California salons file lawsuit against Gov. Newsom's coronavirus closures amid reopening plan: 'It's injustice'

close

Video

California salon owner says every business is essential: My livelihood is on the line

Corrine Lam, owner of the Salotto Salon & Blowdry Lounge in San Diego, joins Laura Ingraham on 'The Ingraham Angle.'

Get all the latest news on coronavirus and more delivered daily to your inbox. Sign up here.

The Center for American Liberty filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against California Gov. Gavin Newsom on behalf of the Professional Beauty Federation of California (PBFC) in an attempt to reopen hair salons statewide.

The organization, in collaboration with the Dhillon Law Group, represents more thn 500,000 hair salon owners who want salons to be reclassified from stage three in California’s reopening process, and be allowed to open now.

SAN DIEGO MAYOR URGES NEWSOM TO LET COUNTIES DECIDE WHEN TO REOPEN, CALLS GOVERNOR'S PLAN 'NOT REALISTIC'

“They’re licensed professionals with degrees [in] safety and sanitation… it doesn’t make sense why nail & beauty salons remain closed, it's injustice," plaintiff attorney Harmeet Dhillon said at a press conference Tuesday.

The PBFC is using the slogan #OpenSalonsNow to promote the effort and encourage others to pressure to the governor to allow beauty salons to reopen.

California salons have been closed since March 19 when Newsom ordered the state's stay-at-home order.

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR NEWSOM DELAYS REOPENING COUNTY AFTER THOUSANDS ATTEND RODEO

Newsom announced a four-stage plan to reopen the state of California in late April, and stage two was initiated Friday. “Lower-risk workspaces” such as manufacturing and some retail that allow for curbside pickup were permitted to reopen.

But according to the PBFC’s legal counsel, “black market” hair and nail salons have popped up during the COVID-19 pandemic, “making criminals out of Californians.”

“We fear that with 500,000 licensed in the state, that there will be too much temptation to go back to work regardless of lockdown,” said Fred Jones, PBFC legal counsel and lobbyist.

“The safest way is to open and coordinate and make sure it’s clean [and] ready to go.”

CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP

"The industry embraced the governor’s lockdown initially for nearly two months… But now after a lot of time and more to come, the salon industry [was] forced to file [the] lawsuit -- this is a last-ditch effort to reopen salons," the legal counsel said at the end of the briefing Tuesday.