currently have a high rate of false positives and immunity, experts say, with county health officials cautioning they’re not yet recommended for individual tests and immunity is not yet understood for COVID-19.
