Senator Patricia Bates (R-Laguna Niguel) issued the following statement after the Senate majority party removed Senator Janet Nguyen (R-Garden Grove) from the Senate Chamber this morning after peacefully expressing her views during regular session:

“I'm outraged by the Senate majority party's action of silencing my colleague and friend, Senator Janet Nguyen. She was physically removed from the Senate Chamber for peacefully expressing her thoughts about the Senate earlier this week honoring the memory of former state Senator Tom Hayden, a noted communist sympathizer.

“Senator Nguyen’s family escaped communist Vietnam and came to the United States in search of freedom. Unfortunately some Democrats did not like her comments and wanted to silence her. They silenced Senator Nguyen and had her removed from the Senate floor.

“I’m proud of Senator Nguyen for persisting and exercising her right as a citizen and legislator to peacefully express her views. This sad episode is a textbook case of men trying to silence a woman whose views they did not like. Making things worse, the majority party shut down the CalChannel TV feed denying the public access to its government.

“The Senate is better than this, and I am encouraged that many of my colleagues – both Democrats and Republicans – agree that the Senate should never treat a senator the way it treated Senator Nguyen today. #IStandWithJanet #ShePersisted #LetHerSpeak!!!”

A short video showing Senator Nguyen being removed from the Senate Chamber can be found here.